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EDUC 5420 UNIT 5 Discussion Assignment Identity Development

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98 views

EDUC 5420 UNIT 5 Discussion Assignment Identity Development

Uploaded by

Jakuma Mike
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

EDUC 5420 UNIT 5: Identity Development

Dickie, (2014) says that identity development is driven by the desire to matters to the others in

life. It is also considered to be the development of one’s strong and stable sense of self. Given

the fact that identity development takes place throughout an individual’s lifetime, the

adolescences period or stage gives one the initial sense of how one’s identity may affect one’s

life ( Steinberg, 2008, as cited in Butler, 2010). At this stage, as they do self-discovery, there are

moments when the adolescents go through a stage of confusion this leads to stressful experiences

as they self-discover themselves (Dickie, 2014).

Role confusion in adolescents according to Sokol, (2009), happens when a young person fails or

finds it hard to assess their personal attributes and match them with the available outlets of

expression (Sokol, 2009). It is also “a state of uncertainty about a given social or group role”

(APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.). Teenagers who go through this type of confusion include

those who experience or belong to the gender minority (Reisner et al., 2015). In most cases,

students who experience role confusion face difficulties with commitment. These teenagers in

this category fail to have stable relationships compared to those with stable identities (Cherry,

2021).

Besides that, learners in this category especially those part of the gender minority suffer a lot

from bullies. This may evidently lead to depression and stress causing the learner to be emotional

and psychologically unstable. When these learners give in to the demands of their bullies, they

end up living lives that are not theirs; this is playing along with what the society wants unlike
what the learners who are the victims desire. This, in a long run, heightens anxiety in the gender

minority learners.

The sorriest state that a learner can be in, is one, where the teenager questioning his or her reason

for existence. Role confusion leads to one questioning one’s personality in view or in relation to

others (Sokol, 2009).

As a teenager growing up I did not have challenges with identity, I guess I knew exactly who I

turned out to be. But, during secondary school, I remember having a classmate who was not sure

of who she wanted to be. She seemed to be more aligned towards the male gender. I remember

some teachers reprimanding her for stating that she wished God had made her to be a boy. I

guess this is where the guidance of a teacher is very important. Unfortunately, our society does

not seem to be ready in solving such issues that they deem complicated. Issues of LGBTQ are

still a challenge in my country of practice. A number of individuals find it hard to express

themselves about who they really are. This is creating a population of very many depressed

people who cannot live how they would want to live their lives to the fullest.

This then leads me to the question;

What advice would you give to a teacher teaching in such a sensitive environment/milieu on

how to deal with issues of identity?

REFERENCES

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2022, from

https://dictionary.apa.org/

Butler, A. (2010). Adolescent Identity Development. Adolescence—ACT for Youth.

http://actforyouth.net/adolescence/identity.cfm
Cherry, K. (2021, July 18). Identity vs. Role Confusion in Psychosocial Development. Verywell

Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/identity-versus-confusion-2795735

Dickie, T. (2014, February 1). Marcia’s States of Adolescent Identity Development.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8HIY_bqrVo

Reisner, S. L., Greytak, E. A., Parsons, J. T., & Ybarra, M. (2015). Gender Minority Social

Stress in Adolescence: Disparities in Adolescent Bullying and Substance Use by Gender

Identity. Journal of Sex Research, 52(3), 243–256.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2014.886321

Sokol, J. T. (2009). Identity Development Throughout the Lifetime: An Examination of

Eriksonian Theory. 1, 12.

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