Research on Parental Involvement in Adolescents Life as an Element to Contribute To Identity Formation

Research on Parental Involvement in Adolescents Life as an Element to Contribute To Identity Formation Introduction Every stage of Development of human being is very important especially the adolescence. This is because it is purported that it’s at this stage that the formulation of sense of identity takes place.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Research on Parental Involvement in Adolescents Life as an Element to Contribute To Identity Formation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Basically identity is described as the cohesive set of personal qualities concerning life goals like career developmental religious values and political ideologies. Achieving e a stable ego identity allows adaptability and future development besides creating an integrated sense of oneself (Faber et al, 2008, p. 244). Besides, attaining a stable mature quality experience is a crucial part of adolescent identity formulation. It’s believed that before adolescents can commit themselves to certain value system they observe and exploit the value their parents portray, assess and compare them with other alternative ideologies. Hence, parents’ idea and qualities can play a critical role in formation of child identity. Objectives The aim of the paper will be to explore the role of active involvement of parents in raising their children through adolescence and the impact on the formation of identity. Basically, theory states that native participation in their children’s lives influential on how they behaved and set their goals in life. Specifically, the research will explore the process through which identity statuses are related to the process of achieving parent-child value similarity – the accurate perception of parent value and the acceptance of these values by children. The paper will also describe the role of parents as reflective agents in comparison with the process of formulation of identity (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 441; Schachter Ventura, 2008, p. 449). Purpose of Study This research will be aimed at examining the relationship between the process of identify development in adolescents and the process of parent child value analogy. The research will exploit the impact of active interaction of parents with children builds their identity formation (Faber et al, 2008, p. 243).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The paper will present a theoretical assessment of the significance of the theory for the formation of an all-inclusive background theory of identity formation. Hypothesis The active involvement of parents in the lives of their adolescent children contributed greatly to healthy identity formulation of these adolescent as opposed to inactive participation of parents in the lives of their children. Parent participation plays a crucial role in the process of adolescents’ (aged 13 – 17 years) identity formulations. Literature Review Due to the significance of adolescents forming a stable ego identity, there has been increased research set to explore the factors that affect ego identity. Many of these studies show that there are differences in the processes of identity formation during the adolescent years (Faber et al, 2008, p. 245). Theoretically, the development of identity takes time because of the need of exploration. Nonetheless, some studies show that this type of exploration is less likely to take place in a less secure home. A stable home supports exploration of external environments. This means that secure attachment that takes place when a family is stable and the adolescents face challenges of interpersonal and intrapersonal searching and this can result into formation of a stable ego identity (Faber et al, 2008, p. 245). There are several researches that have explored the connection between identity formulation and adolescent attachment. Family Stability The importance of family stability is quite evident in several studies. These studies show that families are organizations that are made up of subsystems including parents, sibling and spouse relationship, which define the manner in which family members interrelate (Faber et al, 2008, p. 245).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Research on Parental Involvement in Adolescents Life as an Element to Contribute To Identity Formation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Alignment describes the way family members as individuals and comprising the subsystems are connected to each other and compared to the rest of family members and subsystems. Parental coalition is set when parents work in concert to provide the basic needs to their children and keep the children out of marital affairs (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 441). This means family structure has been deemed to be a very significant influence on the identity formation, nonetheless in what manner family s tructure affects adolescent attachment degree and the formation of identity process has not been exclusively investigated. It’s been found that when adolescents are securely attached to their parents it’s a sign that they explored their environment more. Strong parental partnership developed clear boundaries between the parents and children, culminating into a secure attachment because the differentiation describes responsibilities and authority (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 442). From the point of view of the parental influence, the degree to which the parent-child similarity is developed by a process that takes two phases of internalization. The first step is where the children have to notice the values their parent support and second step is where the children have to agree that these values appropriate and develop them as their own. This is a process referred to as value transmission and it could succeed or fail at any step.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For the first step of perception, children could observe that the values their parents quite acceptable in an accurate perception (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 443). For the second step of acceptance, children could choose to agree to the values they perceive, but they could as well reject them as well. When children think that the parents’ values are accurate and accept them instead of rejecting them, then, value congruence will be higher (Schachter Ventura, 2008, p. 449). Adolescents Perception of Growth From the viewpoint of adolescent identity development, value systems are developed via a process where adolescents take on an ideological standpoint juxtaposed to those of their parents (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 443). The value system is a major aspect in the stable occupational, ideological and relational dedication that comprises the adolescents’ emergent identity. Exploration entails searching, explaining and exploiting the possible alternatives of identity. Commit ment includes deciding to accept certain alternative as part of their self. The results of the commitment are to attain enduring self-orientation in several life domains like political, vocational and religious (Schachter Ventura, 2008, p. 451). Methodology Systematic Literature Search The research will use literature search to collect information. For this study articles that related to the topic of identity formulation and parenting of adolescents will be searched for study. This means that the researcher will search these articles on the