Grand Theories of Adolescent Development

Grand Theories of Adolescent Development Erik Erikson, a German-born American psycho- analyst, proposed the most comprehensive theoreti- cal analysis of development during adolescence as part of his more general theoretical analysis of human development across the life span. He hypothesized that developing a sense of mastery, a sense of identity, and a sense of intimacy were the key challenges for this period of life. He also stressed that these chal- lenges are played out in an increasingly complex set of social contexts and in both cultural and historical settings. Optimal resolution of these challenges de- pends on the psychosocial, physical, and cognitive as- sets of the individual and the developmental appropriateness of the social contexts encountered by the individual across all of the years of adolescence. Others have expanded these challenges to in- clude autonomy, sexuality, intimacy, achievement, and identity. In many cultural groups, these chal- lenges translate into more specific tasks, including (1) changing the nature of the relationship between youth and their parents so that the youth can take on a more ‘‘mature’’ role in the social fabric of their com- munity (in white American culture this change often takes the form of greater independence from parents and greater decision-making power over one’s own current and future behaviors; in other cultures this change can take the form of greater responsibility for family support and increased participation in com- munity decision making); (2) exploring changing so- cial-sexual roles and identities; (3) transforming peer relationships into deeper friendships and intimate partnerships; (4) exploring personal and social iden- tities; (5) focusing some of this identity work on mak- ing future life plans; and (6) participating in a series of experiences and choices that facilitate future eco- nomic independence or interdependence