We explore how the external social structure influences internal self-processes by examining whether one's status in the social structure influences one's ability to self-verify across multiple identities. We also examine whether greater verification is related to positive self-feelings (higher self-esteem and mastery) in a stable manner, across identities. We investigate three identities: the worker identity and the academic identity (both instrumentally oriented) and the friend identity (expressively oriented). We consider the status characteristics of race/ethnicity, gender, age, and education. Using data from a random sample of Los Angeles County residents, we find that high compared with low status characteristics are associated with the verification of identities. Different status characteristics are related to the verification of different identities through a common system of meaning. Further, greater verification is associated with higher self-esteem and higher mastery across identities. The findings reveal how one's position in the social structure infuses interaction with meaning, producing perceptions that facilitate or impede the development and maintenance of a positive regard for the self.
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