One of the goals of college student development professionals is to help undergraduate students develop a meaningful sense of personal identity. Early in the history of the profession, practitioners borrowed freely from related fields such as sociology and psychology to guide their practice, but beginning around the 1960s, scholars began in earnest to develop their own unique body of literature. In this work I examine the development of that scholarly work as it relates to identity development—specifically the evolution of understanding around the issues of sex and gender identity development. Beginning with William Perry, whose work has impacted so many theories that followed his, I review the work of Nancy Chodorow, who was among the first to note that student development theory based on male samples disadvantaged women, Marcia Baxter-Magolda, Carol Gilligan, Ruthellen Josselson, Mary Field Belenkey, Blythe McVicker Clinchy, Nancy Rule Goldberger, and Jill Mattuck Tarule…and…. I discovered that each of these scholars approached sex and gender from a binary, essentialist, deterministic position which served to limit the understanding of sex and gender issues in the field of college student development. During the same period, work in the fields of anthropology, gender studies, psychology, sociology, and women’s studies were greatly expanding their understanding of sex and gender as components of identity. In this work I identify the deficiencies and limitations in the research in the field of college student development related to sex and gender identity development; note the challenges to our work with college students because of those deficiencies and limitations, and make practical recommendations to three groups of professionals who operate in the field of college student development—theorists and scholars, practitioners, and educators and provide a model for efficiently effecting change in the field.

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Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Rick J. Scheidt / Previous research has discovered that most 18-to-25 year olds do not feel they have reached the rite of passage known as adulthood. This period of development, termed “emerging adulthood”, is characterized by identity exploration and myriad possibilities related to who one is and what one wants out of life. Empirical evidence suggests that future goals linked to one’s identity are more likely to be obtained through three actions specified in the Selection-Optimization-Compensation (S.O.C.) model: selecting goals to focus one’s resources, optimizing goal-relevant means, and, when necessary, compensating for losses that may occur in these means. The purpose of this study was (a) to identify the proportions of 18-to-25 year old perceived adults vs. emerging adults in a university sample (n = 828); (b) to assess the degree to which self-reported perceived adult status distinguishes self-reports of achieved adult criteria, goal-pursuit strategies, and subjective well-being, and; (c) to determine the predictive utility of perceived adult status, background characteristics, and goal-pursuit strategies for understanding individual differences in life satisfaction, positive affect (i.e., subjective vitality), and negative affect (i.e., depressive symptoms). Analyses of on-line survey responses indicated that approximately one-fourth (24%) of participants reported they had reached adulthood, and, compared to their emerging adult peers, had achieved more criteria for adulthood and were using more effective goal-pursuit strategies. Step-wise multiple regression analyses revealed that specific background characteristics (e.g., relationship status and GPA) and goal-pursuit strategies (e.g., optimization) were significant and strongest predictors of the participants’ life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Perceived adult status was a significant moderate predictor of both life satisfaction and positive affect but was unrelated to negative affect. Implications of the findings for developmental researchers, educators, and practitioners are discussed.

The aim of this study was to get a greater understanding of children´s approach to each other in the after school center. We used a qualitative method consisting of interviews to collect the material to our study. We interviewed five educators that worked in the after school center and focused on their child perspective. The outset for our study was a gender perspective as well as an intersectional perspective. In recent years gender norms have got a lot of attention in media and The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) has come up with policydocuments that intend to make the schools a more equal and accepting place. In our examination we asked the educators about their view on gender- intersectional areas and how they have changed and developed in the last few years. The result in our study showed that it has been a change in equality and gender norm areas at the after school center. According to the educators, the schools have become a more accepting environment and the schools work a lot with having the children to form their identities and that they should be able to be themselves. Another result of our study was that boys and girls play with each other more nowadays than they did before. The educators think that this is because it is more accepted to break and question the gender patterns. Group pressure among children has according to the educators a large role in the selection of friends, games, activities and who should be the leader of the peer group. / Syftet med vår studie var att få en förståelse för barns förhållningssätt till varandra på fritidshemmet. För att samla in empirin till vår studie använde vi oss av en kvalitativ metod i form av intervjuer. Vi intervjuade fem pedagoger som arbetar på fritidshemmet och utgick från deras barnperspektiv. Vår studie utgick från ett genus- och intersektionellt perspektiv. Genusnormer har på senare år fått mycket uppmärksamhet i media samt att Skolverket har utformat styrdokumenten för att skolorna ska sträva efter en jämställd och accepterande skolmiljö. I vår studie frågade vi pedagogerna om deras syn på hur genus och intersektionella områden har utvecklats och ändrats i skolans värld under de senaste åren. Utifrån vår studie blev resultatet att det har skett en förändring när det kommer till jämställdhet och genusnormerna på fritidshemmet. Skolan har blivit en mer accepterande miljö och pedagogerna vi intervjuade menar att man arbetar mycket med att eleverna ska få forma sina identiteter och kunna vara sig själva. Vi kom även fram till att pojkar och flickor leker mer tillsammans nu än för några år sedan. Enligt pedagogerna har det att göra med att det är mer okej nu än då att bryta och ifrågasätta genusmönster. Grupptrycket bland barnen spelar enligt pedagogerna en stor roll i val av kamrater, lek, aktivitet och vem som ska vara ledare i kamratgruppen.

