The social construction of the actor’s career: Challenging the myth of innate talent in artistic becoming
The social construction of the actor’s career: Challenging the myth of innate talent in artistic becoming

Summary/Abstract: Identity is understood as a set of ideas and roles embedded within the individual self, representing a social construct based on learning processes and the assimilation of specific behaviors. Identity is not a “given”, but rather a trajectory of becoming. This study aims to investigate the process of constructing the social career of theatre actors, analyzing how individuals build their professional and social identity around this occupation. The research is based on a sociological investigation conducted through semi-structured interviews with thirteen participants. The central question is: “How does a person undergo the process of becoming a performing artist?”. The main objective is to identify and describe the stages through which an individual becomes an actor, both in terms of professional trajectory and in relation to the processes of socialization and recognition within the artistic field. The study is grounded in social career theory, offering a sociological interpretation of how individual experiences and institutional structures contribute to identity formation. The results indicate that the professional trajectory of actors follows a structured process, thereby demystifying the romantic perception of the innate artist and talent as a gift. The analysis reveals how artistic identity is constructed through the internalization of institutional norms, transforming individual predispositions into a form of professional competence that is collectively validated. The research data make contributions to the sociology of professions, the study of artistic labor, and theories of identity formation.

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