Final Synopsis

How can teenagers be encouraged to develop their personal identities through
creative critical reflection?

My aim was to develop creative, positive and enjoyable workshops where young people can discuss society, culture, values and aspirations, engaging with their personal identities and role within their communities in a constructive way, something I am personally very passionate about. 

The physical, psychological and social changes experienced by adolescents lead psychologists to regard adolescence as a critical period for self and identity development (Erikson, 1968; Marcia, 1987).  Identi-tee workshops are designed to encourage young people to reflect on their sense of self and community, enabling them to become confident individuals and decision makers. 

Although there has been some recent interest in the development of social identity (e.g., Bennett & Sani, 2004), most research has been conducted with children, and researchers have assumed adolescents to be equivalent to adults (Ruble et al., 2004; Sani & Bennett, 2004).

Personal wellbeing is currently a non-statutory part of the National Curriculum for 11-16 year olds, and crucial issues - including elements such as personal identity, relationships within the community, and diversity – are not explored in many schools.

My workshops aim to address this using critical reflection, which is considered ‘an extremely useful tool for addressing social and emotional issues, especially those relating to race and culture.’ (Dewey, 1933)

During the workshops, young people collaborate to discuss themselves, their relationships, their society and their environment, and how all these components affect sense of self.  The key theme of personal wellbeing is developed and explored through creativity and reflection exercises:

CREATIVITY Producing artefacts, experimenting with ideas, materials, tools and techniques, taking risks and learning from mistakes.
REFLECTION Exploring the visual, tactile and other sensory qualities of their own and others’ work, identifying how values and meanings are conveyed, developing views and expressing reasoned judgment, analysing and reflecting on their work and the work of others.

I have been extremely moved by the powerful discussions and observations during Identi-tee but have found it difficult to record these without feeling like I am exploiting the young people involved.  I have been left with an overwhelming sense of urgency and concern regarding the futures of many of the participant. 

The exercises work differently on both a group and individual level, with certain topics and related exercises resonating with specific individuals depending on their needs, noticeable from the depth of their responses.  The workshop iterations were therefore very intuitive - exercises were adapted on the spot and at the end of sessions from feedback received.  The young people were extremely vocal about what they enjoyed and what they didn’t - teenagers are very honest with their criticisms.

This summer has really opened my eyes to the group dynamics and peer pressure young people are exposed to everyday, and without a strong sense of self it would be extremely difficult for them to display their true selves in such an environment, where they are under real pressure to conform. 

I hope these workshops can lead to developments in the field of personal identity in adolescents, help recognise its importance and lead to widespread use of the workshops in schools and youth groups.

Identi-tee is ongoing, with further workshops in 2012, using drama, singing, dance, as well as workshops on other key topics, such as relationships and diversity.

The workshops can also be tailored to help the homeless, people who can suffer the most from a lack of identity caused by a feeling of ‘hearthlessness’ and inability to identify with society. Feelings of isolation, rejection and alienation are extremely common with homeless people, these in turn can lead to psychological problems in relation to identity.  I feel there is room to help homeless people explore and stimulate their feelings of identity using a variety of exercises from my findings to date.

My exhibition has been inspired by the Fluxus movement.   Maciunas defined Fluxus products as ‘work that would occur as a result of performance activities, or as elements of participation environments.’ This resonates with what I am trying to represent; I have filled drawers with objects that represent the different workshop exercises involved in Identi-tee, reminiscent of the Fluxkits in which Maciunas collected performance-related cards, games, and ideas.