A Therapeutic Moment? Identity, Self, and Culture in the Anthropology of Education

Identity is a key area for consideration in contemporary educational analysis and in the anthropology of education in particular. This article considers the need for critical inquiry into the notion of identity, suggesting that the field might reconsider the need and value of an approach that moves beyond identity toward consideration of cultural models of self and their implications. The discussion outlines three areas where self appears to be a useful construct (cultural therapy, multiculturalism, and transcultural comparisons of teaching and learning).