Adolescent Portraits: Identity, Relationships, and Challenges

Adolescent Portraits: Identity, Relationships, and Challenges, written by Garrod, Smulyan, Powers, and Kilkenny (2000), is a collection of personal stories written by college students. The stories consist of the students' recollections of events that occurred during their adolescent years. This book provides much insight into the development of adolescents, while it also aides in the understanding and development of current theories. The case studies collected by the authors are excellent tools for gaining insight into the mind of the adolescent. The authors of the case studies not only narrate events from their past, but also provide personal perspectives as to why they reacted in certain ways and held particular concerns during their adolescent years. "The way in which we view adolescence depends, to a large extent, on our perceptions of human nature and the relationship of the individual to society" (Garrod et al., 2000, p. 1). Current theories are independently and personally based on such perspectives. Before the authors present the adolescents' case studies, they discuss the various contributors to current adolescent theory. These contributors include theorists such as Locke, Rousseau, Hall, and Mead. By presenting the case studies, the authors show these theories at work. The case studies are divided into three sections: "Identity," "Relationships," and "Challenges." The first section, "Identity," involves Erikson's Psychosocial Developmental Theory, particularly the stage of "identity verses role confusion." Believed by Erikson to be the dominating challenge during the adolescent years, this stage is characterized by the need to establish one's individuality in the world. According to his theory, it is only after this stage is completed that the individual is ready to develop intimate relationships with others. In the following section, "Relationships," Erikson's belief of obtaining intimacy only by first successfully achieving personal identity is disputed. Many theorists believe that intimacy may actually be a source of achieving one's personal identity. For example, Sullivan believed that the development of intimacy may be related to relationships with best-friends. It is in these types of relationships that individuals are able to experience, first-hand, how various roles and attitudes are viewed by others. Other types of relationships one might encounter during his or her adolescent years "include close friendships, cliques, peer groups and crowds, and romantic relationships" (p. 132). Furthermore, psychoanalytic theorists such as Anna Freud and Blos believe that adolescence is a critical time of separation from one's parents. Even so, theories maintain that adolescents have a need to preserve a close, meaningful relationship with their families of origin. The case studies that are seen in this section concentrate on the importance of the development and continuity of relationships throughout the adolescent years. In the final secti

I think that these case studies are a wonderful insight to the work done by the authors Kudos!