Complexities in the Adolescence Period of Growing - Essay Example

Complexities in the Adolescence Period of Growing Introduction Adolescence, derived from the Latin word ‘adolescere’, meaning to grow, represents the phase when the person is neither a child nor an adult. WHO defines adolescence as the growing period of life between the age ranges of 10 to 20 years. This transitional phase of growth marks the change in social, mental and physical attributes and transcends the growth of an individual from his childhood years to adulthood. Changes in physical attributes refer to the physiological and biological changes that are very easily discerned in an adolescent. What goes unmarked or rather unnoticed by society is the huge change in the psychology of an adolescent boy or girl. Traditionally society marked the signs of puberty in an individual as the mark of his or her passing into adulthood. As Shakespeare remarks in his very famous drama ‘As You Like It’, “All the world’s a stage…. And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages… Then the whining schoolboy with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like a snail Unwilling to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace… Then a soldier…” (Shakespeare, As You Like It, II. 7. II, 2008) Here we find according to traditional norms Shakespeare moving from childhood directly to that of ‘the lover’ or adulthood. There is no mention of adolescence in his ballad, as this during those days this phase in the life in an individual was not given much importance. However, this very age group has now turned into a major subject of study, owing to the number of arising problems seen in individuals belonging to this age group. The importance attached to the study of adolescents, some historians propose, is a very recent invention of the late nineteenth century. As Kett (2003) remarked “adolescence…essentially a conception of behavior imposed on youth, rather than an empirical assessment of the way in which young people actually behaved. The architects of adolescence used biology and psychology…to justify the promotion among young people of norms of behavior that were freighted with middle class values” (cited in Liechty, 2003). However, modern day psychologists lay a lot of stress on these formative years and counsel for a proper upbringing, filled with love and care, so that the growing child is able to balance the “storm and stress” as suggested by Hall (1904), going on inside his mind and body. It is true that not all adolescents have psychological problems with the sudden changes that take charge of their mind and body. On the other hand it is also true, that this ‘storm and stress’ is seen more in adolescence than in any other age groups. This article will delve into the mind frames of adolescents and try to explore how some individuals handle the changes well, while others fumble. It will also explain the theories that take on adolescence and give a detailed insight into this very interesting phase of growth, fraught with a fast changing body and mind, as well as the many psychological problems that one may face while trying to adjust to these changes that leads to adulthood. As WHO points out “Adolescents – young people between the ages of 10 and 19 years – are often thought of as a healthy group. Nevertheless, many adolescents do die prematurely due to accidents, suicide, violence, pregnancy related complications and other illnesses that are either preventable or treatable. Many more suffer chronic ill-health and disability. In addition, many serious diseases in adulthood have their roots in adolescence. For example, tobacco use, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, poor eating and exercise habits, lead to illness or premature death later in life”(WHO, Adolescent Health, 2010). Therefore, we can see that adolescence can be a period of joyful growing up, as one welcomes the onset of puberty leading to adulthood, on the other hand if not properly handled it can be extremely stressful and often dangerous too. As Arnett (1999) aptly frames it, “The paradox of adolescence is that it can be at once a time of storm and stress and a time of exuberant growth” (Arnett, American psychologist, 1999). Body The problem faced by the modern society while dealing with the teenagers or adolescents is varied, and many. Starting from depression to suicidal tendencies, having excessively aggressive nature or teenage pregnancies or dealing with drug abuse, the modern day adolescents have become a source of constant worry to the parents and society, as a whole. It is for this reason the study of adolescence and its associated problems have become a major subject of research. As Grabber and Brooks-Gunn (1996) tell us “adolescence has fascinated developmental scholars because the transition into adolescence involves biological, psychological, and social changes” (Grabber and Brooks-Gunn, 1996). Adolescence can be broadly categorized into three age groups. The early adolescence group consists of age groups between 10 to 14 years; middle adolescence group consists of age groups between 15 to 18 years while the late adolescence consists of the age group 19, showing complete adult characteristics. Adolescence is often marked by three important phases. These are: 1. Gradual development of secondary sexual characteristics, first observed with the onset of puberty which culminates with the attainment of complete sexual and reproductive organs as in an adult. 