After reading the textbook and working through the Critical Thinking Activity form a strong narrative of your personal journey in dealing with the period of identity statuses presented on p. 434.
Book: http://books.google.com/books?id=mC_LNMy2rbkC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
After you have read and reviewed Chapter 16, test your critical thinking skills on these four case studies. They
will illustrate the identity statuses proposed by Erik Erikson and
others. For each case, suggest the most appropriate identity status -
identity achievement, role confusion/diffusion, foreclosure, and
moratorium; then describe your reasoning. Use this to complete discussion.
1. Rudy.
Rudy has changed his college major so many times that it will take him
six years to graduate. Since his parents have pointedly objected to
paying the expenses for tuition and room and board, Rudy has cheerfully
taken on a variety of jobs, ranging from bartender to show salesman. He
likes work that allows him time to think and be alone; his few friends
are very much the same way. Rudy’s grades are generally high, though his
record is marred by several “incompletes.” He has had one
very satisfying intimate relationship and is searching rather anxiously
for another. Rudy’s identity status would probably be described as
_______________________.
2. Melissa.
Melissa’s parents are both physicians. In college she majored in
French, spending a semester in France studying art and culture. Upon
graduation she surprised her parents by announcing that she had applied
to medical school. A close relationship with a hospice nurse and a
summer job as a hospital volunteer had helped her arrive at the
decision. Melissa’s identity status would probably be described as
_____________________.
3. Lynn.
Lynn’s mother is a professor of women’s studies who is deeply involved
in feminist issues. Lynn very much admires her mother, a strong woman
who, as a single parent, struggled to provide for her daughter while
establishing her own career. Lynn believes that she, too, will be a
strong and independent woman. She avoids people (especially men) who
either don’t see her in that light or try to bring out her feminine
nature. She certainly steers clear of her paternal grandmother, who
(although pleasant) is a very disorganized and “artsy” person. Lynn’s
college grades are very high, and her course selections reflect an
unwavering interest in psychology, politics, and women’s studies. Lynn’s
identity status would probably be described as
______________________________________.
4. Daniel.
Daniel is a freshman at a college near his old high school. He comes
home nearly every weekend but does not enjoy himself once he’s there. He
avoids talking to his parents or old high school friends, preferring to
“surf the Web” on the computer in his room. Periodically he engages in
impulsive shopping; after these sprees he comes home and talks excitedly
about the latest electronic gadget he’s acquired. He gets angry if his
parents ask what he considers to be foolish questions, and angrier still
if they patronize him. Daniel is enrolled in courses he has been told
are easy, and he does not have strong feelings about his studies or his
grades. Daniel’s identity status would probably be described as
________________________________.
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