Adolescence

Adolescence Paper Michelle Orzel Wayne State University SW 3510 November 12, 2011

Adolescence

Introduction

Adolescence is an important and difficult time for most people. It's a time when most people are figuring out who they are, what kind of people they want to hang out with, the faith they want to follow, the priorities they set for themselves, and many other things. It's a time full of heartache and happiness, of confusion and strength, of laughter and stress. Adolescence, according to Ashford, LeCroy, and Lortie (2006), is the period of time that starts when a person reaches about 10-12 years old and ends when that person is around 21-22 years old (pg. 388). That's a long time in a person's life; up to 12 years! There are different stages of adolescence, with different aspects being more essential than others in the different stages. My adolescence was filled with everything mentioned above. I'm 21 years old now, a few months shy of being 22, and technically not an adolescent anymore. I feel that I went through a lot of adolescence while I was in middle school and my early high school years, but then I skipped a lot of steps I should have gone through. My life took a turn and I grew up faster than I should have, skipping some important parts of my adolescence. I dont feel that this damaged me or hurt my developmental processes in any way though. Several theories can be explored to better understand just how I developed during my adolescent years and these will be explored throughout this paper. Erikson and Marcia According to Mcleod (2008), Erikson put a great deal of emphasis on the adolescent period, feeling it was a crucial stage for developing a persons identity (pg. 1). Erikson developed a theory of psychosocial development that has eight stages overall. The first four stages all occur before adolescence. Its the fifth stage that Im going to focus on because its

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centered around adolescence: Identity vs. Identity confusion. This stage is critical for several reasons: children are transitioning into adulthood, becoming more independent, and looking at different aspects of their futures (Mcleod, 2008). Its during this stage of development where the adolescent asks him or herself the question of who am I? Mcleod (2008) describes the two identities that evolve during this stage of Eriksons theory, the sexual and the occupational, and states that at the end of the stage a reintegrated sense of self, of what one wants to do or be, and of ones appropriate sex role is what develops (pg. 3). The adolescent explores different possibilities during this stage and forms their own identity based on the outcome of those explorations or gains a sense of confusion because their sense of who they are can be hindered. During my adolescence I asked myself many questions: Who am I? What do I want to be when I grow up? Is this the right path for me? Should I go away for school or stay home? Is this what I believe, or what my mom believes? Like most adolescents, I skipped around with what I wanted to do when I grow up, exploring and researching different careers and different schools. I made choices then changed my mind. I graduated high school a semester early and made the choice to attend Michigan State University. A few months later I decided to cancel my deposit with MSU and I selected Wayne State University because it was closer to home and I wouldnt have to move away from my family. I grew up dreaming of becoming an actress one day and starring in movies and TV programs. I participated in school plays and showed a real talent for acting. My sister moved to Alaska the summer before I started high school though and I decided I couldnt leave Michigan and my family, so I switched my career goals to becoming a lawyer, and one day a Supreme Court judge. I was wishy-washy and unsure, but trying to figure things out. It wasnt until my second year at WSU that I changed my mind, once again, and shifted gears from becoming a lawyer to becoming a psychologist. I found a real passion for psychology

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and made the decision to focus my attention on children and helping. I had made the realization that becoming a lawyer would eat up too much of my time and I wouldnt be able to have the family life I dreamed about. I then broadened my opportunities by finalizing my career plan to becoming a social worker. Now Im set, ready, and determined to reach my goals in this aspect of my life. The process I went through in determining my school of choice and my career pathway of choice can be described using James Marcias classification system for adolescent identity statuses. Marcia extended Eriksons ideas with this theory and created four modes of resolution: Identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement. When I was set on becoming an actress, I was experiencing identity diffusion. According to Ashford et al. (2006), identity diffusion is when the adolescents have not yet experienced a crisis; that is, they are not exploring meaningful alternatives (pg. 400). I was in this mode because I didnt experience a crisis in this aspect of my life; I was so young and inexperienced. I had not yet even known what a crisis could or would be for me. When I wanted to become a judge, I believe I was in the mode of identity moratorium. Ashford et al. (2006) describes this mode as adolescents who are currently experiencing a crisis-actively exploring values, ideologies, and beliefs (pg. 400). The sister I had shared a room with for my entire life suddenly moved very far away from me and I was developing my own values and beliefs during this time. A lawyer sounded like a great career for me and I was sure of it for years. Then when I realized how it would take up my time and cause some trouble with my own values and beliefs in how a family should be, I switched again. I reached identity achievement, when adolescents have undergone and resolved their crisis by making strong commitments to things such as occupation, a sexual orientation, or a religious ideology (Ashford et al., 2006, pg. 400), when I decided to become a social worker

