Question

Consider James Marcia's identity statuses. Does your identity status vary across the domains of sexuality, close relationships, vocation, religious beliefs, and political values? Describe factors that may have influenced your identity development in an at least 2 important domains of your life.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary. Also, I have used a fictional person in the illustration below, you may change it to your own name and personal experiences.

(Answer) James Marcia’s identity status theory focuses on the idea that the identity of a human being is largely dependent on the choices they make and the society and culture that they adhere to. Marcia describes how a human being might have a psychological identity, a social identity, a cultural and physical identity etc. In other words, each domain of the society evokes a different side of the person.

From the point of view of vocation, John Doe has chosen to be an analytical and practical individual. As his career, he has chosen to be an accountant. He knows his job isn’t too exciting but, he does not expect it to be too much funs as he derives the happiness and satisfaction he needs from his personal life.

In terms of his sexuality, John Doe is a heterosexual individual. He is close with his family and friends. Furthermore, John has a girlfriend who he loves very much. Socially, physically and psychologically, John is quite satisfied as he values relationships in his life. He believes that the closeness with the people around him is what keeps him happy.

John is a Christian and a liberal who believes in equal rights and a fair tax system. John is generally a cogent individual who believes in a society where individuals are all treated equally.

John became the person he is today because of two instances in his life. Firstly, when he was young and finishing his university, he had to work hard to pay his tuition himself. Such hard work inculcated certain values in John that have managed to shape him psychologically and emotionally. He learned the value of hard work and matured emotionally. This is when John underwent a transition from “identity diffusion” to “identity foreclosure.” In other words, he went from being a naive adolescent to a responsible adult.

The second instance was when John lost his father soon after he graduated. This made John value the people around him and had made him value his relationships more than other aspects of his life. This is when John transitions from “identity moratorium” to “identity achievement.” This means that John went through an emotionally difficult stage in his life and eventually came to a stage where his difficulties had made him emotionally mature.

Considering that such incidents have influenced John’s choices in his life, it has surely shaped his personality in different ways. Each perspective or side of John’s personality is exhibited in the different parts of John’s life.