Adolescence: "A Phase?" "For here or to go?"
| The phase of adolescence is not
a social creation confined to the modern society, many other cultures and
societies recognize this special transitional stage for children to develop
into adult. Often, there is clarity in the switch of role that is marked
by a rite of passage that celebrates the youth coming of age. There is
also continuity in the activities of adolescents from childhood, as they
gradually learn and prepare themselves for the expected role in adulthood.
The American society began to accept this stage of life as a separate phase
in an individual’s life span, only at the beginning of this century.
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Due to industrialization at the end of the last
century, universal schooling had been implemented to separate children
from the work place. Industrialization also leads to urbanization and immense
movement of the rural people into the city. Social reformers had used age
marker to sort out children for schools, so that they are confined within
institutions and thus would not be competing with adults for jobs in the
industry and also temporary saved from the ill effects of society.
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, new child labor laws were implemented to secure the job position for full grown up adults, schooling is prolonged to keep those under age away from the competition of insufficient positions in a job limited market. Adolescent has a separate subculture that is distinctly different from other age groups is presented by sociologist, James Coleman’s book’ “The Adolescent Society”. With separate interests and concerns, the phase of adolescence thus apparently became a special stage in the life span of an individual. |
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| Scholars like Hall may perceived adolescence as
a phase determined by the biological changes that take place within the
individual, however, others, for example, Lapsey, Enright, Serlin, were
certain that adolescence is a creation of society.
R. Havighust had pushed this point further, not
only did he viewed adolescence as a special invention of society, but also
a unique phase of life that each individual has to undergo with many developmental
tasks to accomplish. He proposed that the adolescence years is a time to
prepare the mind for problems solving skills required in the adult word.
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This coincided with the actual changes in the job markets of today’s world, where high technology and specialized knowledge dominate which means that adolescence is no longer a phase of life artificially set apart, simply to keep them away from competing with adults. Instead, formal education in schools is a necessity for anyone to become proficient in any job. There is an emergence tendency for the individuals in modern post industrialized society, to be trained and educated for a longer time period for more sophisticated skills and knowledge. Prolong education is necessary to secure a better vocational placement on entering the work force due to the complexity of labor division, formal schooling thus will continue to mark the phase of adolescence in the future. |
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| Adolescence is often designated
as a vital preparation phase for adult social role that is accompanied
by many new responsibilities and obligations. Adolescence is the
best time for learning and preparation, by assimilating the actual working
role in the adult world; the teenagers have a chance to slowly learn the
necessary survival skill. There are thus, greater emphases on apprenticeship
learning to be included into adolescent’s education in school today. Growth
in technological use in education may make possible teleapprenticeship
in the future, thus better equipped adolescents for their future working
and adult role. Hence, the separate phase of adolescence will continue
to be in use.
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Erikson believed that this phase is a state for
individual to search for their own identity, and only after which, mature
and healthy intimate relationship can be established. Ann Freud perceived
this stage required for the individuals to achieve emotional independence,
away from the attachment from parents as a child, to seek autonomy. Such
is the importance of setting the adolescence years apart and continue to
treat them specially.
As there is no absolute clarity and continuity
of one’s childhood into adulthood, adolescence will continue to be an ambiguous
transition phase that modern societies will use to separate the stage between
childhood and adulthood. However, this creation is likely to be continued
in use in the future in all modern societies as the characteristic of this
phase has become so distinctively separate from other period of an individual’s
life that makes it difficult to be erased. The teenagers mark their strong
existence with their own unique taste and preference, hence, forcing society
to recognize them. The specific functions and purpose of the adolescence
stage have also been clearly defined, and will determine the continue emphasis
of this stage in the near future. |
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