Q.What are the factors influencing the formation of identity during adolescence? Support your answer with examples.

Identity formation during adolescence is shaped by several distinct factors — cultural/family/societal values, socio-economic status, peer relationships, and vocational commitment — each contributing to an adolescent's evolving sense of who they are. …

According to Erikson, the central developmental task of adolescence is establishing an identity — a stable sense of who one is, and of one's own values, commitments and beliefs — that is separate from one's parents. This identity is not formed in isolation; several distinct factors shape how it develops.

Cultural, family and societal factors: an adolescent's cultural background, family and societal values, ethnic background, and socio-economic status all bear directly on their search for a place in society. Different cultures offer different templates for what a mature, adult identity is expected to look like, and a family's own values shape which of these templates an adolescent is exposed to and encouraged toward.

Peer relationships: as adolescents begin spending more time outside the home, family relationships tend to become somewhat less central, and a strong need develops for peer support and acceptance. Increased interaction with peers gives adolescents real, practical opportunities to refine their social skills and to try out different social behaviours and roles — experimenting with different ways of presenting themselves is itself part of how identity gets worked out. Peers and parents generally serve complementary rather than competing functions, fulfilling different needs in an adolescent's life, though conflicting situations with parents can, at times, push an adolescent toward stronger identification with their peer group instead.

Vocational commitment: another major factor is the process of thinking realistically about one's future — the question 'What are you going to be when you grow up?' requires the cognitive ability to imagine the future and set achievable goals, itself made possible by the adolescent's newly developed formal operational thinking. How much freedom a culture gives young people to choose their own occupation (versus having that choice effectively made for them by parents, whose decision is then expected to be accepted) varies considerably across cultures, and this in turn shapes how central vocational identity becomes for a given adolescent. Career counselling in schools, where available, can support this process by offering an appraisal of a student's aptitudes for different courses and jobs, and by providing guidance for career-related decisions. …