Identity Development Statuses Implications for Career Counselors in Louisiana Dwayne Jacobs MS Doctoral Student University of New Orleans Louisiana Career Development Association Spring 2013 Annual Conference ID: 411277
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James Marcia’s Identity Development Statuses: Implications for Career Counselors in Louisiana
Dwayne Jacobs, MS
Doctoral Student
University of New Orleans
Louisiana
Career
Development Association
Spring 2013 Annual ConferenceSlide2
Presentation DescriptionLouisiana’s Career Options Law has significantinfluence on the career development of its workforce. Louisiana career counselors’ awareness of JamesMarcia’s Identity Development Statuses could
improve career development facilitation.Slide3
Erik Erikson’s “Identity vs. Role Confusion”Erik Erikson developed a model of humandevelopment that spans from infancy to late adulthood.His model consists of eight stages, each presenting theindividual with a new challenge to be mastered, andbuilding on the completion of the previous stage. Inthe stage “identity versus role confusion”, the primary
task is the individual reaching identity achievement.
(Erikson, 1950)Slide4
Erik Erikson’s “Identity vs. Role Confusion”Erikson stated that individuals in this stage experiencea necessity to establish who one is and one’s place inthe larger social order. He believed that individualsthat have not successfully progressed through this stagemight experience difficulties choosing and maintainingan occupational identity.
(Erikson, 1950) Slide5
James Marcia’s “Identity Development Statuses”Later, James Marcia would build on Erikson’s theory of‘identity achievement’ by identifying four distinctidentity statuses as part of identity development. Hestates that an individual who has reached ‘identityachievement’ has experienced a crisis and has made acommitment to one identity. Marcia (1966) states:
“Crisis refers to the adolescent’s period of engagement
in choosing among meaningful alternatives;
commitment refers to the degree of personal
investment the individual exhibits.”
(Marcia, 1966)Slide6
James Marcia’s “Identity Development Statuses”Identity foreclosure status is when an individual hascommitted to an identity absent of identity exploration(may result from parental expectations or those of othersocial authorities). Identity diffusion status is when anindividual has neither experienced a period of identityexploration nor made an identity commitment (may
experience non-discriminatory changes in occupational
choice). The identity moratorium status can be described as
a period in which an individual is actively exploring
different identities, but has not made a commitment to one.
(Marcia, 1966)Slide7
Pilot Study While the primary research involves exploring the identity moratorium status; this pilot test explored the identity statuses foreclosure and diffusion in an attempt to create backdrop for the primary research. The researcher sought to examine participant responses through the perspective of Erikson’s assertion that individuals that have not successfully progressed through the stage of “identity versus role-confusion” might experience difficulties choosing and maintaining an occupational identity.
(Erikson, 1950) Slide8
Conceptual Model Individuals in identity statuses foreclosure or diffusion during their transition period from high-school to college may experience difficulties choosing and or maintaining an occupational identity. Slide9
Data CollectionStratified Purposeful SamplingForeclosure and Diffusion StatusesThree Individuals w/CharacteristicsSemi-Structured InterviewsTwo In-Person InterviewsOne Phone InterviewInterview Notes
Audio RecordingsSlide10
Pilot Results All interviews exhibited experiences of difficulties choosing or maintaining an occupational identity as described by Erikson:"It wasn't really until after I graduated from college and started working as a lawyer that I wasn't very happy working as a lawyer.” “Well my first thought, I wanted to be a veterinarian. And so I went off to college for my first year of prerequisites; did not like it.” Slide11
Pilot Results The foreclosure interview exhibited experiences of the social influence described by Marcia:“I enrolled in college after high school because it had always been the expectation of my family that I would attend college.” Slide12
Pilot Results The diffusion interviews exhibited experiences of non-discriminatory changes in occupational choices as described by Marcia:“I didn’t have an idea of what I really wanted to do, so business administration I figured any business I could get into.”Slide13
Pilot Results All interviews exhibited experiences of a time period of a year or more after high school graduation before experiencing assurance about occupational choice:“Whereas if I had postponed college a year and a half, two years, or been a little more mature…I would have been fine.” Slide14
Louisiana’s Career Options LawBeginning in the 1998-1999 school year, by the end ofthe eighth grade, each student shall develop, with theinput of his/her family, a Five Year Educational Plan.Such a plan shall include a sequence of courses whichis consistent with the student's stated goals for one year
after graduation. Each student's Five Year Educational
Plan shall be reviewed annually thereafter by the
student, parents, and school advisor and revised as
needed.
(Act 1124, 1997)Slide15
Louisiana’s Career Options LawBy the end of the eighth grade, each student shall develop,with the input of his/her family, an Individual GraduationPlan (IGP). The purposes of the IGP document and relatedactivities are:Explore educational and career possibilities
Make appropriate secondary/postsecondary decisions as part of an overall career plan
Plan based on the student’s talents and interests
Consider graduation requirements relevant to the student’s chosen area of concentration and postsecondary entrance requirements
(Act 257, 2009)Slide16
Implications for Louisiana Career CounselorsIndividuals who were in identity foreclosure status at the time of their career choice, may have committed to a career based on parentalexpectations or those of other social authorities. Individuals who were in identity diffusion status a
t the time of their career choice, may have
experienced non-discriminatory changes in career. Slide17
Considerations for Louisiana Career CounselorsExplore with the client the rationale and or reasoning behind previous career choices.Explore with the client the experiences of past careers as they relate tointerest and aptitude.Ensure utilization of mental assessments (mental-measurement
yrbk
).
Encourage individuals to explore different career options.
Explain to clients the rationale for making such
recommendations.Slide18
ReferencesState of Louisiana, Act 1124 (1997). Retrieved April 15, 2013, from www.doe.state.la.us/lde/uploads/11667.doc
State of Louisiana, Act 257 (2009). Retrieved April 15, 2013, from
www.vrml.k12.la.us/khs/olddefaults/core4-basic-core-req.pdf
Creswell
, J.W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative,
and mixed
methods
approaches
(3rd Edition). California: Sage
Erikson, E. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Marcia, J.E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3 (5). 551-558.