Anchored in the tradition of symbolic-interactionism, this project explores identity as a social construct created and maintained by individuals through the continuous identity work they perform in conjunction with others; an accomplishment realized through "doing." While scholars have explored this notion of doing identity across a host of substantive areas that interrogate a diverse array of identities, much of this work has been specialized, often focusing exclusively on one particular

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... ty. These type-by-type analyses have contributed to a vast, rich body of literature on the subject while leaving the door open for insights best gleaned through a broader approach to the study of identity, one that is not restricted to the consideration of one particular identity but rather, one that draws comparisons across a diverse range of identities. Applying this more expansive multicontextual approach, my project is designed to contribute to a more complete understanding of the topic as I explore how doing identity operates as a generalizable, generic social process. Through forty-eight in-depth, qualitative interviews conducted among individuals connected to diverse identities (i.e., chronic illness, parent of exceptional child, fan and religious leader), my work utilizes social pattern analysis to identify generic patterns of doing identity that transcend identity type. My research demonstrates that, regardless of identity affiliation, individuals construct, sustain and experience identities in similar ways. I identify two central concepts that are part of this generic process of doing -- identity routines and identity club membership. As part of affiliation with any identity, individuals perform identity routines, where they coordinate and implement the components of identity work in support of their particular identities; regardless of identity type, these routines are characterized by a range of intensity that reflects the investment, restraint and visibility associated with individuals' identity work. With ide [...]