All Social Psychology Topics Essays
1. Identity is a huge part of who we are and how we live our lives. If people did not have
identities, then we would all essentially be the same. A person’s identity really starts to form
during adolescence because this is when we form the ability to think about ourselves in abstract
terms. Who am I? What can I become? How might my life be different if I was black instead of
white, male instead of female? (Maddux & Tangney, 2010, p. 37). Adolescence is also the time
when we have the chance to enter the world and be on our own. Mandatory schooling ends
during the teenage years and people have the chance to get a job, go to college, join the military,
or just explore the world. Family, friends, and teachers begin to encourage adolescents to think
about their lives in more abstract and long-term perspectives. What are you going to do with
your life? What kind of life do you want to have? (Maddux & Tangney, 2010, p. 38).
Adolescents have the freedom to explore different parts of their identity and decide which parts
they want to keep and which they want to replace. Forming one’s identity can be a long,
exhilarating, and sometimes challenging process that in the end results in a person knowing who
they are and the road that they want to travel.
Although identity formation is an important and necessary task that all people must
complete, it can be more challenging for some. Sexual identity is an important part of one’s
identity that can cause someone to experience anguish and self-doubt. Although today’s society
is much more open and accepting than it was in the past, people still have trouble finding and
,accepting their sexual identity if what they identity as is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
These types of sexual identities are not as well received by most people because some people
believe that the only true sexual identity is heterosexual, and that homosexuality is an illness that
can be cured. However, there are also people who are accepting of all sexual identities and
believe that all love is real. An issue that can occur when an adolescent is trying to figure out his
sexual identity depends on whether or not his family and friends are accepting of alternate sexual
lifestyles. If a boy grows up in home where there are strict traditional values of how men and
women should behave, and his father uses homophobic slurs then it will be a lot harder for him
to accept that he identities as gay then another boy who grew up in a less traditional, more
progressive home where his parents taught him to accept everyone. The boy who was made to
feel ashamed of his sexual identity is more likely to repress his feelings and stay in the closet
which can lead to increased anxiety, depressive feelings, and thoughts of suicide. This could lead
him to need future therapy in order for him to accept who he really is and alleviate the feelings of
shame, guilt, and disgust that he has experienced for the past several years because he was taught
to believe that being homosexual was wrong. Having a crisis of identity can severely impact the
formation of an adolescent’s identity and can lead to future psychological issues.
Another part of identity that can lead an adolescent to have contested feelings is racial
identity. Most people are born into one race and therefore know exactly what race and culture
they belong to. However, there are those who have parents of two different races and are
considered biracial. People who are from two or more races may have a more challenging time
figuring out their racial identity. Do I belong equally to both groups? Is one race/culture more
important than the other? Should I call myself one race (black) or the other (white)? These are
just some examples of questions a biracial person could ask themselves when trying to
, understand their racial identity. One way a person could solve this problem is by taking the time
to understand the races and cultures that both their parents came from. Learning the language,
food, religion, and history of both races could help an adolescent better understand their parents
and themselves. While this may be the ideal way of tackling one’s racial identity, it is not always
so easy. In countries such as the United States, some races are still considered better than others.
People may not come right out and say it to another person’s face but there are stereotypes and
biases that persist. This is especially relevant when it comes to African Americans. The US’s
history of slavery and the current political climate have allowed the growth of a deep-seated and
intense distrust of those who are black. This can be especially hard for a person of black and
white ancestry. An adolescent who is mixed with one white parent and one black parent may
have a difficult time balancing their two races. The white side of their family may think they are
not as good as them because they are half black and the black side of their family may think they
act like they are better than them because they are half white. This can lead to an intense divide
within the adolescent and may cause anxiety, depression, and even imposter syndrome to
develop. Imposter syndrome occurs when a person feels as though they are a fraud and has a
constant fear of being found out (Lecture 2, 9/5/18). An adolescent who has not yet been able to
form a strong definition of their racial identity may feel like they do not belong anywhere and
can feel like a fraud when with those of either race. When with white peers they may feel like
they are constantly on the verge of being outed as half-black and vice versa when they are with
black peers. Feeling like an imposter can make it extremely difficult for an adolescent to learn to
accept and take pride in their racial identity. This can have a detrimental impact on that
adolescent’s mental health that could require future clinical interventions.
