LAND OF DIMINISHED DREAMS
The year is two thousand fifty-four,
The world is full of curses.
People no longer walk the streets
No woman carries purses.
The name of the game is survival now.
Safety is in the past.
Families are huge with tons of kids
In the hope that one lasts
Drugs are no longer looked down upon
They are a way of life.
They help us escape heartbreaking stress.
From the endless struggle of our fast worlds …
I wake up now, it was just a dream
But the message was terrifyingly clear.
We better think a lot about the future
Before our goals and dreams disappear.
-Jessica Inglis, 16
(Through the eyes of youth)
A rose called by any other name would smell just as sweet, Shakespeare wrote. So what’s in a name? But names do matter, names have their values, as does “identity”.
Who am I ?, What is my identity? Where was i born? Who are my parents? What is my socioeconomic position in society? What is my caste? What is my religion? What is my nationality? What is my education? What is my profession? These are all “identity” parameters.
There are many problems faced by teens today. Probably one of the most common is the issue of individualism or identity. The increasing rate of drug addiction, juvenile delinquency, maladjustment, violence, unemployment, conflicts between parents and children are among the serious problems of today’s youth.
Starting the discussion of this problem I want to remember the words of God in the movie “Bruce
Almighty “,” You asked me what a miracle is … When a teenager says “no” to drugs and says “yes” to school, that’s a miracle. In modern life, having most children say “no” to drugs can be considered a miracle.
Soumi (name changed) is 15 years old and pregnant. She reflects: “I am 3 months pregnant. This could ruin my whole life. I have made all the plans for the future and now they are down the drain. I have no one to talk to about my problem.” These young pregnant women are a flaw in the current social fabric. Like Soumi, too many get pregnant in their early and middle teens. Sixteen-year-old Jennifer (name change) gradually eliminated foods from her diet to the point where she subsisted on only applesauce and eggnog. She was hospitalized and treated for anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that involves the relentless pursuit of thinness through hunger. It can eventually lead to death, as happened to popular singer Karen Carpenter. In modern families, there are exchanges like this:
A fourteen-year-old boy says to his mother: “What do you mean I have to be home at 10 at night?”
The mother responds: “It’s the way we do things around here.”
The boy responds: “Why do we do things here this way? What old-fashioned culture?”
This conflict between parents and adolescents is common during this phase.
Not sure of your role in life? Do you feel like you don’t know the “real me”? Here are a series of questions for you to answer:
1. Are you proud to be an Indian?
2. If there is a rebirth, would you like to be born as a man or a woman?
3. Are you proud to be your parent’s child?
4. Do you prefer to solve critical problems by:
seek the advice of the elders b. decision on your own c. peer help
5. Which of the religions attracts you the most?
For. Christianity b. Hinduism c. Muslim
6. Casteism is a curse for progress.
For. OUI B. No
7. Casteism helps develop a positive sense of self.
For. Yes b.No
8. Do you hesitate to meet people of a higher socioeconomic level (than you)?
9. Are you embarrassed to mix with people of low socioeconomic status (for you)?
10. Do you think parents should criticize their children’s failures?
For. Never b. Often c. Rarely
11. If you have options, how often would you shop?
For. Western-style garments b. ethnic dress
12. If they ask you to give a gift to your friends, would you prefer?
a Bengali dish b. Chinese plate c. Continental d. Any other
13 What professions do you have great respect for?
14. Do you feel shy / hesitant to mix with your schoolmates who are well grounded in life?
For. Always b. Sometimes c. Never
If your answer is “yes” to the questions above, you may be experiencing an “identity crisis.”
Theorist Erik Erikson coined the term “Identity Crisis” and believed it to be one of the most important conflicts people face in development, it is a time of intensive analysis and exploration of different ways of seeing oneself. Erikson described “identity” as “a subjective sense, as well as an observable quality of personal equality and continuity of some shared image of the world.”
The emergence of an identity crisis occurs from an identity crisis that occurs during adolescence in which people struggle between feelings of identity versus role confusion.
The balance between identity and confusion lies in committing to an identity. There are four different identity states:
(a) Identity achievement: occurs when an individual has gone through an exploration of different identities and has committed to one.
(b) Moratorium: it is the status of a person who actively participates in the exploration of different identities but who has not committed.
(c) Foreclosure status is when a person has compromised without attempting identity scan.
(d) Identity diffusion: occurs when there is neither an identity crisis nor a commitment.
Results of a survey on young people within the 18 to 31 age group that included both students and young workers.
AGE (18 – 31 years)
Identity crisis domains Percentage Identity crisis domains Percentage
Economic 28% Economic 32%
Staff 32% Staff 30%
Culture and ethnicity 18% Cultural and ethnic 16%
Religious 12% Religious 10%
Nationality 10% Nationality 12%
AGE (18 – 31 years)
Percentage of domains on identity states Percentage of domains on identity states
Achievement of identity 28% Achievement of identity 45%
Moratorium 30% Moratorium 28%
Foreclosure 18% Foreclosure 12%
Identity diffusion 24% Identity diffusion 15%
It has been found that those who have made a strong commitment to an identity tend to be happier and healthier than those who have not. Those with an identity diffusion status tend to feel out of place in the world and do not pursue a sense of identity.
Some strategies to reduce this problem
o Understand the importance of autonomy and attachment.
o Avoid turbulent conflict between parents and adolescents and use good communication skills with the adolescent
o Recognize the importance of peers, youth organizations, and mentors.
o Help young people to better understand the nature of differences, diversity and conflicts of values.
o Let the young people explore their identity.
In today’s rapidly changing world, identity crises are more common today. Exploring different aspects of oneself in different areas of life, including one’s role at work, within the family, and in relationships, can help strengthen personal identity.