Self-esteem. Not only does it affect our identity and values, but also our feelings and actions in a variety of circumstances. Yet, after years of investigation, little of practical value has been learned about its nature. Self-Esteem and Meaning brings a new approach to the study of self-esteem. It presents case studies based on extended interviews with middle- and working-class individuals. Weaving together the subjects' frank and often poignant accounts of their own lives are the author's observations on the linguistic and semiotic principles that reveal the coherence and meaningfulness of these accounts. The book also contributes to the methodological effort to develop a humanistic yet rigorous social science. Those interested in the structure of meaning and the nature of self will find it of value. In addition, the book provides an enlightening discussion of the interview method.