Adolescence

As you have read in the text, teenagers are on a
journey to discover a sense of “self,” an identity that is separate from their
family. They may begin adolescence with increased turmoil within the core
family and an increased focus on the values of peers, but by the end of
adolescence, the concept of self is more stable and comprehensive. How does
this progression occur? The focus of this Discussion Board is on the process
that teens undergo when developing a sense of identity.

1. Define
   and discuss Erikson’s stage of Intimacy vs. Isolation, and then discuss
   what does the research show regarding whether parents or peers have more
   influence on a teenagers’ search for a sense of “self?” Be sure to answer
   the question by providing information cited from your text and other
   academic sources.
2. How
   do the influences of culture and geography — where and how people live,
   socioeconomic status (SES), race, family dynamics — act as a contextual
   factor in identity development?

Student #1 Response:

Erikson’s stage of Intimacy vs. Isolation is the sixth
stage in his theory of psychosocial development.  It is the stage where
one is starting to question if they will be loved, will they find others to
form close and loving relationships or will they remain alone. To pass through
to this stage one has built off the past stages and will bring that information
to aid in the next stage.  Adolescents have just adjusted or passed
through the stage of Identity vs. Confusion.  They have been exploring who
they are and how they fit into society.  Middle to late adolescents will
be concerned with the views and expectations of others, especially peers, and
in a lot of cases parents and teachers. (Bukatko, 2008, p. 537). 
According to Erikson, the development of a healthy identity and personality
comes from building and successfully navigating the stages before the current,
but the adolescent stage (Identity vs. Confusion) will allow someone to start
to unify who they are separately from others and finding a sense of direction
in their life. According to research from many studies, the frequency of
conflict with parents is greatest in early adolescences and declines as the
adolescent gets older. (Bukatko, 2008)  Peers do not necessarily have a
stronger influence on the adolescent, it is just that the peer has started to
become the stronger social factor taking over where the parent once was the
main influence. They still play a role in the developing identity by providing
reassurance and support while the adolescent tests the various roles.

Culture and geography act as a factor in identity
development.  It has been shown that adolescence that feel a sense of
belonging to their cultural group have a better understanding of others. 
It is not very common in adolescents of European American descent, but in other
groups such as Chinese or Mexican, the adolescent will identify with the
ethnicity or country of origin.  This wanes as the generational line is
extended.  “Research during the past decade shows that social class or
socioeconomic status (SES) is related to satisfaction and stability in romantic
unions, the quality of parent-child relationships, and a range of developmental
outcomes for adults and children.”( Conger, Conger, & Martin, 2010).

Bukatko, D. (2008). Child and adolescent
development. A chronological approach. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin

https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/mercercountyextension/news/around-the-home/who-is-more-important-to-teens-parents-or-peers

https://helios.geog.ucsb.edu/~montello/pubs/smoking.pdf

Conger, R. D., Conger, K. J., & Martin, M. J.
(2010). Socioeconomic Status, Family Processes, and Individual
Development. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 72(3),
685–704. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00725.x

Student 2 Response:

Unit 7: Adolescence (12-18 Years) – Discussion

Hello professor and classmates,

Erickson’s Stage 6 is Young Adulthood

Erikson’s stage of Intimacy vs Isolation: 
Intimacy is very positive for the teenager as they must develop intimacy with
others, (to be intimate with someone does not mean you have to be sexually
active), true intimacy requires commitment and openness to another person sex
or no sex involvement. Even though sexuality can make a person seem as though
there is intimacy and commitment there, it does not mean that there is any
commitment, (Isolation is when a person or teenager may be underdeveloped and
they fear a committed relationship.  They could also feel isolated by
being hart in a relationship that they thought that they could trust and yet
got hurt deeply by that special person.  A person who feels isolation has
lost their self-esteem and their own identity of who they are,  also loss
of their self-confidence, (Erik Erikson’s, 8 Stages of Psychosocial
Development).

It seems that the research shows that peers have more
influence on teenager’s than parent’s do.  When the teen start attending
middle school they start to develop much deeper relationships with each other
than in the past.  They may develop romantic relationships as well as form
cliques, a group of certain people who all share and agree on the same way of
doing things, dressing and acting.  When teenagers are shifting between
these different emotions and relationships with other peers and parent. 
The psychologist has two explanations for reason the reasons that teens and
parents have to make adjustments to.  The name of these two categories are
internalizing problems and externalizing problems.  The internalizing
process involves the person feeling guilty, not feeling like they can express
outward what they are feeling to anyone.  This can lead to depression,
anxiety, and sadness.  The person just will bury all the issues that they
are dealing with and the feeling just continue to pile up.  Eventually the
person may need to seek psychological help, or some medications to help. 
This can happen to both the teen and the parent.  The second process is a
term called externalizing the problems that the persons are dealing with. 
In this process the teen or parent will show outward
directional-behavior.  It will usually show up or be initiated by
anger.  The teen or parents anger could come out in angry actions such as
banging things against something, throwing something, temper tantrums, and
yelling. Both are negative ways to handle a situation of emotions, but none the
less they are a reality.  As far as the teen or parent acting out the teen
is trying to figure out what and where their self is, (Silk, Steinberg,
&Morris, 2003).  The teen will usually follow what they have been
taught by their parents, or follow the crowed that they feel accepted in. They
eventually will find it their self, one way or another.  This could
require professional help or the teen will eventually find there comfort zone
with their peers and know where the feel they belong in their world. 

The way that socioeconomic influences of culture and
geography of where people live, how race, and family dynamics as to how people
live, will have an influence on and will act as a contextual factor in identity
and development of our teenagers and parents.   According to our book
teenagers will respond and act a lot quicker due to the change in their culture
because the will want to try to find a way to fit in as quickly as they
possible and can to find their place in this whole new life change
environment. 

The teens have a greater chance at fitting in because
it is much easier for them to control relationship and cognation.  Family
dynamics will fall into place as the rest of the family settles into their new
environment, (Bukalko Dauntal, Ebook)

References:

Bukalko Danuta, Child and Adolescent
Development:  A Chronological Approach, EBook

Erikson’s Stage 6web

http//: www.cortland.edu/…/ERIK/stage…