Table 1_Generational compression and the shifting anchors of identity: a photo-elicitation nostalgia narrative study of identity construction across three generations in an Oroqen family.docx

The parent generation centered it on preserving traditions that were fading away. The grandchild generation, by contrast, reconstructed identity through selective symbols and digital communication. Second, the link between language ability and ethnic identity changed across generations, moving from essentialist claims to pragmatic compromise and then to more fluid forms of reconstruction.

Each generation also bore its own emotional burden in this process. Third, digital media created new possibilities for the grandchild generation to reshape ethnic identity. This gave rise to an intergenerational dynamic in which a decline in lived experience was accompanied by a widening range of communication.

These findings extend the mutual constitution framework by showing how generational position and media environments shape identity construction. The study also highlights the value of photo-elicitation interviews for capturing generational differences in identity construction in culturally endangered contexts.</p>