Reconceptualizing the Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity: The Role of Meaning-Making Capacity in the Construction of Multiple Identities

We reconceptualize Jones and McEwen’s (2000) model of multiple dimensions of identity by incorporating meaning making, based on the results of Abes and Jones’s (2004) study of lesbian college students. Narratives of three students who utilize different orders of Kegan’s (1994) meaning making (formulaic, transitional, and foundational, as described by Baxter Magolda, 2001) illustrate how meaning-making capacity interacts with the influences of context on the perceptions and salience of students’ multiple social identities. Implications for theory, research, and professional practice are discussed.