Identity Vs Role Confusion Essay

Most people, unless they choose to be an outsider, want to be considered “cool.” Whether it’s to fit in with a peer group, or clique, or to impress someone in particular, like a member of the opposite sex, or a potential mate. Or possibly to gain something from an individual for financial or social gain (see “Scamming”).

It outlines the struggle an individual faces in finding stability between developing a sense of forming a unique identity while still being accepted and “fitting in” with society. Erikson believed that when teenagers adequately navigated their way through this crisis, they would transpire into having a clear understanding of their individual identity and easily share this new ‘self’ with others. However, if an individual is unable to navigate their way through this crisis period, they may be uncertain of who they are which can result in a lack of understanding, leading to disconnection from society and the people around them. If youth become stuck at this stage they will be unable to become emotionally mature adults, according to Erikson’s theory. This period of an individual’s life allows them to investigate possibilities which will lead them to discovering their own identity based upon the result of their explorations.

Identity is what defines us as a person. Everyone one on earth has their own unique identity. To showcase my identity, I created a collage of images and descriptive words, called an identi-kit. This identi-kit shows what I feel like is my identity to myself and the others. My identi-kit identifies me as a mixed martial artist. The identi-kit has images of a deadly shark with mixed martial arts gloves on that say mixed martial arts on the front and fight shorts with the words competitor and warrior on them. It also has descriptive words like “killer instinct” and “fight” which describe my spirit. There are three assumptions that come to question when asking about one’s identity. The first is if you were born with this

throughout his life was going through an identity crisis. “In Erik Erikson 's stages of

Even before I had discovered my identity, I began moving into this intimacy versus isolation stage. At this stage individuals typically move towards “life experiences involving the development of a deeper connection, or intimacy, with another person”(Swartwood, p. 85). When it comes to developing these relationships, people must sacrifice a portion of their independence, which a portion of individuals are unwilling to do. Swartwood (p. 85) states that “resisting this loss of independence [results] in frequent break-ups and a failure to maintain a mutually loving bond with another.” This leads to isolation and loss of quality of life.

Intimacy versus isolation is stage six in Erik Ericksons eight stages of human development. This stage takes place from approximately 19-40 years of age (Orlofsky, Marcia, & Lesser, 1973). The big question that people face in this stage is will I be loved or will I be alone. During this stage people start to develop more long term relationships. Friendship, dating, marriage and family play a big role in the happiness of this stage. This is when we leave the people that we grew up with and start our own lives. By establishing

Erik Erikson is identified as a private, complicated man who lacked a formal academic training and came to America as an immigrant in the 1930s. His ideas of the identity development became influential to different theorist such as Lawrence Kohlberg, Carol Gilligan and Bruno Bettelheim who often reference from his work Erikson rarely referenced his work to others with the exclusion of Freud, and he often did not support his theories with empirical evidence, even though his work has become well known (Friedman, 1999).

The psychosocial crisis during early adulthood is intimacy vs. isolation. Intimacy is defined as the ability to experience an open, supportive, tender relationship with another person without fear of losing one’s own identity in the process (Newman & Newman p. 468). Intimacy shares a bond between two people displaying confidence, respectful affection and shared goals. It is two people respecting each other’s differences and spiritual beliefs. Intimacy accepts each other’s flaws and experience a love outside of family.

Erikson’s stage of Identity vs. Role Confusion (13-19 years old), was a crucial time for my brother and I, as my parents decided to put us back in public school. I was thirteen-years old at the time, just entering the eighth grade as a “new kid” in a very small rural community. This was beyond some of my toughest

Our perception of our identity is constantly changing, the groups we belong to, the people we talk to and the way we connect with others help to form our identity. There is one thing we all have in common despite our individual identities, is the need to belong. There’s no obligation to belong to only one group, you can belong to many. An individual can belong to many groups, which will then create multiple identities; hence our understanding of identity is never constant. Belonging to a loving family, group of caring friends that help us to develop our own sense of self. However, belonging can have a negative side. For example our families might have an expectation of us to do something that might alter our ambitions and interfere with

When contemplating the topic of gender role and its impact on identity one cannot help but realise that these gender roles have a huge part to play on a person’s identity. As gender is a combination of male and female it gives way for a number of characteristics to accompany each sex making them different from each other. This has an important position to play on identity which Kath Woodward stated in her book “Questioning Identity: Gender, Class, Nation” where she said “Without difference there would not be such thing as identity”. (Woodward, 2000, pp.51) Unfortunately, however, with these differences there are inequalities. In this essay I would like to elaborate on this further by looking at the meaning of gender and how it impacts

During this stage one is still exploring into young adulthood and beginning to be more intimate with others. Individuals begin to have relationships with longer commitment with others besides family members. When this stage is successful a person feels a sense of safety and ability to commit in a relationship. If this stage is not accomplished they tend to fear commitment which can lead to loneliness, isolation or depression.

For Erikson (1950) adolescence is a period during which individuals seek to avoid dangers of role diffusion and identity confusion by establishing a sense of personal identity. Individuals have to find answers for two major questions “who am I?” and “what is my place in society?” Identity is a “conscious sense of individual uniqueness” and an “unconscious striving for a continuity of experience” (Erikson, 1968, p. 208).

James Marcia, an Eriksonian researcher believed that in to maintain the status “identity achievement” an individual must undergo crisis and make a commitment. Crisis is defined as “the period of identity development during which the individual is exploring alternatives.”(Santrock 386) The commitment is made when different approaches, ideologies, and vocations are explored on their own in response to the crisis. Key Changes in identity primarily occur in emerging adulthood. “Once formed, an identity furnishes individuals with a historical sense of who they have been, a meaningful sense of who they are now, and a sense of who they might become in the future.”(James Marcia)

This essay is to evaluate what your role, responsibilities and boundaries as a teacher would be in terms of the teaching/training cycle.