Adolescence is a transitional phase and conflict is inherent in it. Adolescence, a second chance given to humanity, is an important period in which personality is shaped and important steps are taken for the rest of life. Adolescence means, above all, questioning oneself. It is an important phase in which basic physical and spiritual transformations occur and these transformations will guide the person for the rest of his life. Major physical changes occur during adolescence, and these physical changes are followed by psychological and social changes. Adolescence begins with signs of puberty. Reaching puberty means gaining the ability to reproduce. Rapid changes occur in the body of the young person at puberty, changing his height and structure, developments occur in his mental structure and interests, and physiological sexual development is completed in both genders. In this period of rapid and major change, adolescents may have difficulty adapting to the changes. This situation is evaluated by adults as non-compliance and rebellion.
Adolescents have experienced communication difficulties with adults in every period. A lot has been said about adolescence until today. Information about adolescence can be found in Western sources since the 13th century. In fact, thousands of years ago, Aristotle drew attention to the constantly changing, wanting everything, and careless characteristics of young people. It has been written in many books that young people wrote on Socrates' tombstone criticizing their disrespectful behavior towards their elders and their cruelty. In every period, adults have forgotten their own adolescence and criticized the behavior of adolescents. In other words, the phrase 'were young people like this in our time' is not a phrase specific to today, but has been a complaint made by adults to young people for thousands of years.
Childhood and adolescence were first described by the famous thinker and educator Rousseau in his book Emile, published in 1782. examined in his work. One hundred and thirty years after this book, Hall wrote the first scientific work on adolescence. Hall's two-volume book titled Adolescence was influenced by Darwin's theory. He argued that each person goes through the stages that humanity goes through, from primitiveness to civilisation, in their own lives. So be a barbaric being The child will later become civilized and become a modern person. According to Hall, personality begins to take shape at puberty and is reborn as a member of the human race during adolescence. Hall was the first to emphasize that this period was a period of great turmoil and storms.
John Locke emphasized that environmental factors, along with innate factors, are of great importance in the child's personality development. In 1925, when the influence of the behaviorism school was increasing, Watson claimed that if he was given any healthy child, he could make him a merchant, an artist, a doctor, a beggar or a murderer. According to Watson, environmental factors were very important in personality development. In the following years, with the influence of Watson and Locke, psychologists' attention turned to the early childhood years and the effect of the family on the child. In addition, Psychoanalysis, pioneered by S. Freud, focused on the child in its early stages and emphasized the importance of early childhood. For these reasons, adolescence has been neglected for many years.
Research conducted in later years has revealed the importance of adolescence. For example, Bronson and his colleagues determined the behavior of children aged 1-16 by applying tests, and these children took the same tests when they turned 30, and it was found that the previously determined characteristics continued in adulthood. (1966) With similar studies, it has been discussed how similar the young personality is to the personality of later ages.
It is S.Freud's daughter, Anna Freud, who brought it back to the agenda with the adolescence period and gave it the importance it deserves. In his article in 1958, he said, "I am dealing with the subject of adolescence after a 22-year gap. Some studies on adolescence were conducted during this period, but it seems that the situation is not encouraging when it comes to examining adolescence in an analytical context." "Especially when compared to studies conducted in early childhood, it can be said that adolescence is treated like a stepchild." After these words, research on adolescence increased and adolescence began to be studied in depth by various scientists.
According to Anna Freud, childhood All conflicts experienced during adolescence are revived during adolescence. For example, addiction experienced in infancy; In adolescence, it oscillates between being dependent and independent. Sometimes the teenager acts like a baby and does not want to take responsibility, and sometimes he tries to prove to everyone that he is now an adult. A. Freud accepted the young person's vacillations as normal and said that this ambivalence was an adaptation process against normal and internal development.
Masterson, who worked with adolescents for many years and conducted many researches on this subject, examined the findings of adults and adolescents. He said that there are some differences between personality structures. (1958) These differences are; While the adult has been able to suppress his subconscious impulses, the adolescent has not yet fully acquired this ability. An adult is someone who has found certain value judgments and adopted them, but the adolescent is in search of value judgments that will suit him/her and is experiencing confusion. Adults are competent to work, earn their own income and take full responsibility, while adolescents are emotionally and economically dependent on their parents.
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