Agency and Communion in Racial/Ethnic Narratives and Relations With Racial/Ethnic Identity

Examining agency and communion in narratives about race and ethnicity can reveal how experiences of autonomy and connection shape the development of racial/ethnic identity. Across two studies of racially and ethnically diverse young adults, we examined themes of agency and communion in narratives about feeling aware of race and ethnicity in relation to measures of identity. Study 1 (N = 154) examined cross-sectional and longitudinal relations of agency and communion and racial/ethnic identity in two waves of data gathered six-months apart. Study 2 (N = 942) examined these cross-sectional associations in a larger, multi-site sample. In Study 1, themes of agency and communion and racial/ethnic identity measures were stable across waves and racial/ethnic identity predicted variations in themes over time. Across studies, communion correlated positively with measures of racial/ethnic identity, and themes of agency and communion were positively related. This research provides insight into a narrative feature that might promote racial/ethnic identity and the importance of considering how narrative themes function in context.