Question

According to Erik Erikson, adolescence is a particularly turbulent time in life because of the struggle to establish a secure identity. Establishing a secure identity is the primary function of the ego. Identity is an inner sense of who we are, or what makes us unique, a sense of continuity over time and a feeling of wholeness. For this assignment, I would like you to consider some of the things that teenagers do that might be interpreted as indicating a struggle to establish identity. Discuss at least 3 things that might be indicative of such a struggle and explain why this might represent a struggle to establish identity.???

Answer 1

• In the search for identity, the adolescent may experience role confusion in which he or she is balancing or choosing among identities, taking on negative or undesirable identities, or temporarily giving up looking for an identity altogether if things are not going well.
• Although most teens eventually succeed in developing a stable identity, the path to it is not always easy and there are many routes that can be taken. Some teens may simply adopt the beliefs of their parents or the first role that is offered to them, perhaps at the expense of searching for other, more promising possibilities.Other teens may spend years trying on different possible identities before finally choosing one.
• They may maintain one identity at home and a different type of persona when they are with their peers.
• Adolescents try to establish themselves through prestige ;wearing the right clothes, having the right possessions, from stereos to sunglasses. These symbols help form teen identities by expressing affiliation with specific groups.
• Teens often feel that appearing mature will bring recognition and acceptance. They begin engaging in practices they associate with adulthood ; tabooed pleasures such as smoking, drinking, drugs and sexual activity.
• It is a struggle because teenage phase is the most crucial in identity development and the most confusing phase of life trying to find oneself and one's sense of purpose in life. That is why adolescents try a lot of things and exhibit a lot of beliefs in order to find their identity and where do they fit in the society.Establishing an identity is not an easy process. There are difficult and confusing choices at every step of the way.