This chapter returns to a long-standing issue in in language and identity research based on life story interviews - the need for theoretical and methodological rigour (Pavlenko, 2007). It begins with background: first a brief discussion of identity that highlights those aspects of the construct that later come to the fore, and second, presentation of a version of positioning theory (PT) recently developed by the author (Block, 2017). This version draws on the original PT model developed by Rom Harré and his associates but importantly, it expands on this model with the addition of constructs taken from sociolinguistics, sociology and social theory, including authenticity and authentication (Bucholtz, 2003), belonging (Guibernau, 2013), field and habitus (Bourdieu, 1993, 2000), discourse formations and gaze (Foucault, 1989, 2003) and resistance (Seymour, 2006). The second half of the chapter examines an excerpt from an interview with an English-medium instruction lecturer, drawing on constructs developed in the first part. The aim is to show how the version of PT presented can lead to a detailed and nuanced interpretation of the construction of identity, turn by turn, in an interaction.

In this chapter, we explore the potential of conceptualizing identity as a complex dynamic system. The chapter begins with a critical reflection on how problematic dichotomies in discussions of self and identity have created unhelpful barriers between different areas of self-related work. Exploring integrative approaches to conceptualizing self, we suggest ways in which identity can be viewed as a complex dynamic system. In particular, we focus on the characteristic of emergence and how this can accommodate the notion of a continuously dynamic, adaptive and emergent sense of self. Additionally, we argue for a greater integration of both the psychological and the social in discussions of identity. We draw parallels to developments in multilingualism and notions of translanguaging which also point to the merits of a complexity perspective. Considering the implications for research, we stress the need to capture complexity which involves the psychological and social as well as dynamics across different timescales. We illustrate our line of thinking with data extracts from a study with English-Medium Instruction (EMI) teachers working in Austria.