internet (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 443). Basically articles with information on identity statuses in adolescents (diffusion, moratorium, achievement and exploration), impact of parent values of ego identity of adolescents, family structure and attachment, and parent-children value analogy among other will be searched (Faber et al, 2008, p. 244). The major problems that would face the researcher may include where to get those sources and once th ese resources have been identified, knowing what to sieve or seek via an excess of information that will be available to determine what is important to the study. Enough time will be allocated to finding the relevant materials. Two main activities will be critical for this study. The brainstorming and the literature search itself (Faber et al, 2008, p. 245). At the start of the research, the investigator will develop a working bibliography based on knowledge of both print and electronic library resources and use of the referencing system to identify these sources. Search Plan The research will focus on how this topic progresses as the research is conducted via the documentation life-cycle. The possible approaches include looking for the books and articles that are currently accepted for use as references in the study and discover how they were cited. Seeking original reports and articles is very important (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 444). This strategy will result in a structure like tree-diagram or a network that will show articles that are related. By assessing and reading the abstracts of these articles, it would be possible to categorize the articles by topic and also by the author’s interest in that particular work. The researcher will then search the reference lists of the papers to find relevant papers because at times the internet databases classify articles differently or categorize the papers by using different descriptions and different terms and key words. The search plan is a blue print to understanding of the information available because the electronic storage system is getting complicated and retrieve of research resources is advancing a great deal. Without a plan, there are high chances that the researcher might get lost in the sea of internet articles seeking relevant information or the search can just be going round the same articles. Expected Results In a research by Knafo and Shwatz, the results of their studies showed that identific ation and acceptance of parent value was high when adolescent correctly perceived their father values. Basically there was no significance difference between the acceptances of father value versus the mother values (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 447). The researcher in this proposal anticipates that the relationship between the way parent and child values predicts the accuracy of perception and acceptance. Basically when there is low congruence then the parent-child value perception and acceptance will be low as well. The findings also showed that the accurateness of perception and approval the parental values are significant influencers of the parent-child value congruence as literature has often presumed based on the studies by Grusec and Goodnow in 1994 (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 447). Grusec and Goodnow presented a two-phase process of value acquisition already discussed in literature review. It’s therefore important to examine how identity formation was related to acceptance and accuracy (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 448). The results of accuracy perception versus identity formation indicate that the adolescent who are in the moratorium and achievement (high-exploration) level are able to correctly perceive the parental value than their counterparts in low status of exploration (diffusion and foreclosure) (Knafo Schwartz, 2004, p. 448). These studies also shows that the adolescent in the high-commitment statuses readily accepted their parents perceived values compared to their counterparts who happened to be in low commitment statuses. Faber el al found that the relationship between the family structure and attachment were positively correlated with poor attachment in families that faded some unresolved conflicts between spouses. With regard to attachment and identity, paper demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between father attachment and the level of identity attained (Faber et al, 2008, p. 247). This was quite different from other studi es which indicate that mother’s relationship and attachment were positive correlated to identity achievement. Parents usually feel very responsible for their children development of identity and sometimes consider themselves as the only factors that are responsible for influencing their children’s development. Being involves in development of identity of their children is not only because of concern, moral or success but rather their own identity (parent’s own identity). Parents interviewed in a study by (Schachter Ventura, 2008, p. 456) revealed that parents were concerned about the social identity of their children especially religion. This is basic traditional identity that families believe it should be passed on to next generations and that it was the responsibilities of parents (Schachter Ventura, 2008, p. 456). There were set identity goals for many families concerning their children’s identity formation and educational and vocational achievements . Whereas parents were educated in same framework of study, they had different goals in life compared to their children. However, the interpersonal morality is quite insisted for any of the studies. Conclusion Identity agents constantly evaluate and scrutinize the children and their environment at different levels so as to better arbitrate identity. Both parents are reported to have developed an understanding of the social factors that are important to the attainment of identities of their children. This is evident in the modern society where parent are seen to potently influence the identities of their children either by revitalization impact on morals and dedication or as an vast wave of continuous change. Identity formation is a part of development stage in life where adolescents take active role. Being able to get a chance to explore and then make a commitment to a certain identity has huge effect on the future development and success of such an individual. Therefore when one un derstands the factors that affect individual’s ability to attain identity, therapist can assist adolescents in their search for an identity. Besides the weaknesses of methodologies that have been used for related studies, this will be a crucial study that seeks to examine directly how the cognitive aspects of the adolescents are manifested as they seek their own identity to make a commitment to. Therefore this study will have crucial implications on the study about parenting styles and identity formation. Reference List Faber, A.J., Edwards, A.E., Bauer, K.S Wetchler, J.L. (2008). Family Structure: Its Effects on Adolescent Attachment and Identity Formation. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 31, 243-255 Knafo, A., Schwartz, S.H. (2004). Identity Formation and Parent- Child Value Congruence in Adolescence. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 22, 439-458 Schachter, E.P., Ventura, J.J. (2008). Identity Agents: Parents as Active and Reflective Participants in Th eir Childrens Identity Formation. Journal of Research on Adolescents, 18(3), 449-476.