The concept of self-identity and social roles is a major challenge in present-day Western society. Throughout history, societal roles have shaped societies significantly. However, understanding these roles has become increasingly difficult over time. As we discussed in class, during the medieval period, individuals’ roles were determined by their family status. Nevertheless, contemporary society offers a wider range of societal roles and possibilities. This raises an important question: Does modern society face more uncertainty when it comes to identity?
In adolescence, individuals often ponder their ego identity. In the 1900s, Erik Erikson proposed eight stages of ego development spanning from birth to death. Specifically, I will focus on the fifth stage known as identity vs. role confusion. According to Erikson, young adults are expected to undergo a phase called psychosocial moratorium, which involves exploring various roles and opportunities. He also introduced the concept of ‘ego crisis’ and regarded it as a significant developmental conflict.
The concept of ego crisis entails confusion between roles, resulting in prolonged moratorium and heightened search for identity along with impulsive actions. People establish their sense of identity by attaining a feeling of sameness and continuity. Researcher James Marcia builds upon Erikson’s beliefs, referencing both moratorium and identity achievement. However, Marcia enhances Erikson’s original theory by identifying two more identity statuses. The first one, foreclosure, describes an individual who commits to a specific identity without engaging in exploration.
Identity diffusion is the second status, which occurs when there is no identity crisis or commitment. Marcia’s research indicated that individuals who have committed to an identity tend to experience greater happiness and better health. On the other hand, those with identity diffusion feel a sense of being misplaced and show no desire to establish an identity. In today’s fast-paced world, we observe a higher prevalence of identity crises compared to Erikson’s era. Consequently, it becomes essential to explore diverse aspects of oneself across various domains in life.
Over time, societal roles have undergone significant changes. In the past, men were primarily responsible for providing, while women focused on nurturing. However, these traditional beliefs have evolved, providing more opportunities for both genders. Men have adapted their roles and women have emancipated themselves from restrictive social norms, granting them the freedom to choose from a wider range of roles.
The search for self-identity is my main focus in life at the moment, which is why I have chosen it as the subject of my project. As someone who always seeks new knowledge, I find it exciting and overwhelming to continuously explore different roles and possibilities. Alongside my peers, I am facing existential dilemmas like “What career should I pursue?” or “Which roles suit me best?” These questions create uncertainty about who I am and confusion about my purpose. With a background in art, drawing allows me to express myself and find comfort. Therefore, I have decided to portray my internal struggles through a sketch featuring a ballerina surrounded by my inner thoughts. The ballerina symbolizes my love for dance, which serves as an escape from reality when these existential questions become too burdensome. When feeling frustrated, dancing becomes a therapeutic outlet that helps me release negative thoughts.
The purpose of this drawing is to symbolize myself and others who are in a similar situation of struggling with their identity. The main idea behind this drawing was to depict a significant phase that young adults must face. The ribbon contains words that represent the various roles I currently identify with, while some of them will also be applicable in the future. The roles I am currently fulfilling include being a woman, daughter, sister, friend, lover, coworker, leader, class member, role model, member of my community, dancer, artist, and problem solver.
Instead of the dancer being enclosed by the ribbon, representing role confusion, the ribbon acts as a backdrop for her to create a harmonious relationship with her opportunities. Another symbol is the ring, which serves as both a border to the drawing and represents the idea that later in life, people develop an ego identity by finding a sense of sameness and continuity.
In modern culture, it is clear that identity crises are more common when comparing opportunities from the past. Society generally aims to provide young adults with opportunities to help them develop their identity, but it remains a challenging task to achieve self-identity. Through my artwork, I attempted to portray my inner conflicts in a visually artistic manner. Despite its simplistic appearance, my intention was to depict the enjoyable nature of the journey towards discovering one’s self-identity.
