Thursday, November 14, 2013

Understanding youth by_ Michael Nakkula and Eric Toshalis





A big part of growing into productive adults is to experience who we are as youth. This Nakkula brings up the many identity crisis that youth have growing up and connects it to Erickson’s model of youth. This reading is focused on a young man by the name of Julian who is dealing with identity crisis and figuring out who he really is. His counselor Mitch asks him to identify the different groups that he belongs to within his life and how they affect him and who he is within each of those individual circles. The different groups that Julian list is similar to the groups those ourselves identify with as we were growing up and even now within our adult lives.


Nakkula gives us four different identity groups and they are as thus:

 
1.      Forclosed Identity
a.       Choosing a way of direction in life w/o full exploration of it or alternatives
b.      Something that is pushed upon a person or simply accepted
c.       Accepting belief systems because of family, peers or parents
                                                              i.      Sports
                                                            ii.      Religion
                                                          iii.      Education/career
                                                          iv.      Music
                                                            v.      Style
                                                          vi.      Hobbies
2.      Diffused identity
a.       Not stable in any sense of who they are
b.      Easily swayed and likely to rapidly to change opinions and p.o.v’s
c.       Usually impulsive and sensitive
3.      Identity Moratorium
a.       Actively exploring roles, beliefs, and behaviors, but not commiting
b.      The BIG Q ????? “Who am I really?”
c.       Struggle to maintain relationships
d.      Conflict and disappointment often occurs
e.       Tug-a-War
4.      Achieved identity
a.       Commitment is made to some circles of identity
b.      Self acceptance
c.       Decreased anxiety
d.      More accepting of criticism
e.       Sense of purpose and belonging

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