Identity Development : Adolescence through Adulthood

Rating:
Summary: Positive Review
Review: In Identity Development: Adolescence through Adulthood, Kroger (2000) focuses on the early, middle, and late periods of both adolescence and adulthood. She not only provides research which is applicable to Erikson's psychosocial theory of development, but also offers her own view points in regards to this premise. Furthermore, Kroger writes of the necessity for additional studies concerning Erikson's psychosocial point of view of each of the phases of life addressed.
To begin, this book is immediately intriguing due to its use of Erikson's psychosocial theory. Of all the developmental theories, this must be the one which includes the most comprehensive look at development throughout the lifespan. By using challenges that are faced during particular phases of development, Erikson specifically outlines developmental tasks that must be completed as well as those which must be avoided.
Kroger separates the text into three parts, devoting Part I to the discussion of perceptions of the wholism of identity. Erikson is given credit for the original idea of such wholistic identity perspectives. His theory encompasses the suggestion that the attainment of an identity is a mission that must be fulfilled during adolescence in order to pursue and complete additional tasks in adulthood. In addition to Erikson's theory, Kroger discusses other frameworks in which the study of identity may be approached.
In Part II, Kroger discusses adolescence. This part is divided into segments pertaining to early adolescence, middle adolescence, and late adolescence. She begins each segment by discussing the biological, psychological, and societal influences that accompany the three stages of adolescence. Next, she discusses developmental tasks that are faced during adolescence and the way in which these tasks affect identity development. Some of these specific developmental tasks are puberty, sexuality, vocation decisions, and the development of values. Finally, at the end of each segment, Kroger discusses specific contexts that affect identity development. Each context is viewed in relation to the stage of adolescence being studied. Specific contexts include family, friendships and peer groups, and educational and work settings.
The final part of the text is set up quite similar to Part II. However, in Part III, Kroger discusses early adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. Biological, psychological, and societal influences pertaining to each stage of adulthood are discussed at the beginning of each segment. Developmental tasks faced during the three stages of adulthood are also discussed, including identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity. Finally, Kroger discusses specific contexts affecting the development of identity during adulthood. These contexts include the family and social network, the career, and association with one's community.
The way in which Kroger designs the framework for her text is logical and allows for easy comprehension. By designing Part II and Part III to be so similar, one is able to read the text in an orderly fashion that allows for easier understanding. At the end of both of these parts, Kroger discusses, in depth, selected issues that may have an effect on identity development during adolescence and/or adulthood. Some of these specific issues include adoption, ethnicity, the loss of an intimate relationship, and infertility. This is certainly the most interesting part of the text. While reading this section, one is simply able to see how specific issues (even as tiny as they may appear) can have a profound effect on identity development.
According to Kroger (2000), the main point of Identity Development: Adolescence through Adulthood is to examine 'how my biology, psychology, and society interact to produce that subjective sense of the person who is 'genuinely me'' as well as 'how I can meaningfully express who I am' in social contexts (p. 7). She presents answers to these questions given by individuals in each stage of development discussed. This not only adds character to the text, but also aids in the understanding of how Erikson's stages apply to the development of identity.
One might note that the responses to the afore-mentioned questions change significantly during each stage of development. This illustrates the development of identity in relation to specific tasks which are being faced during that stage. Finally, this understanding may aid in the realization that each task is dependent upon the completion of another. In other words, much like development itself, Kroger's text consists of parts that build upon one another to make a single completion.