According to Eleni Andreouli, identity is embedded in social relations and is dynamic, contextual and relational. Social representations and the dynamics of positioning between self and other define identities. Identities can be defined as positions in relation to social representations since people make sense of themselves and their experiences by drawing on and reconstructing social representations (Duveen, 1993, 2001; Duveen & Lloyd, 1986, 1990).  

Yamakawa et al. explains that positioning is defined as “the discursive process whereby people are located in conversations as observably and subjectively coherent participants in jointly produced storylines” (Davies & Harré, 1999, p. 37). One can be positioned by another or by oneself, interactive or reflective positioning, respectively. This definition means that participants position themselves or are positioned in different conversational locations according to changes in storylines.

Positioning can contribute towards clarifying the relational character of identity. The term positioning is an alternative to the idea of personhood and to the concept of role. According to van Langehove & Harré, 1999, positioning is always jointly reproduced and relational, meaning that positioning processes involve both self and other positions.

Marginalized groups have troubles with negotiating and asserting their collective identities in asymmetric social relations where they experience discrimination and prejudice in their daily life. This may be because they lack knowledge about the rights that they have or because they don’t have the platform to speak up and be recognized. However since positions are not fixed or stable, marginalized groups can reconstruct their collective identities and position themselves in certain ways, reframe the conversation, and change the storyline. They can either position themselves to be passive to the dominant ones and get discriminated or refuse to be treated badly and speak up and fight.