Theory Of Identity

Identity has always been question by many people, especially during the transition from childhood to adulthood (Schwartz, 2001). Due to the theoretical writings of Erickson (1950; 1982 as cited in Berman et al., 2001) stating that the formation of identity is based on the process of exploration, more and more theorists are developing ways in which identity progresses as an individual gets older (Berman et al., 2001).

Identity is defined as an individual having an “overall [idea or] sense of who they are, where they are heading, and where they fit into society” (Sigelman and Rider, 2009, pp. 309). Moreover, identity Is considered to be compromised of the self-concept, which is defined as the “perceptions, positive or negative, as an individual’s unique attributes and traits as a person”, and self-esteem, which is defined as “the overall evaluation of your worth as a person, high or low, based on all the positive and negative self-perceptions that make up your self-concept (Sigelman and Rider, 2009, pp. 309). Identity according to Marcia’s model of identity formation is defined by exploration-which refers to the questioning and consideration of the various possibilities of identity- and commitment- which refers to the choices made with regards to an individual’s identity- which are the two basic dimensions when looking at the individual’s progress towards the realisation of an identity (Berman et al., 2001, Sigelman and Rider, 2009).

Identity is a relatively complex subject to study as it has many aspects to it and identity formation is never the same as each individual’s experiences are different and does not always develop according to a theoretical model or approach (Schwartz, 2001, Sigelman and Rider, 2009). Therefore, this es...

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...eses’ which states that there is a sequence to how an individual might find their identity as opposed to an individual finding his/her identity through a set of possible events that could occur, in no specific order, as previously mentioned. Waterman

Marcia’s model of identity formation classifies adolescents into one of four categories based on their development towards an identity in different areas of life such as religion, social, occupational and political-ideological (Sigelman and Rider, 2009). The two main questions which Marcia’s model addresses are “has the individual experienced any crisis” (has the individual dealt with identity issues or explored alternatives) (Sigelman and Rider, 2009, pp 321) and “whether the individual has achieved commitment” (has the individual resolved any questions which might have been raised) (Sigelman and Rider, 2009, pp 321).