Indian views on adolescents identity Identity Identity formation is a dynamic and life-long process, characterized by continuous changes in the amount of exploration and strength of commitments. At special situations in life when one’s identity is challenged, then these changes seem noticeable and pronounced. Identity development leads to a change in how we feel, we start to identify who we are(selfidentity), how others see us(social identity). Despite the fact identity formation is a one time process, adolescence is the age when individual understands how our identity affects our lives. But it is neither the beginning nor the end of the identity formation. Identity formation in adolescence leads to various physical,social,emotional,cognitive changes in the individual. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory Urie Bronfenbrenner (april 29, 1917- september 25, 2005) was a russian born american psychologist who is most known or his ecological systems theory. This theory was renamed as bio-ecological theory to understand the biological development in process. Bronfenbrenner’s structure of environment:● The Microsystem- This layer is the closest layer to the child environment. Structures in the microsystem contains parents, relatives, peers. ● The Mesosystem- This layer interconnects the microsystems. Interactions between the teachers and parents. ● The Exosystem- Child does not have direct interaction with this layer but any disturbances in this layer may affect child’s environment also. This layer involves parent’s workplace. ● The Macrosystem- This layer focuses on how cultural elements effects a child’s development. Like cultural values, beliefs, customs etc. ● The Chronosystem- Those environmental changes that occur over a lifetime. Major changes like changing to a new house, parents getting divorced Indian views It is difficult to consider Indians as a homogenous group of people. As India is a diversified country, people follow many religions, beliefs and practices. These factors helps in the identity formation of the adolescence. Family offers a fundamental and vital context for adolescent identity formation. Family helps in building up an individual’s reciprocity with his/her social environment. With a right blend of tradition and modernity family aid in building emotional affiliations. Menarche is treated in different ways across India. In some areas in India women are segregated from other members of the family and provided a space for 5-6 days to stay as they are considered polluted during menstruation. They are not allowed to do any household work and go anywhere else other than the place which was provided to her and doing her work like washing her own clothes,utensils and room. Whereas in some southern societies menarche is welcomed through a coming-of-age ceremony called Ritusuddhi or Ritu Kala Samskara or a halfsari function. It is celebrated and various rituals are performed to announce the beginning of the adolescent age of respective family member. These rituals are mainly performed in the southern part of India (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka). In India, generally topics like sexuality, sex education, menarche, spermarche arenot openly discussed between parents and children. Nowadays also people feel it's a taboo to discuss about these topics with their children. Girl’s and boy’s are not aware about the sexual changes that are taking place in their body. Most of the adolescents get information from friends, social networking sites and by reading pornographic literature. These sources of information may be misleading, confusing and incomplete. Adolescents face experiences nocturnal emission (wet dream, sex dream,nigtfall or sleep orgasm, is a spontaneous orgasm during sleep that includes ejaculation for a male or vaginal wetness or orgasm for a female. It may happen at night and sometimes during day time also. And due to lack of knowledge, misleading information or confusion; this may lead to feeling of guilt or shame in the individual also they think that they are losing their masculinity or have a disease. In some religions like Islam and Judaism tell us that who experience nocturnal emission are required to take a bath immediately, as it is considered dirty. In some communities boys have initiation ceremony as they reach the adolescence age. It is known as Upanayanam,(Janeu) in which they have to wear sacred thread in a puja in order to transfer some responsibilities to the boy. This ceremony is usually performed by upper caste families, in both urban and rural areas.
