Psychosocial and Social Constructionist

"Identity can be understood as our own theory of ourselves, created from many sources" (Phoenix, 2007, p.47).

This essay will be looking at identity using the psychosocial and the social constructionist theories and defining the contributions they have made in advancing our knowledge of identity.The psychosocial theory was devised by Erik Erikson, a German psychoanalyst, through biographies of famous people, clinical and naturalistic observations, as well as his own history (Erikson, 1959 cited in Phoenix, 2007). Same paragraph-common themeErikson believed that there is a core identity, which is determined by the interaction between mind (psychological), body (genetic programming) and the social environment (shaped by culture and the times lived in). He also believed that people need to be viewed consistently over time and that their identity needs them to conform to a group’s ideals.There are eight stages of identity development, which start at birth and continue until late adulthood. Identity is considered a state that people need to achieve.

At each stage the individual engages in is a psychosocial crisis. "What the child acquires at a given stage is a certain ratio between the positive and negative, which if the balance is toward the positive, will help him to meet later crises with a better chance for unimpaired total development" (Erikson, 1959 cited in Phoenix, 2007). Same paragraph-common themeIdentity is therefore, in a perpetual process of development involving “a progressive resolution of … normative crises between individual needs and social demands …” (Phoenix, 2007, p.53).

ü Same paragraph-common theme Adolescents, the fifth stage, is crucial in identity development, during which the task is to achieve ego identity (knowing who and what one is and ones place in society) and avoid role diffusion (not finding a secure ego identity). During adolescents is when identity crisis, shaped by the social environment, emerges and is the time of “psychosocial moratorium”.James Marcia created a method to measure Erikson’s theory, a semi-structured interview, called the Identity Status Interview, deriving the four ego identity statuses, shown in the matrix below (Marcia, 1980 cited in Phoenix, 2007).Identity Status Matrix (Marcia, 1980) It is the convention in academic essays of this type to provide a narrative argument and thus you should avoid use of diagrams, tables, figures and bullet points. The social construction theory, consistent with its theory of ideas being socially constructed, unlike the psychosocial theory, has multiple origins and aspects.

Basically it says that how we perceive and understand reality, what we consider ‘natural’, is actually constructed through our daily social interactions and discourses.Social constructionists believe that, as identities cannot be constructed in isolation and all ideas are socially constructed, all identities are social. üIdentity, a communications resource, changes with time and is influenced by the cultures we live in (gestures, tone, language structures) and our relationships. Social constructionists regard identity as fluid, constantly changing for different social situations, hence no central identity exists.Language, a social construct itself, has had its function recast from a reflection of the world to its very constitution (Gergen, 1985 cited in Phoenix, 2007) .

Language usage rationalizes specific reactions to people and situations, and constructs power relations in social interactions. Hence, how we see people defines our treatment of them. Smith and Bond (1998) theorized that language usage is influenced by the culture and society as can be seen in the different ways the Twenty Statement Test was answered depending on whether the society was collectivistic or individualistic (as cited in Phoenix, 2007, p.73).

ü Same paragraph-common themeVerbal or written discourses do more than explain actual events; they actively shape the individuals identity. In socially constructing people we create classifications of social groups and ideas about people, but even within these social groups identities differ.Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory revolutionized developmental thought (Hoare, 2002, cited in Phoenix, 2007). Same paragraph-common themePsychosocial theory has advanced our knowledge and understanding identity by including the effects of the sociocultural environment. It offers a basis for the complex inquiry and discussions, and for understanding identity. The social construction theory has contributed by taking this a step further by merging the personal and social aspect into one inseparable identity.

Erikson’s second contribution is the extension of the five years of the Freudian identity shaping to instead span a lifetime. This has helped in the understanding of identity being progressive and that it continues to change throughout a persons life, which can be seen in the phenomenon of a mid life crisis. A useful framework for change in social identity is provided by the social constructionist, through its idea of a fluid identity, it allows changes to identity and multiple manifestations of identityBoth theories agree on the importance of embodiment to identity. While the social constructionist theory furthers our understanding of how specific embodied identities are created and handled, psychosocial theory sees embodiment as a bodily aspect of identity, which helps us, for example understand the effect of physical deterioration in old age on our identities.One of the major contributions of the constructionist theories was the emphasis made on discourses and language.

While Marcia’s Twenty Statements Test used language as a methodical tool to understand identity, the constructionist used language as the mechanism to construct identity (It contributes to the understanding of how social and cultural meanings mediate the link between language and identity. The practical usage of language from both viewpoints lies in therapeutic practice in patient analysis and positive reinforcement.Another contribution of psychosocial theory is the emphasis placed on the adolescent period in the shaping of an identity. Erikson highlighted identity as the primary ego developmental task of adolescence (Marcia, 1993 cited in Phoenix, 2007). It also explains the huge role that social groups play during this time. As it can be frightening to go through an identity crisis alone, adolescents may tend to move in groups rather than handle it alone.

“From psychodynamic beginnings, Erikson’s work was the first to appreciate the psychosocial nature of identity with the important role played by the community in recognizing, supporting, and thus helping to shape the adolescent ego” (Kroger, 1989). Erikson’s theories on adolescents play a major role in understanding identity development in youth and are still relevant today. For example, his theories on role diffusion causing aggression in youths can be applied to understanding bullying in schools happening today.