Self Identity in Context

In the Nakkula and Toshalis chapter 2, we are introduced to a student named Julian. Julian faces different expectations from the various people in his life (friends, parents, teachers) in a variety of settings. He is having difficulty with how he sees himself and how others see him. When what people expect of him are at odds, he risks being alienated from his peers or people close to him. Julian then works with Mitch, a school counselor, and does context mapping. Context mapping is when you list the different settings and roles you assume throughout the day, and the relationships you have within these different settings. When Julian did this, he was asked to think about which relationships and spaces made him feel safe or anxious, and this helped him to work through his self-identity and expression.

The four different identities are achieved identity, foreclosed identity, moratorium, and diffuse identity.

Achieved identity is when a person works through their conflicts of self-identity and are able to recognize their true self.

Foreclosed identity is when a person assumes a role or identity without exploring alternatives or thinking about other ways that they might be.

Diffuse identity is when a person is exploring many different roles or identities without committing to one. There is more thought given to self-identity at this stage, but not as much as with an achieved identity.

Moratorium is when a person is exploring different roles and identity in their different places and relationships. The difference between diffuse identity and moratorium is that the individual is having a crisis with their identity in the moratorium stage, whereas there is no crisis in diffuse identity.

My coauthored story

This week, I was asked to think about a person who has helped write my life story. Reading the Nakkula and Toshalis chapter and completing this blog assignment gave me insight to the fact that everyone you meet has some kind of impact on you and you impact them, whether it is big or small. Coming up with the list of ten people made me think about friends, educators, and others who have impacted my life in ways I hadn't even realized. The chapter also emphasized that youth and youth workers shape each others stories through their interactions and experiences. Like we have experienced in our Youth Development courses, we both teach and are taught by youth. I believe this is a crucial aspect of youth work and I will keep that in mind in my work with youth.

Someone that has played a very important part in my life and has helped coauthor my story is my sister. We are only a year apart in age and grew up together. We are still very close and have most of our mutual friends in common. We have always been a support to each other and are able to remind each other of our strengths when one of us might be doubting ourselves. She also is able to give me advice or help me to think about a problem I might encounter and how to best handle it. Having someone who understands me and has my best interests at heart has helped me to grow as a person and has helped shape my life into what it is today.