2. Adolescence is also marked by the gradual formation of a well-developed mental process, which is similar to that of an adult. This phase is also marked by the growth of self-identity. As Erikson refers to this phase as the “stage of identity” and as Nishikawa (2009) would further explain Erikson’s theory, “Erikson believed that adolescents seek to find a definition of self (i.e., identity), and question their goals, attitudes, beliefs, and place in society. If the adolescents can resolve these questions of sense of self, they will develop an identity. However, if they fail to achieve this, they will develop a sense of identity confusion” (Nishikawa, 2009). 3. Adolescence shows a gradual transition from being completely dependent on parents or the caregiver, to becoming comparatively freer, in socio-economic terms. Often this phase of comparative independence is marked by, as Branje, van Doorn, van der Valk, & Meeus (2009) frames it “a period of engaging in conflict with their parents” (cited in Nishikawa, 2009). However, this is also the period when unknowingly, to grow up into responsible individuals, the adolescents need parental guidance and support even more, than they needed during their childhood stage. Adolescence is also an important phase for socialization. Studies have shown that girls who show early maturation have problems in their psychosocial adjustments while early-matured boys are better adjusted socially. It has been researched and found, that, adolescents living in more traditional societies face less ‘storm and stress’’ during this transitional phase. So there are many factors like that of role of the family and friends, and also the culture of the community that an adolescent lives in, that play an active role in the well being and development of an adolescent. Theoretical views on adolescence that explain the reasons for the ‘storm and stress’: There are many theories that deal with adolescence and it is important to study them to understand the nature of an adolescent mind and the reasons that may cause the “storm and stress.” Knowing these theories will help one to deal with adolescents and associated problems, better. 1. Psychiatric views on adolescence- It was Sigmund Freud who first proposed a psychiatric view on adolescence in 1900, when he proposed the presence of two powerful yet contrasting forces, in humans. These are the social instincts and the basic need of a man to live together, competing with the inherent instincts of an aggressive nature and sexuality. As Gullotta, Adams and Ramos (2005) tell us, “Freud proposed that human beings come to balance instinctual demands with social sanctions…when an imbalance between individual demands and societal pressures occur, the individual becomes anxious and the ego must deal with this discomfort. To deal with this anxiety an individual uses defensive mechanisms”(Gullotta, Adams and Ramos, 2005). Later his daughter Anna Freud connected the psychological misbalance between the instinctive demands and ego mechanism of an adolescent, and proposed that this imbalance led to the period of ‘storm and stress’ and is related to the newly growing sexual urges that are difficult to either express, or repress. The misbalance creates anxiety within the minds of adolescents which often leads to conflicts with parents and the society. 2. Sociological theories: Social norms, cultures, regulations, peer influence all contribute to shape an adolescent’s mind. Kingsley Davis tells us that as society keeps on changing with time it creates a gap between the parental and children’s generations leading to unavoidable conflicts between the ethical and social values of the past and present generations. Adolescents also at this stage of their life live in a Utopian world where everything is fair and just, and this notion also creates tension between the two generations. Margaret Mead here suggests three types of cultures that are present in the modern society. In a post-figurative culture, the parents or the grandparents form the dominating figures and their values and expectations shape the child’s growing up years. In a co-figurative culture, each generation shape their values and norms from their peers, and not from their parents. Here all generations are different, having their own values and thus there may be ego clashes between the two generations having different standards. In pre-figurative cultures, it is the adolescents who teach their parents and shape the latter’s expectations. Thus, this culture according to Mead is youth centered. Mead’s solution to lessen anxiety in young growing minds is by allowing greater freedom of choice within the family, and not to conform stringently to certain fixed values or norms. As Mead tells us “the children must be taught to think, not what to think” (cited in Laycock, 1970). 