Identity Development of College Students: Advancing Frameworks for Multiple Dimensions of Identity

by Susan R. Jones, Elisa S. Abes

Identity Development of College StudentsBuilding off the foundational work of Erik Erikson and Arthur Chickering, Identity Development of College Students adds broad and innovative research to describe contemporary perspectives of identity development at the intersection of context, personal characteristics, and social identities. The authors employ different theoretical perspectives to explore the nature of context--how it both influences and is influenced by multiple social identities. Each chapter includes discussion and reflection questions and activities for individual or small group work.Praise for Identity Development of College Students"Susan R. Jones and Elisa S. Abes have provided us with a comprehensive and beautifully written overview of the evolution of identity development theory. This book reads like a novel while at the same time conveying important ideas, critical analysis, and cutting-edge research that will enhance student affairs practice."--NANCY J. EVANS, professor, Student Affairs Program, School of Education, Iowa State University"The authors masterfully present a holistic, integrative, and multi-dimensional approach to the identity development of today's college student. This text should be required reading for those engaged in research and practice in the areas of student affairs, counseling, higher education, and cultural studies."--SHARON KIRKLAND-GORDON, director, Counseling Center, University of Maryland, College Park"Susan R. Jones and Elisa S. Abes's work is ground-breaking--charting new scholarly territory and making one of the most significant contributions to identity literature in many years. Building on contemporary and traditional theoretical foundations, Jones and Abes offer new models of identity development essential for understanding a diversity of college students."--MARYLU K. MCEWEN, associate professor emerita, University of Maryland, College Park

Genres: Education, Professional Development

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Joshua Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It should come as no surprise that a book that focuses on re-framing the discussion on identity development beyond its traditional linear models forced me to re-frame my thinking on my own identities and how I would define myself. This book should be the beginning, not the end, of a self-reflection and continued learning about college student development and what are the myriad personal attributes amd external contexts that guide all adults through self-discovery. I will think about this book long after Ive finished this review.

Full disclosure: Susan Jones was my professor in graduate school.

[Elysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After each chapter was a discussion section which posed multiple questions and activities for reflection. These are my responses to the discussion questions. One of the activities asked that I write a list of ten important things I identify as, including religion, gender, race, ethnicity, skills, careers, etc. The activity then asked that I remove three of the less-important items until I ended the activity with one item, which for me was Female.

Another activity and discussion involved identity and personality. It included the multiple personality tests I took during the Fall.

I was given the tools to “diagnose” myself with certain personality traits, quirks, theories and ideas. Nobody could take that from me as they are my results from real tests. This is where my interest in identity development intensified. I began taking as many valid personality tests I could find from multiple theorists. I found that I have a high rating of introversion and conscientiousness, that I am an INTJ in the Myers-Briggs 16 personality test, I am low in narcissism (despite all the reflection and self-thinking I have done to determine my identity). I furthered this by making it more personal and more about what inspires me, such as finding that the INTJ personality corresponds with the Slytherin-Ravenclaw (Hogwarts Houses) hybrid personality. I also found that I am a blue-green type of leader in the True Colors Leadership Test, which also corresponds to INTJ and Ravenclaw-Slytherin hybrid. This fueled me as I was finding things about myself that made sense and it couldn’t be taken from me. I furthered this even more with my socially contextual identities, like identifying politically Independent and deciding I do not identify as vegetarian or vegan (as I am not strict anyway). I realized that identity is mine and can be controlled as I choose to, as I make it important.