1. Identity is a huge part of who we are and how we live our lives. If people did not have
identities, then we would all essentially be the same. A person’s identity really starts to form
during adolescence because this is when we form the ability to think about ourselves in abstract
terms. Who am I? What can I become? How might my life be different if I was black instead of
white, male instead of female? (Maddux & Tangney, 2010, p. 37). Adolescence is also the time
when we have the chance to enter the world and be on our own. Mandatory schooling ends
during the teenage years and people have the chance to get a job, go to college, join the military,
or just explore the world. Family, friends, and teachers begin to encourage adolescents to think
about their lives in more abstract and long-term perspectives. What are you going to do with
your life? What kind of life do you want to have? (Maddux & Tangney, 2010, p. 38).
Adolescents have the freedom to explore different parts of their identity and decide which parts
they want to keep and which they want to replace. Forming one’s identity can be a long,
exhilarating, and sometimes challenging process that in the end results in a person knowing who
they are and the road that they want to travel.
Although identity formation is an important and necessary task that all people must
complete, it can be more challenging for some. Sexual identity is an important part of one’s
identity that can cause someone to experience anguish and self-doubt. Although today’s society
is much more open and accepting than it was in the past, people still have trouble finding and
,accepting their sexual identity if what they identity as is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
These types of sexual identities are not as well received by most people because some people
believe that the only true sexual identity is heterosexual, and that homosexuality is an illness that
can be cured. However, there are also people who are accepting of all sexual identities and
believe that all love is real. An issue that can occur when an adolescent is trying to figure out his
sexual identity depends on whether or not his family and friends are accepting of alternate sexual
lifestyles. If a boy grows up in home where there are strict traditional values of how men and
women should behave, and his father uses homophobic slurs then it will be a lot harder for him
to accept that he identities as gay then another boy who grew up in a less traditional, more
progressive home where his parents taught him to accept everyone. The boy who was made to
feel ashamed of his sexual identity is more likely to repress his feelings and stay in the closet
which can lead to increased anxiety, depressive feelings, and thoughts of suicide. This could lead
him to need future therapy in order for him to accept who he really is and alleviate the feelings of
shame, guilt, and disgust that he has experienced for the past several years because he was taught
to believe that being homosexual was wrong. Having a crisis of identity can severely impact the
formation of an adolescent’s identity and can lead to future psychological issues.
Another part of identity that can lead an adolescent to have contested feelings is racial
identity. Most people are born into one race and therefore know exactly what race and culture
they belong to. However, there are those who have parents of two different races and are
considered biracial. People who are from two or more races may have a more challenging time
figuring out their racial identity. Do I belong equally to both groups? Is one race/culture more
important than the other? Should I call myself one race (black) or the other (white)? These are
just some examples of questions a biracial person could ask themselves when trying to
, understand their racial identity. One way a person could solve this problem is by taking the time
to understand the races and cultures that both their parents came from. Learning the language,
food, religion, and history of both races could help an adolescent better understand their parents
and themselves. While this may be the ideal way of tackling one’s racial identity, it is not always
so easy. In countries such as the United States, some races are still considered better than others.
People may not come right out and say it to another person’s face but there are stereotypes and
biases that persist. This is especially relevant when it comes to African Americans. The US’s
history of slavery and the current political climate have allowed the growth of a deep-seated and
intense distrust of those who are black. This can be especially hard for a person of black and
white ancestry. An adolescent who is mixed with one white parent and one black parent may
have a difficult time balancing their two races. The white side of their family may think they are
not as good as them because they are half black and the black side of their family may think they
act like they are better than them because they are half white. This can lead to an intense divide
within the adolescent and may cause anxiety, depression, and even imposter syndrome to
develop. Imposter syndrome occurs when a person feels as though they are a fraud and has a
constant fear of being found out (Lecture 2, 9/5/18). An adolescent who has not yet been able to
form a strong definition of their racial identity may feel like they do not belong anywhere and
can feel like a fraud when with those of either race. When with white peers they may feel like
they are constantly on the verge of being outed as half-black and vice versa when they are with
black peers. Feeling like an imposter can make it extremely difficult for an adolescent to learn to
accept and take pride in their racial identity. This can have a detrimental impact on that
adolescent’s mental health that could require future clinical interventions.