3. Anthropological theories: Under this theory, researchers look for affects that adolescents have on the society. As Gullotta, Adams and Ramos (2005) explain, “according to Alice Schlegel and colleagues, adolescence is best seen as learning and unlearning of important social processes. Indeed, they refer to this life stage as social adolescence. During social adolescence the individual learns how to engage in new behaviors, such as sexuality...and unlearn old behaviors like family subordination and dependency or asexuality”(Gullotta, Adams and Ramos, 2005). The anthropological theory revolves more around the concepts of sexuality and sexual gratifications, taboo and the readiness for reproduction and sexual intimacy amongst adolescents. Here according to various anthropologists conflicts may arise amongst the parental generation and the adolescents stemming from economic or financial, and property matters. 4. Evolutionary theory : this theory mainly focuses on Darwin’s theory of evolution of natural selection and survival of the fittest species. It also takes into account the adaptive behavior of the human species and explores all possibilities to find out whether such behaviors are phylogenetic and thus evolutionary in nature or not. Glenn Weisfeld in article ‘Adolescence’ tells us that many of the variations in behavioral patterns as regards to differences in sex and timing of puberty as seen in adolescents, can be explained when seen form the perspective of evolutionary theory. He also further argues that culture must also adjust itself to biology and evolutionary timescale, and human behavior though flexible, is not entirely acquired by only learning, but is also based on evolution itself, to some extent. Weisfeld (2003) explains this by saying that “variability exists, and is due mainly to differences in socialization by family and culture...this cultural variability is widely acknowledged by evolutionists” who “have been trying to explain some of this variability by invoking the concept of biological function….a given practice can be interpreted in functional terms whether it arises because of natural selection or cultural selection” (cited in Ember and Ember, 2003). This theory puts special emphasis on puberty rites, as this signifies the detachment of an adolescent from the parents and his or her assimilation into a broader social fabric, outside the family. These so-called ‘puberty rites’ are generally associated with the separation of male and female adolescents, and their learning of tasks and behaviors that are suitable to their sexes, and often these rites train an adolescent to enter smoothly into the adult world. 5. Psychological theory: This theory mainly deals with development of self-identity of an adolescent. The individual, the family and society all play a pivotal role in the development of this self-identity of an adolescent. As Kroger (1996) tell us “social circumstances may set broad limits to likely behaviors...individual personality characteristics do play a key role in influencing the course of identity development over time…..Adams and Marshall have stressed that identity develops out of both individual and social processes” (cited in Adams and Berzonsky, 1996). To get a completely balanced identity, an adolescent needs to have a supporting atmosphere that makes him or her feel unique, and also allows the adolescent to stay connected to those people he or she values the most. An improper balance in this support may lead to an identity crisis in the adolescent psychology leading to the ‘stress and storm’ phase. As Marcia (1980) defines self –identity “as a self-structure- an internal, self-constructed, dynamic organization of drives, abilities, beliefs, and individual history. The better developed thus structure is, the more aware individuals appear to be of their own uniqueness and similarity to others and of their own strength and weaknesses…the less developed this structure is, the more confused individuals seem…” (Marcia, 1980). Universality of the ‘storm and stress’ period and Outward Symptoms of it: Even before Hall (1904), there were many philosophers who had noted these disturbances in youth and commented on it. Aristotle commented on the mental state of youth, by comparing them to men who are drunk, while Rousseau advised parents to keep a strong hold onto their wards as they reach their youth, or else, he warns everything will be lost. Socrates also commented on the disturbances created by these young people, as they oppose their parents and