Teenage rebellion

Teenage rebellion is a complex phenomenon of adolescence studied by developmental psychology, with many historical interpretations from religion and philosophy. It generally manifests itself as conflict during a critical period of human development in which humans become autonomous, and commit to an identity, or sense of self.

As part of their development into young adults, humans must develop an identity independent from their parents or family and a capacity for independent decision-making. They may experiment with different roles, behaviours and ideologies as part of their process of developing an identity. Teenage rebellion has been recognized within psychology as a set of behavioral traits that supersede class, culture or race.

Is Teenage rebellion natural?

There remains some debate as to whether the causes of teenage rebellion are completely natural or necessary. Some posit that an adolescent's failure to achieve a sense of identity can result in role confusion and an inability to choose a vocation, and these pressures may cause teenage rebellion. Others have faulted teenage rebellion as a product of a failure in parenting, or of contradictory social guidance in the media. Supporters of the youth rights movement often suggest that teen rebellion is a uniquely Western phenomenon that results from a society which views teenagers as less than adult and thus unjustly restricts their freedom in the name of their own good, causing them to rebel as a way to break free of these restrictions. This is in contrast to more primitive societies, where teenagers are often viewed as adults. Indeed, in the Western world the age at which one is considered an adult (in both the cultural and legal sense) has advanced from the early teens in earlier centuries to the late teens and even early twenties in today's society.

Popular culture

The phenomenon has been categorized by mainstream media and popular culture. [Harris, D. (1998) "The Logic of Black Urban Rebellions," "Journal of Black Studies. 28"(3), pp. 368-385.] , and is a very common subject in music and film. Some examples of films on the subject are The Wild One (1953), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and The Breakfast Club (1985). The classic novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a written example of teenage rebellion as a subject. There are many ways to show rebellion; lots of teens go through it and feel that most don't understand. When going through such a stage it is best to be involved but to a certain extent. It is most likely that this is a stage.

ee also

* Positive Adult Development
* Generation gap

References

External links

* [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070412115231.htm Teenage Risk-taking: Biological And Inevitable?]