A shift in focus from the logical to the psychological social contract allows us to better explore the socialization of the psychological citizen, and the relationship between identity of individuals and the socio-political order, with its particular group-based inequalities.
Traditional psychological studies have provided valuable insights into certain aspects of identity, but the new narrative research is leading to novel insights into longer term processes associated with the positioning of identity. The new approach recognizes the dual nature of mental processes and the integral role of context in individual development.Illustrative examples are discussed of the role of cultural carriers in the formation of identity, highlighting the infusion of the macrolevel normative system to thought and action at the microlevel of individuals.My first goal in this discussion is to explore some key features of the psychological citizen, the cognitive and behavioral characteristics people need in order to function effectively as part of, and to sustain, a sociopolitical order. I shall particularly focus on how psychological citizens come to incorporate aspects of the normative system, such as values and ideology (Feldman, 2003;Schwartz, 2007), autonomy (Dennis, Talih, Cole, Zahn-Waxler, & Mizuta, 2007), and trust and distrust (Warren, 1999), reflecting the wider sociopolitical order, within their identities. In tackling this first goal, I will necessarily take up a second: that of clarifying the difference between two concepts of the social contract, the idea that a central authority, government, or a state owes its origins to a mutual agreement between individuals.The first of these concepts is the familiar treatment of social contract theory as a branch of political philosophy. A great deal has already been said about this logical view of the social contract theory, which brings out the logical necessary