Identity development of South African adolescents in a democratic society

Abstract

Abstract This study compared the identity development of black and white adolescents (15 – 19 years of age) in a democratic South African society. Erik Erikson's theory of identity development during adolescence and his view of the importance of a cultural identity for identity development formed the theoretical background for the study. The level of identity development of the research participants was measured using the Erikson Scale developed by Ochse. The results showed that the black adolescents were significantly more sure of their identity than the white adolescents irrespective of gender. The findings are discussed with respect to the social situation of black and white adolescents in the newly formed democratic South Africa and the importance of cultural identity and positive role models for identity development.