Download Identity Development of Adolescents

IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT OF
ADOLESCENTS
Erik Erikson (I know, right?)
• His best work was in the 1960s
• Like Piaget, was a developmental
psychologist
• Like Piaget, he was very stages
oriented.
Erik Erikson (I know, right?)
• Focused on the adolescent’s struggles with developing
his/her individual identity
• Used a variety of definitions to explain “identity”
• “Identity” a complex concept, but is essentially the answer to who
you feel you are, esp. in comparison to others.
Adolescence in Erikson’s words
• “Like a trapeze artist, the young person in the middle of
vigorous motion must let go of his safe hold of childhood
and reach out for a firm grasp on adulthood, depending
for a breathless interval on a relatedness between the
past and future, and on the reliability of those he must let
go of, and those who will “receive” him.” (1964)
Identity
• Identity Crisis: Period in which adolescents struggle to
define their personal understanding of who they are.
• Erikson claims you are searching for/developing your identity but
do not have one at this time.
• Your development of your personal identity is your ticket out of
adolescence.
Identity
• James Marcia says we shift through four different statuses
in our quest to develop our identity
• (Note: These do not need to be in order)
• Identity Moratorium: exploring various identity options, but no
commitment
• Ex. The freshman who joins German club, marching band, Key club,
honors courses, and the Ultimate club (but doesn’t really invest much
time in any one of them)
• Identity Foreclosure: conforming to the identity others set for you
• Ex. Going to Miami U. because the rest of your family did too
Identity
• (Identity Statuses continued)
• Identity Diffusion: “drifting” without any real goal, plan, etc.
• Ex. Your older brother who moved back into your parents’ place, doesn’t
bother going out to look for a job
• Identity Achievement: actively exploring a few options but
committing to them. Forging your own identity
• Ex. After weighing the options, you decide to go to Akron U. to study
Early Childhood Education and be the first teacher in the family
Mead’s Rebuttal
• Margaret Mead studied native
Samoan society
• Adolescence is not a major
transition period
• Natural development is much
smoother
• Societal expectations make
adolescence rocky.