This book aims at providing a theoretical framework to study identity in public discourse.

1. • Identity is defined for the purpose of this work as a social construct that is ideological, perceptual, and habitual.

2. • In order for us to understand the relationship between language and identity, one must first regard language as both a social variable and a social resource available to individuals. As a social variable and resource, it is also dependent on the shared norms of the community and on the ideological, perceptual, and habitual aspects of identity as a social construct.

3. • Egyptians are perceived in public discourse as forming one large community. This community shares a tacit norm mechanism that enables its members to decipher indexes, both linguistic and meta-linguistic.

4. • Linguistic indexes occur at different orders and, depending on the context, can be challenged or modified.

5. • Public discourse may attempt to provide a fixed, coherent facet of Egyptian identity. However, some aspects of this identity are sensitive to socio-political changes. Social variables can be classified even further into backbone variables and outcome variables. In the right context, language is a backbone variable in Egypt, especially ECA.

7.1 The twofold function of language in identity construction

The question posed at the start of this work was: what is the essential role of language in linking the social world to identity formation?

It was first argued that Egyptian identity, when depicted in public discourse, cannot be fully differentiated or separated out into individual, social, or national components. This is due to the very nature of public discourse and its tendency to generalize and homogenize, even while acknowledging differences.