Ed 20 Final Paper for Identity Development Reflection

Ed 20 Final Paper for Identity Development Reflection Name Institution Ed 20 Final Paper for Identity Development Reflection Universities encourage their students to develop their own theories. Florida University is one of the institutions that have utilized the idea. In Spring 2011, the university posted the theories that their students developed on a blog where people could review and discuss their implications. Therefore, I have identified three student development models from the theories on the blog and applied them to my experience. The first model is ‘’Carol Gilligan (1982)’’ model which is classified under Moral Development theory. The second model is ‘’Torres’s Model of Hispanic Identity Development (2003)’’ which falls under Ethnic Identity Development theory. And the last model is ‘’Baxter Magolda’s Theory of Self-Authorship’’ which is classified under Self-Authorship and Transitions Development theory. Therefore, I will use the three models to evaluate my prevailing state of development and further my development in the college. The first theory ‘’Carol Gilligan (1982),’’ explains women moral development. The theory suggests that women are seen in the society as deviant and they cannot develop into the three main factors of development as men. However, Gilligan believes that the exclusion of women is not necessary and they can also reach the same level of development as men. Gilligan suggested connections are considered more important than individualism to achieve moral development. The moral choices that are made depend on a balance of relationship of self-care and others (‘’Moral Development’’ 2018). Further, Gilligan demonstrated that women use responsibility and care as the moral direction. To prove the theory, Gilligan developed three phases of development with two levels of transition. The first level is orientation to individual survival where women at the stage seek to fulfill their personal desire and are unable to differentiate between wants and needs. The second level is goodness as self-sacrifice where they accept their social identity. Other characteristics shown by women at the stage include disequilibrium and reflection of conventional values (Williams, 2018). The final level is moral non-violence which is the phase where women do not want harm to come to themselves or others. Similarly, they will be able to analyze multiple moral alternatives and respect for self also develops at the stage. The two transitions include transfer from selfness to responsibility and from goodness to truth which has been explained under stage one and two above. The application of the theory is limited to factors that are intrinsic to a person and exist between individuals. The theory cannot be applied to external factors that exist to a person. For instance, the theory cannot be applied to individuals who are fixated on rules and punishment. Moreover, there is a likelihood of a person who has progressed to the next phases might come back to the first stage when facilitated by other identity development. The issue raises a problem with the theory regarding its application. The theory can be applied by students in making decision. The choices may range from relationship challenges and career decisions. Hence, college educators should apply the theory to students who have difficulty in making choices that affect their relationships with others and themselves. The decisions concerning what to do after completing college and to go abroad are the main difficult choices to most students after competing college. Therefore, the theory will enable them to make right choices while at the same time considering the impact of their actions on themselves and others. For instance, before going abroad, a student will consider if they have the financial support required and whether it is right to distance him or herself from the parents. Also, the decision to pursue a master’s degree or find a job after college is difficult and one should consider the balance between selfishness and responsibility. The second theory ‘’Torres’s Model of Hispanic Identity Development (2003)’’ identifies the benefits of recognizing the correlation of acculturation and ethnic identity among the college students. Acculturation considers the choices made concerning the majority culture while ethnic identity looks at the maintenance of the original culture. The various factors that affect people’s attitudes towards the Hispanic culture include the environment where they were brought up where individuals will become more identified with a culture where they grew up (‘’Ethnic Identity Development’’ 2018). Another factor is the influence and the status of the generation where a person will become more attached to the dominant belief which prevails after leaving the original tradition. Also, changes in relationships, cultural dominance, and self-perception or status in the society will play a crucial role in the identity with a given belief. The model does not consider the procedures involved in choosing a cultural alignment instead it only takes into account the construct of cultural orientation. Similarly, it is not based on actual study but on personal views on the subject. Another issue that the study assumes is the possibility of multiple cultural orientations. A person may become more attached to multiple beliefs which the study does not take into account. Finally...