Dependence and Independence both have their places in the world. Like everything moderation in both these areas creates a rounded person. However today’s society leans in favor of independence over dependence. People perceive dependence upon another person a weakness. When a person reaches a certain age they should take on more independence. Gaining independence does not mean dependence should stop. Fear of becoming overly dependent has caused an imbalance in independence. Independence in the archaic sense of the word means competency. In modern dictionary’s it mean freedom from control. Freedom from control cannot safely or realistically happen. One main factor in the idea of growing up and maturing involves independence. People, particularly teens, view independence with excited anticipation. Self-reliance and freedom allow people to prove their maturity or in other cases adhere to their own rules. Like anything independence can cause good and bad effects. On one hand independence allows teens and adults to learn about themselves and grow. But on the other it allows teens in part...
There is no such thing as being alone, there is no privacy, and the word separation has a whole other meaning. “Adolescents don’t face the same pressure to develop the independence we have associated with moving forward into young adulthood.”2 Things have changed.
It is culturally expected that as a human being’s age increases, so does the amount of control they have over their own lives. However, when adolescents are allowed to have too little or too little great amount during their formative years, it can adversely affect their decision making process. In The Walls Around Us, Nova Ren Suma crafted young adult characters who, due to either having not enough or too much control over their own lives, react violently when placed in stressful situations.
In American culture today, self reliance is just as valuable as Ralph Waldo Emerson suggests. Without self reliance, people would not independent. They would be followers, and not leaders. No one would dare to step outside the box and be an individual. They would conform to society and nothing would change. With self reliance, however, certain people would use their skills and develop a certain uniqueness.Think of it as a tailor made suit. A tailored suit was made specifically for that person and fits differently than a regular suit. The message from this metaphor is that people should have a tailor made life. They should plan their life according to their needs and skills, instead of trying to fit into the one-size-fits-all lifestyle.
As a teenager, defiance and discovery are accustomed. At times, it seems as if the teenage years are the most difficult; being treated like children but being expected to act like adults. Many teens, however, are unable to bare this burden, and turn to substandard means of coping with their issues, such as alcohol or drugs. Nonetheless, beneath this seemingly disordered chaos of anxiety, all teenagers are searching for one thing; their individuality. Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? This is where Waldo comes in.
There is a contradiction in the mind of teenagers which has been difficult to transcend. The issue of making right decision on the activities they are to embark on and whose counsel to follow has been of high importance to teenagers. Teenagers in the present age find themselves in a tight situation with decision making in that their school psychologists made them realise that being happy is based on the ability to make friends and the development of skills. Meanwhile, teachers and parents advised that, happiness lies on competing and outperforming others.
Lynda remembered her adolescent years as a time of many changes, “high school was a roller coaster, and I think it is for every teenager. I had so many different clothing and hair styles; even friends moved on frequently, you realize you’re not into the same things.” Peer relationships plays a very important role in this stage of development as the adolescent tries to answer the question “Who am I?” The adolescent is making a search for identity, they are experimenting and they begin to realize things about themselves that help them form an idea of who they are and what they want in life. According to Erikson, healthy resolution of the earlier conflicts now serves as a foundation in the teenager’s search for an identity. A strong sense of self-control and feeling of independence is the result of a positive resolution of this stage. Unsuccessful resolution of this life stage will lead to what Erikson called role confusion; these individuals will lack a feeling of self, they may drift from job to job and jump from one relationship to another, not knowing what they really want in
During this time, people will find themselves facing the task of self-discovery. Everything from what they believe in, what they want in life, to discovering who they are as a person (Santrock 2014). Technically, I am still in this stage. I remember facing many questions like where I wanted to go to school, what I wanted to study, and even questions on what kind of lifestyle I wanted to live. During the times these questions were usually asked, I was extremely insecure. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere and that I wasn’t pretty enough. As I progressed through this stage I started to see what really made me happy and where I wanted to fit in with society. An increase of independence can lead to better interactions with schools, neighborhoods, and communities (Sokol 2009). I started to get involved with student senate, Dance Company, and community service during the earlier years of adolescents. I didn’t start out doing these things but I had to adapt and change to participating in things that didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. I have had more than one identity crisis; I went from being a total stoner, to partying/drinking every day, joining the Mormon religion, practicing Buddhism, and then to wanting to live in a van for the rest of my life. As I reach the end of this developmental stage, I have a sense of self. I have learned to respect others regardless of differing factors like religion. In Erikson’s theory of Psych-Social development, I successfully made it through this developmental period and gained the skills necessary to
