Transitional Period: Adolescence Flashcards
What is common across all cultural understandings of adolescence?
The occurrence of puberty and some kind of transition to adulthood
How does Stanley Hall’s work relate to the study of adolescence?
Hall studied developmental psychology and argued that adolescence is a distinct period of development (14-24). He viewed adolescence as a time of storm and stress, characterized by intense emotions, rebelliousness, and a search for identity. He also believed that adolescence was a time of heightened sensitivity and vulnerability
What were Hall’s areas of interest concerning adolescence?
Growth norms, language development and childhood diseases, hygiene and juvenile crime, lying and showing off, bashfulness and fear, curiosity and friendship
According to Schlegel’s cross-cultural approach, what is the purpose of adolescence?
It is a period of self-discovery (define self according to occupation, Erikson’s identity vs role), it is a time to prepare for adult reproductive life. An adolescent’s culture will shape how they develop and how their identity is shaped
What does Schlegel value about adolescence?
Gender differences in the upbringing, becoming older, relationships, processes/ traditions, reproduction
According to Schlegel, what is the impact of school on adolescence?
Spending more time with peers, self-absorption, no parental supervision, no adult responsibilities
What do Chen & Farruggia claim about adolescence?
They argue that adolescence is a socially constructed concept that varies across cultures, cultural norms and expectations can have a significant impact on the experience of adolescence, and emphasize the importance of recognizing the diversity of experiences and perspectives within any given culture. Different cultures have different ceremonies, rites of passage, public events, start and end points, etc
How do Chen & Farruggia describe the physical transitions of adolescence?
Puberty is a ‘tumultuous period’ with ‘raging hormones’. Physical transitions include: growth spurts, sexual maturation, hormonal changes, brain development (prefrontal cortex). Adolescents are performing adult functions without the psychological maturity, social status, or financial resources
What factors affect the onset of puberty?
Culture (can also impact height and weight), nutrition, physical exertion, ecological factors
What is Piaget’s theory on cognitive development in reference to adolescence?
Piaget’s theory is based on the idea that children actively construct their understanding of the world through interactions with their environment. During adolescence, individuals go through the stages called concrete operations (logical thinking) and formal operations (abstract thinking, complex reasoning)
How does cross-cultural research challenge Piaget’s stages?
Culture can impact the timing of progression through the stages. Formal operations is also not present in every society which reveals how culture shapes cognitive development. Relativists argue that the highest level of cognitive development should be context-dependent
How does culture impact Kohlberg’s theory of moral development?
The sequence of moral development is generally universal, but the timing of attaining the different stages is culture-dependent. Different cultures also have different values/ emphases (ex: collectivist cultures emphasize care for others as more important than justice)
What is the link between nutrition and intelligence?
Research shows a link between nutrition with cognitive abilities and socio-emotional development
How does culture impact academic achievement?
Cultural variations are present in school achievement. Some influences include: the value of formal education, language systems, poverty rate, and malnutrition
What are three areas of research in the family context?
Family warmth (physical vs verbal), consequences of parent-adolescent conflict, time table of establishing autonomy from parents
