Literature, Life-Writing, and Identity

Identity Formation

The struggle to develop a sense of one’s own identity is particularly poignant in the life of a teenager. This sense of identity may seem elusive because they find themselves acting differently with a variety of groups of individuals in divergent settings. The concept of identity has typically been explored by psychologists through a variety of lenses: historical, socio-cultural, and developmental being the most common.² Exploring emotional, physical, and psychological metamorphoses becomes particularly challenging for teens whose hormones and bodies have rapidly altered, and who suddenly find themselves in a large and complex social dynamic.³ Rebellion, experimentation, exclusion, and questioning are all typical among teens as they make the transition towards becoming independent, self-reliant individuals. These formerly egocentric individuals are now capable of using their critical thinking skills both to conduct self-analysis and to consider a differing perspective. This allows them to develop empathy and resolve conflicting viewpoints. An awareness and examination of their identities becomes an all-consuming obsession, often observable in the realm of a fixation on social media. Erik Erickson described eight stages of development and posited that cognitive neuroscience reveals that our sense of self is constructed through our impression of how others perceive us, and by introspection about our own traits.

[Adolescents] are sometimes morbidly, often curiously preoccupied with what they appear to be in the eyes of others as compared with what they feel they are. In their search for a new sense of continuity and sameness, which must now include sexual maturity, some adolescents have to come to grips again with crises of earlier years before they can install lasting idols and ideals as guardians of a final identity. Now a larger group unit, vague in its outline and yet immediate in its demands, replaces the childhood milieu— “society”.⁴

We define ourselves, yet at the same time we are labeled by others. Teens are struggling to come to terms with the aspects of identity they cannot escape (race, sex, and heritage) while simultaneously creating a unique individual expression of their internal landscape. Teens are observing role models, peers, and others to determine which values and aspirations will shape their identities.⁵ I want students to deeply consider the manner in which they perceive themselves interacting with the world. As a means of establishing their identities, teens often use specific brands, products, or other symbols to express affiliation with specific groups. They comprehend the need to meet societal expectations of adult functioning, but often at the expense of expressing their truly unique identities. Explicit recognition of this process develops a stronger self awareness among teens. As Herb Green expressed, the topic is rich and multi-faceted:

The parameters of my identity are not constrained by a single static border—my identity is fluid and flexible. In fact, sometimes the very essentialisitic and reductive nationalistic ideas that are supposed to unite us and make us identifiable to ourselves and others often render us silent about significant realities about ourselves and our individual desires. In my opinion, identities are far too complex to be reduced to pure essence.⁶

Students should also be left with the understanding that while adolescence is a psychologically significant period of self-knowledge, personality development continues to evolve throughout a lifetime.⁷ Identity is not static, it is a fluid and flexible concept that evolves with the body of occurrences an individual experiences over their lifetime. This understanding leads an individual to consider that change is the only constant in our life and self-knowledge allows us to know and accept ourselves, while simultaneously being capable of effecting change upon our expression of our identities. This process also results in tolerance, acceptance, and appreciation of a variety of individuals, and their expression of their own identities. “Ultimately, however, it is only one’s ease with the process of change that will allow one to aid and not hinder another on his or her own life journey.”⁸