Development of the Self

Abstract

Abstract Conceptualized as having salience for well‐being, the social, economic and cultural realities and complexities evident in 21st‐century North America are seen as central foundational themes for understanding “the self.” This chapter offers and extends traditional considerations of self‐processes to include the implications of social inequalities experienced in the early decades of life. It does so by focusing on racial and socioeconomic inequities, along with social and cultural complexities that compound these inequalities. While researchers have conceptualized these inequities as having salience for well‐being, this chapter extends theorizing about the self to incorporate these themes. It integrates racial and socioeconomic inequity with traditional theories of self‐processes. Given the growing racial and ethnic diversity occurring across the world, there is a need for developmental psychologists—and social scientists more generally—to place racial and economic inequality at the forefront, even when studying self‐appraisals as an individual psychological phenomenon. This chapter draws from a life‐span developmental perspective, but it especially focuses on adolescence, when self‐consciousness is heightened and self‐processes are most salient. The breadth of normative developmental influences on self‐processes makes the exploration of cross‐domain manifestations, such as health, education, and juvenile justice, exceedingly important. Patterned disparities and assumptions about self‐processes are highlighted, particularly as relevant for diverse groups who share the same physical space. Self‐processes are discussed as they are linked to evaluative judgments about body image, color awareness, social status, nativity, faith group, and gender bias. All of these attributes impact the self as a function of the individual's developmental status. In light of these themes, this chapter examines historical perspectives regarding self‐development and presents contemporary conceptualizations of self‐processes with specific attention to race and gender as visible characteristics. It presents these issues are particularly salient particularly for youth, because they reinforce societal expectations that shape conditions for privilege or marginalization.