Identity Development. Essay - 1,214 words

Identity development. It is a well-known fact that people are the product of their societies. It is the society that influences peoples perception of the three identity development aspects, namely ethnic, sexual, and self-image, contributes to their interrelation and identity development in adolescents. In the following essay I am going to speak about the integration of ethnic, sexual, and self-image in adolescent development and will create an example to demonstrate their influence on adolescents. Ethnicity is one aspect of identity that used to be very important in the process of character formation in a great number of people prior to 1970s when the main discrimination issues were resolved and every nation got the equal opportunity to participate in all the activities the society was so glad to provide. Prior to the Rosa Parks case, the black boys were brought up thinking that their place was in the back of the bus with other Afro-americans, while the white boy was brought up thinking that he had the right to possesses whatever he wanted at the expense of the blacks (BARRETT, 43).


The black boy is brought up always saying hi to the whites, smile to them and feel subservient. Or the same boy may develop some sort of unexplainable hatred towards the white brothers simply because the whites are the better sort of people than the blacks. In the worst case, the black may start to hate oneself and blame his/her parents for being black (COLEMAN, 29). Sex is another aspect of identity that is still very important in the process of character formation in a majority of people in the USA as well as around the world. It is a well-known fact that the society places various standards on the boys than on the girls. Because today there is a great number of people who think that men today rule the world, and one cannot disagree with that, I will assess the impact of being a female on the identity formation. During the teen years, girls begin to separate from their families, assert their own identity, identify with their peers, redefine their relationships with nurturing adults, explore their sexuality, develop their own moral and ethical sense, and prepare for the responsibilities and challenges of adulthood.


It's seldom a smooth or easy metamorphosis (COLEMAN, 31). Persistent sexism makes adolescence more confusing for girls by projecting mixed messages about the worth and role of women in society. Girls may measure their own looks against media images of "perfect" female beauty, for example. Boys on the other hand as a rule do not have a perfect standard to follow. A lack of female role models may make their dreams of future careers in male-dominated fields seem unrealistic. It may sound jaded but still the greatest number of politicians, mayor, directors, CEOs, etc. are men. The USA, which is the freest, and most democratic country on earth never had a female president, which I personally believe, is because the US society still does not believe that females should assume high leadership positions. The culture of adolescence demands that while young women may achieve, they should be careful not to look too smart or they will not get a boyfriend.


Girls may react by silencing their own feelings and turning to others for validation. It would not be surprising to find out that a great number of smart girls are lonely, plus, both girls and boys think that these smarties are either lesbian or abnormal to become friends with them (LOIACANO, 25). Speaking about an example, lets consider a girl Mary who is particularly bright in physics. In school she has to stay late hours home studying, while her less smart girlfri ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: identity development, football players, identity formation, new york, black boy

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