such as weaving, up to the time they reach adolescence. Such adolescents are, therefore, ready to assume adult roles – this means they are seen as persons with responsibilities of beginning work, getting married and bearing children, like adults. Thus, in these communities the identity of the adolescent would be drawn more from familial sources. The adolescent may not enter into much conflict with elders since they are largely doing what adults expect of them.
As a result, there are likely to be fewer confusions and doubts while developing a sense of self. On the other hand, in communities and families where a variety of occupational choices are open for the adolescent, where technology makes available many experiences and options to the individual, the adolescent may need to enter into an extended period of training to prepare herself/ himself for the chosen occupation. During this period the adolescent still remains dependent on the parents. While the period of adolescence is thus extended, that of adulthood is delayed.
Also, the increase in choices and exposure to alternate lifestyles may bring the adolescent in conflict with parents and other authority figures in society. There is another reason why the development of identity is likely to vary in traditional cultures and cultures of the West. In traditional Indian communities, open reflection on oneself and the idea of talking about oneself is not a common activity among adolescents. In fact, such an attitude is often neither encouraged nor tolerated.
Many Indians define themselves primarily in one or the other roles that they play – son/ daughter, mother/ father, sister/brother. To put it differently, they often speak of themselves in terms of the family and the community – as “we” – rather than as “I”. For example, while talking about her views on marriage, an adolescent girl would say, “In our family marriages are arranged by parents”, rather than saying, “I would prefer my parents to arrange my marriage”. Thus we can see how important the socio-cultural context is in the construction of a sense of self.
Of course the impact of these cultural