Arnett defines storm and stress as including conflict with parents, mood disruptions, and risk behavior. Do you agree or disagree with this definition? What other elements might you include in your own definition?
- I agree with this definition of storm and stress, but would not limit this time in an individual's life to just three aspects. As the research presented in the article stated, biological changes, such as puberty, may not be directly responsible to a stormy and stressful adolescence, it does have some connection to it. I would say that storm and stress is also attributed by the individual's cultural environment and norms at their given age. In low-context societies, such as the United States, individualism and independence is highly valued and pushed onto children at younger ages. This idea just brings me to think of times when I overhear mothers or fathers boasting about their infant in the process of or already being potty trained, some being as young as several months old. This small but big act of teaching an infant to use the toilet before they can even walk is just an example of how important independence is in this society.
Arnett argues that the main reason industrialized cultures have higher rates of adolescent storm and stress than traditional, preindustrial cultures is the higher value placed on independence for adolescents in industrialized cultures. What other differences between industrialized and traditional cultures may help explain differences in the their rates of adolescent storm and stress?
- Whoops. I think I kind of answered this in the section above, but let's just elaborate on what I said. The differences between traditional cultures and industrialized cultures are possibly the cultural practices which ties adolescents to groups, lowering the chances for alienation of an individual during their time of storm and stress, thus leading to lower rates or "extremeness" of conflicts with parents, mood disruptions, or risky behavior. These cultural practices may be certain rites of passage the adolescent may go through or other traditional ceremonies which requires both elder and younger members of a given culture.
List 5 main ideas of the Arnett paper.
- Storm and Stress is not universal and inevitable
- Storm and Stress "levels" differ from culture to culture
- Risky behavior is a major element of the Storm and Stress period
- Mood disruption is a major element of Storm and Stress
- Parent conflict is a major element of Storm and Stress in adolescents
Thanks for reading and enjoy this song from Erasure!
1 comment:
Interesting connection to potty training -- I agree, in all societies there is an inherent value in some level of independence.
The Erasure song goes well with your blog.
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