Obwohl Identitätsentwicklung und Ablösung-Individuation in Eltern-Kind Beziehungen als verbundene Aufgaben psychosozialer Reifung gelten, sind sie in der psychologischen Forschung relativ unabhängig voneinander behandelt worden. Darüber hinaus sind Langzeitstudien im jungen Erwachsenenalter selten, obwohl sich hier Autonomie und Identität voll entwickeln und qualitative Veränderungen in Eltern-Kind Beziehungen stattfinden. Aus diesem Grund umfasst die vorliegende Dissertation eine differenzierte, dynamisch-entwicklungsbezogene Integration von Eltern-Kind Beziehungen und Identitätsentwicklung im Übergang zum Erwachsenenalter, die sequentielle und reziproke Zusammenhänge zwischen Komponenten, Mechanismen, die diese Zusammenhänge erklären und Determinanten interindividueller Entwicklungsunterschiede beschreibt. In einer längsschnittlichen Untersuchung an Studierenden, wurden die vorgeschlagenen Zusammenhänge getestet. Zusammenhänge zwischen agentischen Eigenschaften, reifer Verbundenheit mit Eltern und Identitätssicherheit zeigten das vorhergesagte Muster reziproker Verstärkung, indiziert durch die Vorhersage eines Anstiegs in Verbundenheit durch Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugungen und reziproke Assoziationen zwischen Verbundenheit und Sicherheit bezüglich / Identifikation mit Identitäts-Commitments. Abgelöstheit von Eltern und Identitätsunsicherheit waren relativ unabhängig voneinander. Es wurde argumentiert, dass eine situationsspezifischere Messung eventuell stärkere Zusammenhänge hervorbringt, da stressvolle Situationen kurzfristige Selbstunsicherheiten erzeugen und Annährungsverhalten auslösen. Es wurden Vorschläge gemacht, wie zukünftige Forschung auf diesen Ergebnissen aufbauen könnte, indem sie die vorgeschlagenen Sequenzen und Mechanismen unter Nutzung von Langzeitstudien mit multiplen Messzeitpunkten über Adoleszenz und junges Erwachsenenalter hinweg testet und Eltern als interaktive Agenten mit eigenen Identitäts- und Ablösungsthematiken einbezieht. / Although identity development and separation-individuation in parent-child relationships are widely perceived as related tasks of psychosocial maturation, they have been treated relatively independently in psychological research. Furthermore, longitudinal investigations in young adulthood are very scarce although this is the age period where autonomy and personal identity fully develop and significant, qualitative changes in parent-child relationships take place. Therefore, the present dissertation covers the proposition of a differentiated, dynamic-developmental integration of parent-child relationships and identity development in the transition to adulthood that describes sequential and reciprocal associations between components of identity and relationships, mechanisms that could explain these associations, and determinants of interpersonal differences in development. In a 2-Wave longitudinal study on young adult students, the proposed longitudinal associations were tested. Associations between personal Agency, Mature Connectedness with parents, and Identity certainty showed the predicted pattern of reciprocal reinforcement, indicated by the prediction of an increase in Mature Connectedness by self-efficacy beliefs and by reciprocal associations between Mature Connectedness and certainty about and identification with identity commitments. Separateness and identity uncertainty were relatively independent. It was argued that a more situation-specific and short-termed measurement might provide stronger association because stressful situations might cause momentary self-uncertainty and trigger affiliation-seeking. Recommendations were offered on how future research might extend upon these results by testing the proposed sequences and mechanisms using longitudinal studies with multiple assessment points across the adolescent and young adult years and by incorporating parents as interactive agents with their own identity and separation issues.