contradict their teachers in almost all matters. In fact, Anne Freud (1958) points out that “"To be normal during the adolescen! period is by itself abnormal" (Freud, 1958). Hall who did an extensive exploration on this subject said that adolescence problems were being seen more in modern America than in "older lands with more conservative traditions" (Hall, 1904, Vol.1, p. xvi), and the main cause is rapid urbanization, which brought along with it many vices. Since urban life was more sedentary, the extra energy that the adolescents had, made them move towards these attractive yet dangerous lifestyles, comprising of drug abuse amongst the many vices. Buchanan and Holmbeck (1998) have conducted many studies on American middle class adolescents and found that the parents and teachers in most cases have agreed to the view that this phase of life signifies many disturbances associated with rudeness, rebellious nature and impulsive behavior, insecurity and depression. Survey amongst college students by the same, has revealed that adolescences tend to have a lot of conflict with their parents. However, Buchanan, Holmbeck and other researchers have failed to establish that this ‘storm and stress’ is universally seen in all adolescents, or that it has any biological basis. As Chen and Faruggia (2002) puts it “Recent research (e.g., Arnett, 1999; Freeman, 1983) has corrected both Halls "demonized" adolescents and Meads "romanticized" life of … adolescents. Most adolescents live a life with few serious personal or social problems, but for a minority of adolescents, adolescence still represents the most troubling years” (Chen and Faruggia, 2002) The ‘storm and stress’ in adolescence manifests and shows itself in three ways. 1. Conflicts: Parents tend to have more conflicts with their adolescents than they have with children from other age groups. Adolescents have a tendency to rebel against authority, in this case against parental dominance, and so fights are more, and often. As Hall (1904) frames it “the wisdom and advice of parents and teachers is overtopped, and in ruder natures may be met by blank contradiction" (Vol. 2, p. 79). At this stage of life adolescents, crave for more freedom while parents thinking they are still small, try to reinforce their authority, leading to clashes. Various studies by Laursen, Coy, & Collins, (1998) and other researchers have shown that such clashes between parents and adolescents are the highest at the early adolescence period and continue for a few years before showing a decline during the later years. However most scholars are of the opinion, that such conflicts in most cases do not affect the parent-adolescent relationship, while some scholars like Steinberg (1990) believe that such conflicts benefit the adolescent in a long run for his development of his individual personality within the realms of a warm loving relationship with his parents 2. Mood fluctuations are a very common phenomenon with the adolescents. They tend to have extreme mood fluctuations and also tend to be very emotional and more depressed, than the other age group members. Many experiments have been conducted on such mood swing in adolescents. One such research conducted by Larson and & Richards, 1994 known as Experience Sampling Method where adolescents were asked to carry their beepers through the day and record their thoughts and emotions each time the beeper made a sound. Here it was proven that the ‘storm and stress’ claims were to some extent correct, and adolescents were prone to extreme moods, many times in a day. Such mood swings were later attributed to certain environmental and cognitive factors by Larson and Richards, and they stressed on the fact the mood swings occurred due to the way adolescents looked and interpreted experiences in their daily lives. According to them, the adolescents develop the power to think abstractly which make or “allow them to see beneath the surface of situations and envision hidden and more long-lasting threats to their well-being" (Larson and Richards, 1994). Such abstract thinking makes them react in an extreme manner when compared to other age groups. Results have also shown that depression rates and suicidal tendencies are also high in adolescences age groups. Such negative mood swings may result from parental discords, poor school results, or lack of friends. 