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and work with children. I made a commitment to the program and a career path I was excited to start. Kohlberg and Gilligan Adolescence is a time for young people to figure out how they feel about certain values, situations, and moral standards. According to Ashford et al. (2006), Moral development refers to the rules of conduct people use in their interactions with others (pg. 403). Kohlbergs theory of moral development contains six different stages of development from preschool to the adult years. The stages have different concepts of whats right as well as different ideas about the reason for being good. There are two stages in the first level, also known as the pre-conventional reasoning level of his theory: Stage 1-punishment and obedience, and stage 2-instrumentalrelativist. Level two, the conventional reasoning level, also contains two stages: Stage 3interpersonal concordance, or good boy/nice girl stage, and stage 4-law and order. The final level, the post-conventional reasoning third level has stage 5, social contract; legalistic orientation and stage 6, universal ethical principal. Parents teach their children the difference between right and wrong from a very young age and continue to instill their beliefs and values for most of their lives, if possible. I have wonderful parents with a strong Catholic faith and good moral standards. My siblings and I know the difference between right and wrong, we just didnt always listen to what we knew was right. When I was in middle school something happened to me that always stays in the back of my mind, no matter how much I wish it would just go away. My brother got on top of me and very inappropriately touched me. I was terrified and confused and I didnt know what to do. I didnt know if I should tell my parents or someone at school or keep it to myself to protect my brother.

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Ive always been such good friends with him because we are very close in age and I didnt want to do anything that would screw up my family in any way. I decided to tell my best friend, because no one else was home and she lived three doors down from me. I told my school counselor the next morning at school and we called my mother. When coming to this decision, I realize that I was in the third stage of Kohlbergs theory of moral development: Interpersonal concordance, or good boy/nice girl stage. I believed my brother was very confused and misguided, even misunderstood. I believe that he didnt realize what he was doing and the only way to help him was to make sure he got to talk to someone who could help him. Everything was resolved and my family is amazing. My brother and I have a very good relationship and I do not feel that I was drastically damaged by what happened. I cant imagine the stage I would have been at or the way in which I would have handled things had I been younger when it happened. Kohlbergs theory is based on a justice perspective (the focus is on the rights of the individual), and although it assisted me in explaining my behavior in the situation with my brother, I believe Carol Gilligans perspective is also helpful. Gilligans theory is based on a care perspective: when the focus is on peoples connectedness to others. This theory emphasizes attachments, allowing for both self-sacrifice and self-promotion, with connections being seen as most important. There is more of a focus on interpersonal communication (Ashford et al., 2006, pg. 405). The way my family handled this situation is a very good example for this theory. Due to our family being so close, we handled it in a manner that ensured my brothers privacy, my strength and the whole familys trust and understanding. We communicated, no matter how difficult it was, and we worked through the fear and confusion I felt as well as the regret and embarrassment my brother felt.

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There are similar sayings for a lot of different groups of people: Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic; you may be able to quit, but the cravings will always be there; or no matter how long you stay straight, theyll always see you as a gambler (druggie, klepto, etc.). I became a member of a similar group during my adolescence that will stay with me forever. Ill always be a member of this group, the cravings will always be there, and the people who know about it will always keep it in the back of their mind when they talk or think about me. I am a cutter, and Ive not cut in regularly in over 5 years. I still have relapses and resort to cutting when I cant seem to bear the pain, but for the most part I manage in more constructive ways now. Before, I would cut my hip and thighs in order to more easily hide it and I would get the release I needed to ease the pain I was in. In regards to Kohlbergs theory of moral development, I was in the fifth stage: Social contract; legalistic orientation. Although I knew it was wrong and unhealthy for me to do this to my body, hence the reason I chose places easy for me to hide, I felt justified in doing it because of how it helped me feel. The theories and situations discussed in the previous two sections are part of the psychological dimension of human behavior. I feel this section is extremely important during adolescence and that is why I chose to review it so carefully and include so many examples. In the next section, I want to review some important times in my adolescence that involves the social dimension of human behavior. Troiden Adolescence is a time for discovery and experimentation. Of learning what youre all about and what you love. Although sexuality and sexual orientation can really be discovered at any point in a persons life, adolescence is an important time for this because young people

