Adolescence Socialization and Development, Slides of Social Theory

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A D O L E S C E N C E

S O C I A L I Z AT I O N A N D D E V E L O P M E N T

THE ORIGINS OF ADOLESCENCE

• today, in mainstream, North America, adolescence refers to a transitional period between childhood and adulthood that typically begins with the onset of puberty and lasts to the age of 18 to 21
• historically, and culturally ‘ adolescence ’ as a stage has not always existed - term was invented by G. Stanley Hall in 1904 - in many cultures & 150 years ago, in North America & England, children went abruptly from childhood to adulthood as early as the age of 7 or 8
• around the early 1900s public high schools emerge, as well as laws against child labour resulting in a longer dependence on parents

G. STANLEY HALL STORM & STRESS

• 1904 Hall conducts landmark study called “Adolescence” where he studied adolescent boys… - outlined the characteristics of adolescence – focusing on emotional development - felt teens often showed contradictory behaviour & described the period as one of storm & stress or a time marked by mood swings - wanting to be with friends, or wanting to be alone; being mean or being really empathetic; being apathetic or enthusiastic - felt these distinct characteristics of adolescence were biological & possibly universal, but that culture would play a role as well – he also observed or concluded that most homes, schools & religious organizations failed to understand how stressful this period is - felt that ultimately these changes help to sort the personality and working through the storm and stress leads to stability, character and maturity continue

• The time period
• The stage

The group of people

adolescents (^) adolescence go back

• The group of people
• Teenagers

D. ELKIND THEORY OF EGOCENTRISM

• teen behaviour is complex, but according to David Elkind there are a number of components that make up adolescent behaviour
• the most prominent feature is egocentrism (a heightened self awareness and self consciousness think everyone is watching and scrutinizing them) - primary feature is the immaturity of the thinking process & underdeveloped reasoning abilities - teens are indecisive due to an exaggerated self consciousness - teens can be both idealistic & critical - teens have a tendency to feel invincible or invulnerable which can lead to risky behaviours prefrontal cortex

THE ROLE OF SOCIALIZATION

• socialization is the process of learning to become successful members of our society (or not) o the teaching of values, norms & roles
• it begins in childhood with family & continues as we mature, in adolescence; peers, school, media and religion often also play a growing role as secondary agents of socialization o The role of the family starts to lessen
• however, what we learn in our family of origin often has a lasting influence throughout our lives – both positive and negative ~

ALLISON DAVIS SOCIALIZED ANXIETY

• Allison Davis (1902-1983) outlined a number of forces that cause stress and anxiety in adolescents
• he felt that the socialization process includes a phenomenon known as socialized anxiety - socialized anxiety is the tension and discomfort individuals feel that can motivate or influence their behaviour o example senior high school students often feel anxious about being accepted to college or university, this anxiety motivates them to earn better grades
• a measure of successful socialization can be connected to the amount of imposed or learned anxiety the teen is exposed to in his environment … ideally, there is a healthy balance

ADOLESCENT

DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES

• Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Life

• Jane Loevinger’s Theory of Ego

Development

• Family Life Cycle Theory

There are many more, but I wanted to keep it relatively short

ERIKSONS 8 STAGES go back

JANE LOEVINGER THEORY OF EGO DEVELOPMENT

• in the 1970s Loevinger identified 10 stages in the formation of ego , or self
• she describes full ego development as having an autonomous self, being self reliant, accepting of others
• 3 of the stages apply to adolescence 1. conformist stage , where adolescents tend to view life in simple, stereotypical ways in an attempt to classify or sort human experience so they can see where they belong in society 2. self aware stage , where young adults begin to understand and accept individual differences among each of us 3. conscientious stage , where we are able to appreciate others as individual in reciprocal (give and take) relationships
• this search for self is key to human development

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