For my Self Initiated Project (SIP) this term I was planning to explore more about my Arab identity. This was influenced by my dissertation topic which takes the idea of female identity in Saudi Arabia where I am investigating the connection between the concept of modesty and female identity in Saudi Arabia. For the past two years at university, I have expressed topics and themes regarding psychology and identity. In my final year, I would like to create work in a commercial way where it reflects who I am as well fit in the industry standards.
Youth generally refers to a time of life that is neither childhood nor adulthood, but rather somewhere in-between. In different context, there are different age groups, for example, regarding the United Nations General Assembly said its people between the ages 15 to 24 years. In the Saudi Arabian culture and most Arab cultures, you are usually in this “youth” category until you are married, even sometimes after having kids. If you where to get divorced with or without kids, no matter what age, you fall under that “youth” category once again. There is usually no escape.
Youth identities a particular mindset of attitude. Looking at this from the psychological side, youth development is the process which young adults acquire the cognitive, social and emotional skills and abilities are required to navigate life. The experiences that influences on development varies for every youth through culture, gender and socioeconomic. It occurs in formal and informal settings including home, school, workplace and relationships, friendships parenting, mentoring.
Erkisons’s stage of psychosocial development includes, hope, will, purpose, competence, fidelity, love, care and wisdom. They are arranged in order, which is based from infants to 65 years onwards. Fidelity: Identity vs. Role Confusion is during adolescents (ages 13 to 19 years).
Society aids youth to “find themselves” and this state is called ‘the moratorium’
Author of Childhood and society, Erik H. Erikson, covers topics related to my brief in his book ‘Identity Youth and Crisis’. He explains the important element in humans is a personal and collective identities. One must have steady values to absolutise them and style to make them believe they are the centre of the universe. Then tribe or nation, culture or religion will create a historical and moral rational. However, there is a transitional moment between cultural identity and civilised perfection, it highlights what one could be, or can he be both?
In youth, ego strength emerges from the mutual confirmation of individuality and community, where society recognises the young as a barer of fresh energy.
“Young people driven into the extreme of their condition may, in the end, find a greater sense of identity being withdrawn or in being delinquent than in anything society has to offer to them. Yet we underestimate the hidden sensitivity of these young people to the judgment of society at large.” (Erikson, 1994, p254)
Erikson comments - as culture changes, new kinds of identity questions arise.
References:
Erikson, E. (1994). Identity youth and crisis. NEW YORK: W.W. NORTON.