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worry so much about what their peers think about them and they are forming their own identities during this time. According to Ashford et al. (2006), Society has a difficult time accepting adolescents as sexually active and would rather deny the existence of gay adolescents (pg. 433). Society being so unaccepting of homosexuality and adolescent sex in general makes it dangerous and scary for young people to even think of wanting to come to terms with being gay. Adolescents also facing these types of concerns, along with everything else an adolescent goes through, must handle issues like isolation, depression, and potential for suicide. These young people are two to three times as likely to attempt suicide as are other youth. A significant number of the suicide attempts relate to personal turmoil about being gay. Many of these young people have a difficult time confronting the social isolation they experience, their concern about secrecy, and their fear of violence. Other risks include low self-esteem, substance abuse, and harassment (Ashford et al., 2006, pg. 434). For an adolescent to adapt to a gay identity, its typical for him or her to go through four stages. Troiden describes the four stages of adaptation for a homosexual adolescent in the textbook: The first stage of adaptation is sensitization, during which the individual becomes aware of feelings that make him or her different according to social definitions. The next stage is identity confusion, where the person struggles with the implications of a gay identitythe strength of the feelings associated with sexual attraction lead to some degree of selfredefinition that may be associated with behaviors consistent with a gay identityreferred to as identity assumption. The final stage is commitment, which involves restructuring of the individuals social life to

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include a sustained, positive association with a community of like others (Ashford et al., 2006, pg. 434). The stages that Troiden describes are familiar to me and I can relate to them. I would classify myself as bisexual and I would not consider myself out of the closet just yet. I realized when I was in middle school that I liked both boys and girls in a sexual way. I kept this to myself because when I realized that I loved my best friend, I hinted it to her and she hurt me pretty bad. She told the whole grade that I was a dyke and everyone made fun of me and avoided me. I felt lost and alone and I denied who I was because of it. I regret having denied it back then because Im still denying it to most people today (very few people actually know this about me). This means that I would be stuck in the first stage described above; just being aware of these feelings I have. Back in middle school I struggled with the second stage, and thats when I realized that I didnt care for the implications of having a gay identity. This caused me to never reach the third or final stage of adaptation because I didnt want to deal with the struggles and pain of coming out to my school mates. As I mentioned, Im bisexual and so its not so bad for me. I can continue being with men and not really worry about the social ramifications of coming out. I opening support and advocate for LGBT individuals, I just developed an intense fear of coming out since middle school, so I mainly keep it to myself. The people who do know are supportive of me and make me feel comfortable, so Im beginning to feel like I could come out if I wanted, its just people who dont know me very well that make me nervous about what would happen if they knew. So for now, I stick with mostly men and the occasional woman, making sure it never gets too serious. Im ok with these conditions for now, well see how long Ill be ok with it though. Conclusion

Adolescence

Adolescence is a time for hope, dreams, discovery, and imagination. My adolescence was full of ups and downs and a ton of twists along the way. Im happy and quite proud with the woman Ive grown to become so far in my life. Like I mentioned before, I feel like I needed to grow up a little faster than I wanted to, but I also believe that Im a genuinely good person who is honest, hardworking, and caring. I know that I would not be this person today had it not been for the experiences of my adolescence. All three dimensions of human behavior are important in life, especially during adolescence. There are plenty of theories and terms that are associated with the critical period of adolescence that have helped me to understand my own development and things I need to put a little life-focus on when I can. I look forward to my continued growth and I hope that I will be able to one day face the aspects of my identity that scare me.

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References Ashford, J. B., LeCrow, C.S., and Lortie, K. L. (2006). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective. Third edition. Thomson Brooks/Cole, Belmont, CA Mcleod, S.A., (2008).Simply Psychology; Erik Erikson/Psychosexual Stages. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html