Biological influences combined with societal and social expectations contribute to how well people learn to adapt to their environments (2013). According to Erikson, there are eight stages of development. Within these states, there are different psychological, emotional and cognitive tasks. In order to adjust, individuals must learn to develop these tasks. During adolescence, Erikson states that each person needs to navigate through the development task of ‘‘Identity vs. Identity confusion ’’ (2013). He defined this task by stating that adolescent children must learn to develop a sense of self and establish independence. Prior to this stage of development, a person’s parents largely influence their identity. In this stage the adolescent children begin to explore and develop their identity outside of their parents’ influence (Hill, Bromell, Tyson, & Flint, 2007). Adolescents are generally more egocentric at this stage and have an increased sense of self-consciousness. They also have a strong desire to conform to peer influence and develop concerns regarding their appearance. They develop concern about their level of competence in relation to their peer group as well. As peer influence increases, during this stage, parental influence decreases (Ashford & LeCroy, 2013; Hill et. al, 2007). Conflict generally increases between parent and child at this stage of development (2007).
...t as the individual seeks to become independent, successful in school or employment, and develop satisfying social relationships” (Rank, J.).
Some people say that the definition of independence is a complex word and idea to try to define. In al truth independence is a perplexing word to try to define. This is because everybody has their own speculations of what independence is. Very infrequently are their two people that have the same perception of what the definition of independence is. What I perceive the definition of independence is the absolute freedom to do what you want, and to not be held back by any rules or laws of government or man, but by the rules and laws of nature and your own self concise. My view of independence may greatly differ form your beliefs on the definition but in this paper I will try to show exactly what my perspective on the definition of independence is by my experiences, my beliefs, my thoughts, and research on the subject at hand.
Starting at 12 years old I was begging to become more independent and desired to hang out with my own group and find my place in society. I can remember thinking about what my values were and questioning what I wanted to be when I grew up. The textbook, Exploring Lifespan Development, by Laura Berk defines this as an “Identity Crisis” which for many teenagers such as myself go through a time of distress and experimentation with alternatives before choosing values and goals (Berk, Pg. 318). I vouch for Erickson’s theory; I do remember feeling that this was a big crisis in my
Independence is a significant value to me because it represents my freedom and becoming an adult. I was born and raised in a strict household where my freedom was limited because of household chores and family obligations. As a child, I recall learning how to cook, clean, and care for my younger siblings. My siblings support for each other helps me each day when im feeling down because I know that I can count on them. With all the responsibilities I had growing up; it made me desire my own independence...
Both of these periods in everybody’s life have different facets when it comes to independence and freedom. Childhood is the time when both male and female should be living according to their parents’ rules but not only their parent’s rules. There are rules outside of the walls of their home such as rules and regulations at school they must abide by as well. Living under a set of rules is easy for some people that have yet to make the necessary decisions to conduct themselves in the appropriate manner. For an example, there are some juvenile delinquents that are content with living their
That is because as we grow older, there are certain things in life that we are not able to do by ourselves. At one point in life, we do need help from other get things done. For example, I see myself as an independent individual, but there are times that I do recognize that I need help in school work and it’s more efficient to complete it as a group. Another thing is that eventually as we have accomplished our own goals in life, we start to look for stability and settle down with someone. This comes into the play one of the positive results of dependence in which one is able to be more emotionally open and help sustain a living between with your partner, be it your girlfriend or
Growing up, everybody gets to learn that the real world is not a fantasy that’s easy to cope with. While I was growing up I believe that life was really easy; not until I reached 12th grade. That’s where I got to learn how to be independent, and work hard to earn my things. 2015 was the year where I got a little taste of the real world. Growing up was a blur, and I barely remember everything from my childhood, so I shall tell my reader the important facts, challenges, and rewards I have faced in my life.