Discuss the concept of adolescence as a social construct Essay

Adolescence describes the transitional stage in a teenagers flavour, from childhood to adulthood, where an mortal evolves physic in ally, psychologically, emotionally, cognitively and socially. It is a specify social category that is expressed done and through immaturity and unpredictability and allows an individual to learn and discover their champion of self and individuation. The idea of adolescence came into perspective after children were expected to take on adult roles as soon as they were matured enough to, going straight from puberty to adulthood. As society changed and moulded, so did the ideas rough lifetime stages, which is evident in Eriksons theory.Adolescence is the perfect example of our modern societies social construction. A social construct is a sociological theory based upon categorised groups in modernised cultures, devised by social constructionists who view knowledge of reality as established. Adolescence was invented because of these social constructio ns in westernised cultures which depend on the whole on the society in which it is used. Although the concept of adolescence is commonly used and referred to in westernised cultures, it does not exist in most developing countries as they arent exposed to the resources which educates them about it. Instead of going through adolescence, teenagers in developing countries go straight from childhood to adulthood and reserve no time to develop interests or a sand of identity.Erik Erikson established a theory about the life stages of a human, starting from babyhood and ending at maturity (65+). Through the use of a maturation table, Erikson was able to punctuate a wide and cohesive set of life skills and abilities that function together within an individual. Although he discussed all of the life stages, he focused on the childlike block more thoroughly as he felt that it was a crucial stage for an individual to develop their identity. The identity versus role confusion is a crisis wh ich is typically evident during early to middle adolescence. It outlines the struggle an individual faces in finding stability betwixt developing asense of forming a unique identity while still being recognized and fitting in with society.Erikson believed that when teenagers adequately navigated their way through this crisis, they would transpire into having a clear understanding of their individual identity and easily share this new self with others. However, if an individual is unable to navigate their way through this crisis period, they may be uncertain of who they are which can result in a lack of understanding, steer to disconnection from society and the people around them. If youth become stuck at this stage they will be unable to become emotionally mature adults, according to Eriksons theory. This period of an individuals life allows them to investigate possibilities which will lead them to discovering their own identity based upon the result of their explorations.A weste rnised culture that embraces the life stage of adolescence are the Indigenous Aboriginals of Australia. The aboriginals embrace adolescence by engaging in a tradition cognize as Walkabout, which wear ones a boy from childhood to adulthood. Although this tradition has been around for centuries, some Aboriginals in todays society still partake in it but have adjusted some of the regulations. Walkabout refers to the journey an adolescent boy undertakes, alternating from a laid back playful child to a responsible and mature man. Throughout this deeply spiritual and reflective stage of an Aboriginal boys life he will arrive a greater connection to the land and nature, which ultimately becomes a part of their identity as a man. At the beginning of time the ancestors created paths for the men to follow while going on Walkabout, leading them through songs and ceremonies that connected them to important waterholes, food sources and landmarks.These paths were known as songlines and essent ially enhanced their heathenish and spiritual connection with the land and their ancestors. After 6 months of living in the wilderness and exploring who they are as a person, they return with a sense of wholeness within themselves and with world around them enabling them to pass through adolescence and into adulthood. Sub-Saharan Africa lies south of the Saharan desert and is one of the most challenging places for an adolescent to live. close of the teenagers that live in Sub-Saharan Africa arent given the opportunity to experience adolescence as they tend to go straight from being a child to being an adultand taking on fully parent adult responsibilities. The health and safety of an adolescent girl in this area can be rigid at risk, as they are often forced to abandon childhood before theyre ready, moderate their chances to grow as a person, gain an education and a sense of identity.Being a teenaged girl in Africa, it is not only unfortunate, but also very common to fall enc einte and have a baby at the age of 16 or younger. Due to this, many girls have to leave school and are forced into the world of adulthood. Enduring motherhood at a young age can make a girl particularly vulnerable to violence and most girls that live in Sub-Saharan Africa may experience abuse at least once in their life. versed violence and pressured sex is common, especially among female adolescents and young women. Younger mothers are more likely to experience complications or death due to pregnancy and childbearing. In Australia, teenagers experience what its like to go through adolescence by developing a sense of identity, achieving independence, developing a positive state of mind and discovering skills for emerging life stages.Although all these things can positively impact the period of adolescence, some teenagers may use this to their favour and can endure in some dangerous behavioural activities. The most common adolescent use that most Australians experience, is schoo lies. Schoolies marks the end of tertiary education and adolescents embark on this by going on a holiday with their friends of choice, partying and experimenting with alcohol and even drugs. From youth to adulthood, schoolies week is seen as a transitional period of an individuals life which marks the transition from the discipline of school to the plunge of freedom that they partake in. In conclusion, adolescence is a period of ones life where an individual can embark on new experiences, gain a sense of identity, learn about themselves and discover who they are as a person. Although not all people go through adolescence, it is a major growing period for a persons life and if they pack to embrace this positively it will benefit them for the rest of their lives.