3. Adolescents have a tendency to rebel and break rules and social norms leading to what is known as ‘risk behavior’. Such reckless risk behavior in adolescents may cause grievous harm to themselves and also to others. Risk behavior includes drug abuse, rash driving and or having risky sex lives. Sometimes it also includes criminal activities like petty thievery or gang war. Such behavior is generally noticed in late adolescence and varies from one individual to another. Theorists of the 1940’s and 1950’ had speculated that certain adverse events or experiences during childhood may be the cause for such risk behavior in adolescents and also may continue to negatively impact psychological development even in adulthood (cf. Bowlby, 1951). However, Rutter (1996) negated this view and after conducting many experiments, came to the conclusion “that the experiences are not synonymous with stressful life events; and that changes in life trajectory may reflect genetic programming or internal biological alterations rather than external happenings. Also, major life experiences may accentuate, rather than alter, individual characteristics” (Rutter, 1996). Similarly after conducting intensive research work for almost thirty years on various samples consisting of children, adolescents and adults by Clarke, A.D.B & Clarke, A. (1984), they complied all their reports in their review article ‘Constancy and change in the growth of human characteristics’ and suggested that early adverse events in one’s life may have certain outcomes but it certainly does not predict all negative things in that person’s future adolescence or adult life. Therefore, according to them, adverse effects in early childhood may have both positive and negative outcomes in the future and one cannot predict likewise. They said that good things that happened in one’s early childhood certainly tend to reinforce the positive effect later, but often it has been also seen that adverse experiences can be changed to good effects later, by giving early education and good parental care (cf. Clarke, A.D.B & Clarke, A., 1984). Risk behaviors by adolescents also depend on individual traits as those who seek attention or those who are impulsive often show these behaviors more. Though not all adolescents take part in such risk behaviors, yet majority of them do experiment on one or the other such risk behaviors at some point of time, thus substantiating the fact that adolescence is a time of ‘stress and storm’. Conclusion As Valsiner says, “in the progression from childhood into adulthood, the period of active biological growth spurt- puberty- indicates a developmental period…” (Valsiner, 2000). Adolescence is this developmental period, where there is change in an individual, both mentally and physically, and the individual is neither a child nor an adult. The storm and stress period is indeed not a myth, and is very much a reality in many homes, with many adolescents and their parents facing the trial almost daily. The emotional and biological cravings of an adolescent contradict the social or cultural norms set by adults for the safeguard of these very young people. Such stringent rules instead of helping in an easy transition from childhood to adulthood only tend to create further identity crisis in the adolescents, thus worsening their period of storm and stress. The parents and teachers will have to be more sensitive to the conditions of these young people and while giving them a certain amount of freedom must also know when to pull in the reigns. With correct parental guidance one can lead the adolescent away from his ‘storm and stress’, and make his growing up fun, adventurous and full of learning, or in other words ‘exuberant’. Conflicts between adolescents and parents will happen, and there is no avoiding this possibility, as this is the age when these young adults try to find their self-identity and in the process defy all authoritative powers, including that of their parents. Any adverse effects in early childhood can be easily stemmed off, by proper guidance, abundant love and understanding from the parents. As Corby (1997) frames it “The commonly held (adultist) views about adolescents are that they pose a threat to society rather than the other way round … it is important at least to redress this imbalance … for this approach is both ethical (self-evident) and practical, to avoid alienation of future generations” ( Corby, 1997). References Arnett, J, J. (1999). Adolescent Storm and Stress, Reconsidered, American Psychologist, 54,  Vol. 54, No. 5, 317-326. Bowlby, J. (1951). Mental Care and Mental Health. Monograph no. 2. WHO, Geneva. Chen, C and Farruggia, S. (August 2002). Culture and adolescent development. Unit 11, chapter 2 / V1. Department of Psychology and Social Behavior. University of California, Irvine. U.S.A. Retrieved on 27th January 2010 from http://bsdweb.bsdvt.org/~hfriday/pdfs/Psych/Unit%20IV/cultureandad.pdf Clarke, A.D.B & Clarke, A. (1984) Constancy and Change in the Growth of Human Characteristics. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25 (2), pg 191-210. 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Valsiner, J. (2000). Culture and Human Development: An Introduction. London: Sage. 271. Weisfeld, G, E. (2003). ‘Adolescence’ in Ember, C and Ember, M (eds.), Encyclopedia of sex and gender: men and women in the worlds cultures, Volume 2. NY: Springer. 42. WHO. (2010). Adolescent health. Health topics. Retrieved on 27th January 2010 from http://www.who.int/topics/adolescent_health/en/   Read More