Communication theory of identity: a fifth frame

ABSTRACT This paper extends the communication theory of identity (CTI) through the revision of two of its assumptions and by introducing a fifth frame of identity: the material frame. The theory’s first assumption presents that ‘Identities have individual, enacted, relational, and communal properties’ [Hecht et al., 2003, p. 235]. These properties are considered locations or frames in which one can examine identity. The fourth assumption states that identities are ‘affective, cognitive, behavioral, and spiritual’ (Hecht et al., 2003, p. 235). CTI does not currently include physicality as an aspect of identity, nor does it offer a distinction between the materiality of identity and the other frames. This fifth frame consists of dimensions including these key components: the body, health, and territory.