Adolescent Identity

This paper will be about the spatial relationship of adolescent identity with age, education, and how parenting affects the child’s identity. Too often adolescent children are viewed as nuisances in society, and are usually looked down upon. Their actions seem idiotic to many and some adults wonder why teens make the choices they make. For an example a store owner may follow a group of adolescent kids through his store. The only reason he can give to explain his actions is that they are a “bunch of teenagers.” What many adults fail to remember are two simple facts; the first thing is that, at one time, even the most mature, and poised adult was a teenager, and chances are that he/she made the same stupid choices that they fault teens of now. The second thing to remember is that though adolescent children may look like adults, mentally and emotionally they are still children, trying to make a name for them. It is this process of confusion, and willingness to find their place in society, that lays the foundation for what we call adolescent identity. In this paper, I will be discussing what adolescent identity is, why it is important, and how parenting styles may have an affect on adolescent development and identity.
According to Erickson’s eight stages of life, adolescence may have two possible outcomes, one positive, and one negative. The outcome is based on many factors, one of them being the struggle between identity and role-confusion. The positive outcome may be that the child is aware of his/her uniqueness of self, and has the knowledge of what role to follow. But on the other hand, the negative outcome may be the inability to identify appropriately with the roles in life.
Now you may be asking yourself, “What exactly is ‘adolescent identity’?” To put is simply, adolescent identity is how the adolescent views him/herself and their role in society. Adolescents often face tough choices like who they want to date/marry, and what career/academic path they wish to follow. Though the child is growing up and maturing, such heavy decisions and choices may cause confusion. Questions may arise. “Do I want to get married, or do I want to stay in school and obtain my degree?” may be an example of a decision an adolescent may have to process. Erickson says that this confusion may cause the child to do one of two things: first, the child may withdraw from social events, thus isolating him/herself from their peers, and the second thing is that the child may loose themselves in the crowd of peers, thus going along with what their peers want them to do. Neither one is good, but are normal occurrences in adolescent behaviour. Erickson then goes on to explain that adolescents are eager to make their own decisions, but are at the same time very afraid of making the wrong choice.
It is a common misunderstanding that age is the sole culprit when it comes to adolescent identity, but studies provided by A. Van Hoof, and Q.A.W Raaijmakers, suggests that education may have an effect on the development of adolescent identity. For example, a child in a particular curriculum may develop specific interests, and skills. These skills then influence the occupation the child is open to, thus influencing the peers he or she may associate with. This is true when one compares adolescents who receive training in academic fields of studies, to those who only receive vocational training.
Adolescent identity is important because the adolescent learns about how to deal with life, and how to make decisions on their own. Take the example from the video, “Raising Cain.” (CBS) The young men from the inner city learned to hide their feelings, and also learned to put up the “mask of masculinity.” It is this “mask” that allows the adolescents to protect themselves from being labeled as weak, or any other slur that refer to them as anything but manly.
Another factor that may weigh heavily is the role and interaction a child receives from his or her own parents. As we discussed in class, and in small group discussions, the type of parenting an adolescent receives, can and will affect his mental growth. For example, consider the following. A sixteen years old was caught speeding while out with his friends. As the officer deals with the child, he notices a case of beer, and brings all the occupants of the car in for booking. There are four different outcomes that may arise from this situation, based on what type of parenting the parents apply.
Authoritarian parents are very strict, and set very firm rules. These parents are more likely to punish the child without finding the child’s side of the story. These parents are also more likely to hit, or physically abuse their children. They generally go with the opinion of, “Do it my way, or else.” Children of authoritan parents are often incompetent, and fail to initiate activities. These children also have poor communication skills, and are very prone to compare themselves to their peers. An adolescent with this type of parenting may be afraid of what his parents will do with him or her.
Another type of parent is the authoritive parent. These parents are supportive of allowing the child to be independent, but also place rules, and limits on them. Children with authoritive parents are often socially competent, self reliant, and socially responsible. Authoritive parents often promote communication between parent and child. A child in this situation may be more willing to talk with his/her parents about why and or how they got into trouble. These parents may also be more apt to talk with their children about how to avoid the situation next time, and or how to work out the trouble they are in now.
Neglectful parents have very little interaction with their child, and therefore might not even know or care that their child is in trouble. Children of these parents show poor self control, and usually do not handle being alone very well. These children seek parental input, but because it is not there, they then turn to their peers, for support, and guidance.
The last type of parent is the indulgent parent. These parents are involved with their child, but place very few limits on them. These parents are not bad; rather, they believe that being loving parents, while allowing their children to “roam free” is the best way to rear their children. This is not the case. Often these children, have a hard time dealing with not getting their way, and have difficulty with controlling their behaviour.
In conclusion, adolescent identity is directly related with age, education and what type of parenting the child receives. Age is not the only factor that brings about maturity and emotional growth in an adolescent. The child’s peer group, education and home life greatly affect how the child will perform in society. Adolescents face a difficult struggle when faced with having to choose between good bad behaviour. Their choice will ultimately be greatly influenced by where they stand with peers, and not with what the adult “rules” are.