![]() Looking at any given high school, you can find typical social groupings such as the jocks, the nerds, the cheerleaders, the goths, the basket cases, and so on. These cliques may seem simply like the stereotypical adolescent groups, but they actually are very important in the development of a teenager’s sense of self. One of the most important social tasks of teenagers is this search for a unique identity. Before adolescence, young children are most strongly attached to their parents. However once adolescence hits, teenagers decrease their attachment to their parents and move increasingly toward peers. Because of this, friend groups are extremely influential on the adolescents in them. As these teenagers attempt to create their own identity, they may experiment with different social groups and even different identities. James Marcia proposed one method to understanding identity development. To assess the stage of identity, Marcia asked adolescents a series of questions involving their exploration of and commitment to issues of occupation, politics, and religion. After reviewing the results, Marcia was able to classify the adolescents into one of four categories: identity-diffusion status, foreclosure status, moratorium status, and identity-achievement status. These categories range from individuals with no firm commitments to the issues to individuals with a stable and coherent identity formed from personal experiences. Studies of the adolescents who go through Marcia’s stages of development also show that the road to a teenager’s identity is not a clear one. Some teens may adopt the beliefs of their parents, the first opinion they've heard. Others might spend a long amount of time trying different identities and beliefs before settling on one. Again, it can be seen that a teenager’s peer group is monumentally valuable in providing information about the self-concept. These almost cliche high school cliques allow adolescents to explore different identities. Even more important, these friend groups can provide an invaluable sense of belonging and acceptance during a very confusing time for teenagers.
2 Comments
Marshall
10/31/2017 08:40:51 am
Interesting study that you reference. Can you post a link?
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Marshall
10/31/2017 08:41:39 am
Also, it would be great to hear more from your peers on this concept. Maybe you can share this with them and they can comment here?
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