The Quest
Adolescence is a period of life in which critical psychological and physiological changes occur. It is also the time when identity, "a unified sense of self characterized by attitudes, beliefs, and ways of acting that are genuinely one's own "(Insel, 1994), forms. The theory of Eric Erikson describes the psychological development of identity as a developmental stage in which "individuals are faced with finding out who they are, what they are all about, and where they are going in life."(Santrock, 1997) During this stage, adolescents are trying to find an answer to the question "Who am I?" and making important life choices, such as career, intimate commitments, or morality. The identity formation period is very critical and it will affect the individual throughout the adulthood. "If adolescent arrives at a positive path to follow in life, then a positive identity will be achieved; but if a positive future path is not defined, then identity confusion reigns." (Santrock, 1997) I interviewed a 13 year old girl from a well educated family. The interview was done in the privacy of her house in her own room and took about 40 minutes. During the interview, the teen was asked to answer a list of que
Finkel, A. J., & Kunz, J. R. M. (1987). Special problems of adolescence. The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide. (pp723-729). New York: Random House. Adolescents are obsessed with their looks and they are expected to do that because it is through these symbols, wearing the right clothes and having cool sunglasses, that their identities are formed. Adolescents are expected to view self-esteem as crucial; after all, it plays a big role in their quest for identity. As teenagers begin their quests for identity, they experiment with different roles, various social postures, and self-images (this is what Erikson would call a search for identity). Teens often feel that appearing mature will bring recognition and acceptance, so they begin to engage in behavior associated with adults, such as smoking, drinking, and sexual activity. Experimenting with different roles is expected in Erikson stage and having a role model is not uncommon. During the early adolescence, a role model is usually one of the parents. ( Insel, 1994) Teens often are very social at this stage and that is expected because socialization contributes a lot to a teen's search for identity. Some teens have already developed a strong sense of self-worth and it is not uncommon, although it is not necessarily expected for them to develop a sense of self worth at such a young age. Today, the percentage of teens who engage in sexual acti
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Approximate Word count = 959
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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