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Identity and Self as Reflected in Fame and Its Processes

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Abstract

The present paper focusses on the phenomenon of fame studied through the aperture of the famous individuals. The focus of the study is to understand the conceptions of self and identity as lived by the famous individuals. The paper presents a model to understand the dynamics and influences of fame as a lived reality. The concepts of self-aggrandizement, mediated self and manufactured identity among the famous are discussed. The paper is elaborated using experiences situated in the field and in the narratives of the famous. The work is grounded in the psychohistorical tradition. Positioned in the intermediately domain between the individual and collective, at the methodological level the work proceeds with the help of narratives and life stories. The process for analysis was informed by the models of narrative analysis and grounded theory. The interaction among the themes has been explored, and an attempt has been made to uncover the theoretical issues emerging from the data.

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Correspondence to Surabhika Maheshwari.

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Maheshwari, S. Identity and Self as Reflected in Fame and Its Processes. Psychol Stud 64, 306–315 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-019-00522-1

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