Kate McLean, Ph.D.
Professor
About
My expertise is in the development of narrative identity. Trained in a socio-cultural, Vygotskian approach to culture, I examine storytelling as a socially and culturally mediated mechanism for identity development. I focus on the concept of master narratives, culturally shared (or known) stories that serve as guides for personal storytelling. I am interested in how individuals negotiate their personal stories with these master narratives, particularly when the two do not align. This allows me to ask questions about the role of cultural affordances for and constraints on personal identity development, the role that societal systems and structures of power play in identity development, and the role of personal identity development in resistance and cultural change.