Discussion: Developing a Sense of Self
It's odd when I think of the arc of my life, from child to young woman to an adult. First, I was who I was. Then I didn't know who I was. Then I invented someone and became her. Then I began to like what I'd invented. And finally, I was what I was again. It turned out I wasn't alone in that particular progression.
-Anna Quindlen, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir of a Woman's Life
A person's sense of self is something that changes over the lifespan and is affected by numerous factors at different developmental stages. This week's Learning Resources break these changes into four major categories by developmental stage: childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, and middle to late adulthood. A person usually will have a different sense of self within each of these stages. Indeed, it is completely normal for a person's sense of self to evolve over her or his lifespan as the person's roles and experiences change. Life events, societal trends, and cultural phenomena throughout these phases all impact a person's sense of self.
In this Discussion, you select two developmental stages and then post two factors that contribute to a person's sense of self in each life stage you selected. Specifically, you should explain how gender and culture contribute to the development of sense of self.
To Prepare:
• Select two of the following life stages: (1) early childhood, (2) adolescence, (3) emerging adulthood, or (4) middle to late adulthood.
• Consider factors that contribute to sense of self during the stages you selected.
Post a brief discussion of two factors that contribute to sense of self in each of the two life stages you selected. Discuss how gender and culture contribute to this development.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.
Required Readings
Diehl, M., Youngblade, L. M., Hay, E. L., & Chui, H. (2011). The development of self-representations across the life span. In K. L. Fingerman, C. A. Berg, J. Smith, & T. C. Antonucci (Eds.), Handbook of life-span development (pp. 611-646). New York, NY: Springer.
Handbook of Life-Span Development, 1st Edition by Fingerman, C. A.; Berg, J.; Smith, T. C. Copyright 2011 by Springer Publishing Company, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Springer Publishing Company, Inc. via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Marks, A. K., Patton, F., & Coll, C. (2011). Being bicultural: A mixed-methods study of adolescents' implicitly and explicitly measured multiethnic identities. Developmental Psychology, 47(1), 270-288. doi:10.1037/a0020730
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Walden Writing Center. (2017). Common assignments: Annotated bibliographies.