Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Idenity: Self in Context



From an article by Nakkula & Toshalis (2010), the four different identities are, achieved identity, foreclosed identity, moratorium, diffused identity. Refereeing to the graph. diffused identity is defined as not having ‘no crisis, no commitment’. Foreclosed identity is known for ‘non crisis, commitment’. Moratorium is labeled as, ‘crisis, no commitment’. Achieved identity is known for ‘crisis and commitment’.

In this article, a foreclose identity was giving through the red sex baseball identity. A child is grown up with beliefs, values, and norms that presented form parents that the child subscribes too, but may never me challenged, such as growing up rooting for the same sports team. The concerns for foreclosed identity is that there were no crisis. Not having reflection, questioning, or challenging parts of our identity is in a sense conformity. The article mentions how not having in crisis in our identity can lead to intolerance and bigotry to other groups.

Diffuse identity was giving a metaphor of a chameleon, that an adolescents with change his or her identity to context. This may lead to ‘ego-escaping experiences through sex, drugs, travel, or blind adhesion to peer-directed activity’. As adults, we should help co-construct identities that create spaces for adolescents to feel emotional-socially safe.

Moratorium is a state that explores multiple identities, but does not make a commitment to one. In addition, this can be a state of great anxiety for an adolescent, to which adolescent seek stability. A quote form Nakkula & Toshalis (2010) reads, ‘the distinction is rooted in the fact that the moratorium is accompanied by the conscious experience of a crisis, whereas the diffuse is not.’
At last, there is achieved identity. This identity can display attributes such as self-acceptance, tolerance, ego strength, and actualization. An achieve identity is a free the social construct of age. The authors add that an achieved identity will be challenged to a person though out a life time. This is very important as youth workers who co-contract their identities with youth.
Here is a relevant cartoon, regarding age-development as a construct.

1 comment:

  1. I really liked your blog and the picture of the quote with everyday telling the 10 year old to be a big boy, then to be more mature, and then to start acting like an adult. I really liked how you referred back to A quote form Nakkula & Toshalis (2010) reads, ‘the distinction is rooted in the fact that the moratorium is accompanied by the conscious experience of a crisis, whereas the diffuse is not.’ Meaning in high school youth have enough to worry about like fitting in with peers.

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