lOMoARcPSD|47412989 Final version of student paper - AHSC 220 Lifespan Growth and Development for Practitioners (Concordia University) Scan to open on Studocu Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university Downloaded by sb5535694@gmail.com (sb5535694@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|47412989 My Conflict - Identity versus Role Confusion I am twenty-one years old, and at this point in my life, I am having difficulty figuring out who I am. I'm not sure what road I wish to take to achieve my lifelong ambitions. I have always been laid-back, meaning I've just gone with what life has given me. Now that I'm in my twenties and in university, I realize I don't have a clear sense of direction, purpose, or character. "I don't know who I am", to put it another way. In addition, I believe the pandemic has had a significant impact on my psychosocial development. For the past two years, I've had the distinct impression that my life has been stuck in time. I'd grown accustomed to being alone with little to do, I wasn't necessarily enjoying life to it’s fullest or having experiences to define my identity. From birth to old age, Erik Eriskson defines development with eight psychosocial stages (Sokol, 2009). These phases feature conflicts that must be resolved to move on to the next stage appropriately. I currently find myself in Erikson's 'Identity versus Role Confusion Stage' based on my chronological age and my current challenging life issue. Identity, confusion, and fidelity are the three theoretical concepts in this psychosocial stage. In this stage, identity refers to an individual's level of self-awareness and consistency in all aspects of life (Schwartz, et al., 2009). Without this concept resolved, I am left with role confusion. Role confusion occurs when a person is uncertain about themselves or their place in society (Dr. McLeod, 1970). This stage's success will lead to fidelity. The latter includes the capacity to commit to others by embracing them as they are, regardless of their differences (Dr. McLeod, 1970). Currently, in my Eriksonian psychosocial stage, I am faced with the conflict between identity and role confusion. Establishing an identity will allow me to pass onto the following stage, intimacy versus isolation, where I will build intimate relationships with others. If I do not exit this stage having resolved my conflict, I will lack a developed feeling of fidelity and will Downloaded by sb5535694@gmail.com (sb5535694@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|47412989 most likely remain in shallow relationships. I suppose I'm stuck in this stage for two prominent reasons. Firstly, I'm feeling overwhelmed by feelings of pressure and confusion. My family pushes me to earn a university degree, and while I want to do so, I haven't given myself enough time to consider my options. As a result, I'm having a hard time figuring out what function I play in society or what my 'purpose' is. Rather, I have the impression that I am making decisions based on what people demand of me. Outside of school, this feeling manifests itself in various areas of my life. My generation, without a doubt, is all about following the crowd. You must resemble a precise mold that everyone else resembles to be accepted by society. As a result, I'm unsure about my fashion, nutrition, and lifestyle choices. For me, this is quite confusing. There are few people I feel comfortable with being unique and ‘myself’, but to have an identity, as defined by Schwartz et al. (2009), you must display consistency in all aspects of life. This is not a life issue that can be resolved quickly. The importance I place on other people's opinions on what my life and role in society should look like is a major impediment to me progressing through this psychosocial stage. It will take time, but preventing individuals from having an impact on issues that do not directly affect them will be a significant step in the right direction for me. Secondly, being more unique about small decisions like my clothes, makeup, and even the way I talk will allow me to explore and eventually acquire consistency in my lifestyle choices rather than altering them in response to trends. Downloaded by sb5535694@gmail.com (sb5535694@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|47412989 Reference List McLeod, S. (1970, January 1). [Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development]. Erik Erikson | Psychosocial Stages | Simply Psychology. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html#identity Schwartz, S. J., Zamboanga, B. L., Wang, W., & Olthuis, J. V. (2009). Measuring identity from an Eriksonian perspective: Two sides of the same coin? Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(2), 143–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223890802634266 Sokol, J. T. (2009). Identity Development Throughout the Lifetime: An Examination of Eriksonian Theory. Graduate Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1(2). Downloaded by sb5535694@gmail.com (sb5535694@gmail.com)
