Identity Formation

Assignment 2: LASA 2 Identity Formation

We have learned that adolescence is a time of transition between childhood and adulthood. A critical milestone of this stage is the ability to successfully achieve a sense of identity. Around the world, there are different rites of passage to mark the transition to adulthood. In the United States, this might include obtaining a driver’s license, landing one’s first job, senior prom, or high school graduation. In this assignment, we will explore the role that family and society play in the development of the individual’s sense of self.

Tasks:

By the due date assigned, create two deliverables for parents of minority teens:

• A 9–12-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation (complete with speaker’s notes) and
• An accompanying 1–2-page handout in Word document or PDF format.

Be sure that both illustrate the following:

• Describe common rites of passage from two cultures around the world and compare them to a common American rite of passage. Possible resources might include National Geographic and the Argosy University online library resources. (This should only be a few slides maximum. Think about it as an introduction to the “meat” of your presentation)
• Compare and contrast these rites to common US rites of passage. Do they coincide with the physical, cognitive, or socioemotional changes taking place at this age? Describe which specific changes (physical, cognitive, or socioemotional) they coincide with. Does this explain their importance in a particular culture? (This is where you need to really show an understanding of adolescent development)
• How might such a social ritual, such as a rite of passage, influence the identity formation process of adolescents?
• In light of Erikson and Marcia’s theories, discuss how the process of identity development is affected when the adolescent belongs to a minority group (racial, ethnic, sexual, or religious). Be sure to explain these theories and how they apply to identity development.
• Summarize research from at least two peer-reviewed* studies on the effect of minority status on identity development, ensuring you describe the main findings of the study as well as the research methods used to study the topic. (e.g., Who was studied? What were their main questions? How were they studied? What did they find?)
• Apply the information you gathered from the online notes, textbook, and research articles to provide at least three practical recommendations for what the family, school, and community can do to ease the process for adolescents.

The Handout

The handout should not be an APA-formatted paper. It’s just a 1-2–page summary, which could be in bullet point form, formatted as a brochure. It’s something you would hand out to your audience to take with them that highlights the important points from your presentation. Imagine that your presentation will be to a group of teachers or parents, teaching them about identity development in adolescence. What would be helpful for them to review when they go home? It should not be merely the notes version of the PowerPoint presentation. It needs to be in Microsoft Word or Publisher format. It is usually a good idea to include your references with your handout so the audience can go back and follow up with the sources you used if they want to.

The Presentation

For your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, make sure you are using the speaker’s notes. This is the blank space beneath each slide. If you do not see a blank space, click on the bottom of your slide and drag up—you should see it now. This is where you will elaborate and explain the points on your slide. If you do not use the speaker’s notes to expand and explain, it is unlikely you will sufficiently meet all the requirements.

*Peer-reviewed means an article from a reputable journal, which can be found in the Argosy University online library resources. Peer reviewed indicates that other professionals in the field have reviewed and deemed it worthy of publication, in contrast to much if what we find online: someone posting something he or she wants to, without someone else verifying that the research methods were rigorous enough and the study is valid. Use your textbook and course lectures as your primary resources, as well as articles from the Argosy University online library resources. If you must supplement from a website, do not use .coms. Instead, look for .org, .gov, and sometimes .edu for more reputable sources. Never use Wikipedia or about.com.

This assignment is worth 300 points and will be evaluated according to the rubric. Study the rubric carefully before you start work and refer to it periodically to complete this assignment.

Submission Details

• Save your presentation and your handout as LastnameFirstInitial_M5_A2.
• Be sure to follow APA rules for attributing sources. Use this APA Citation Helper as a convenient reference for properly citing resources.
• By the due date assigned, submit your document to the Submissions Area.

Review the detailed grading rubric.

Assignment 2 Grading CriteriaMaximum PointsDescribed common rites of passage from two cultures around the world and compared them to a common American rite of passage.24Discussed whether they coincide with particular physical, cognitive, or socioemotional changes taking place at this age and discussed whether this explained their importance in a particular culture.32Analyzed how a social ritual, such as a rite of passage, might influence the identity formation process of adolescents.20Synthesized Erikson and Marcia’s theories of identity development while analyzing how the process of identity development is affected when the adolescent belongs to a minority group (racial, ethnic, sexual or religious).40Summarized research from at least two peer-reviewed studies on this issue, by describing the main findings of the study as well as the research methods used to study the topic.40Applied the information gathered to provide at least three practical recommendations for what the family, school and community can do to ease the process for adolescents.40Created a 1–2-page handout/flier that summarizes the information from the presentation as take-home information for the parents.40Style (8 points): Tone, audience, and word choice
Organization (16 points): Introduction, transitions, and conclusion
Usage and Mechanics (16 points): Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure
APA Elements (24 points): In text citations and references, paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other elements of style64Total:

300