Children begin to develop their understanding of gender in preschool, yet there is a dearth of research focused on understanding how preschool teachers affect the gender identity development of young children. Guided by Rokeach's belief systems theory, this qualitative case study explored the pedagogical strategies and perceptions of 4 Sacramento County, California preschool educators related to the gender identity development of young children. Interview data were collected and coded to derive 12 participant-specific themes and 3 common intersecting themes, which showed that teachers' perspectives on gender identity development were influenced by social rules, biases, and a lack of pedagogical knowledge related to more expansive definitions of gender. As a result of the lack of pedagogical knowledge, there was only 1 gender-related instructional strategy concerning gender roles, and this strategy was used by only 1 of the 4 respondents. Although they may have shown confusion relating to aspects of gender, these preschool teachers demonstrated a genuine interest in learning how to create safe spaces for gender exploration in the preschool classroom. These findings have led to the creation of a professional development series designed to educate preschool teachers about gender identity development, provide them with opportunities to develop curricula, and allow them to reflect upon their cisgender-related biases. Educators, administrators, and policymakers may find it useful to apply the results of this study and resultant project when creating educational programs and college-level curricula and policies. The results could also help educators create affirmative educational environments for all children, regardless of their biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression.

This qualitative study explored the experiences of self-identified White students currently enrolled at a predominantly White institution who were cross- racially involved for at least ten weeks in a multicultural association, club, or organization that had students of color as the racial majority. This study also examined students' consciousness of Whiteness and the development of students' White identities based on their cross-racial experiences. Utilizing a sample of 4 students in concert with a review of relevant literature, the principal findings of this research are that cross-racially involved students have heightened awareness of difference based on race, including their own White racial identity. Although racial tension exists between individuals' White identities and the collective organization’s multicultural identity, White students who were more deeply involved in multicultural organizations indicated that they (a) had a higher sense of belonging with their peers of color, (b) became more conscious of their Whiteness both inside and outside of their multicultural organizations to a certain degree, and (c) desired to more completely understand their ethnic heritage. Findings from this study can contribute towards literature on the development of racial justice allies in college. In order to influence racial justice ally development at a predominantly White institution, findings from this research suggest that student affairs administrators should encourage White students to engage in multicultural organizations so they can understand how their Whiteness "shows up" for others including the impact of privilege and oppression in a multicultural society. / Graduation date: 2012

This study explored teachers' perceptions of intelligence of 11th-grade Black male students and how students themselves perceived their own intelligence in light of Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence. Qualitative research methods were used to gain novel understanding of the students' and teachers' feelings, and perceptions as outlined in the research questions. Two versions of ecological systems theory provided the underpinnings for the framework of this study: 1) Brönfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, and 2) Spencer's PVEST (Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory) model, which is an adaptation of the ecology model to Black students in the United States. In a large urban school district in the Southeast section of the United States, twenty-six students completed an online survey of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences. Seven Black male students were selected and interviewed along with ten of their teachers. The study found that despite the negative stereotypes toward Black males by society, the Black male students in this study interpreted intelligence to be multifaceted and perceived themselves as intelligent Black males. The teachers of the Black male students perceived them as intelligent and also interpreted intelligence to be multifaceted. The Black male students were resilient in debunking the idea that Black males were not considered intelligent in a society where negative Black male stereotypes abound.

Based on the experiences of a number of teachers and tutors, the overall purpose of this study is to contribute to knowledge about multilingual study guidance. The purpose is specified by the following questions: What experiences do teachers and tutors have of the importance of study guidance for the language, knowledge and identity development of multilingual students and what challenges do they face? What descriptions do teachers and tutors give of how multilingual study guidance can be organized and implemented and what challenges do they face?  The method for this study is qualitative semi-structured interviews in seven focus groups consisting of 10 tutors and 19 teachers in grades 1–6. The perspective of the study is sociocultural and the result is interpreted based on the hermeneutic approach. The result of the study shows that the informants agree that study guidance favors language, knowledge and identity development of multilingual students by enabling students to strengthen and develop their mother tongue and second language in parallel to the development of subject knowledge. Through the opportunity to mediate their knowledge and thoughts, the students' sense of identity is strengthened and developed. Futhermore, the informants describe that multilingual study guidance is most commonly carried out during the lessons as well as in mathematics and social and science subjects. Several informants, mainly teachers express an uncertainty about how study guidance can be organized and implemented and what effects this will have on the development of multilingual students. The challenges that the informants in the study experience is that aspects of time and organization make it difficult to find forms of cooperation between teachers and tutors for the planning and evaluation of multilingual study guidance.  The conclusion is that cooperation between teachers and tutors and knowledge of multilingual study guidance increase the multilingual students’ opportunities to develop.

This research seeks to adopt a post-foundationalist practical theology paradigm, as discussed by J C Müller, in order to create a bridge between the three concepts of the pastoral care perspective, the narrative perspective based on social-constructionism and post-foundationalism. Furthermore, I made use of Müller’s seven movements of methodology which laid a strong foundation to base my research on regarding married migrant women living within Korean multicultural families. Korean society which is a homogeneous culture is currently facing many challenges as a result of becoming more and more multicultural. These multicultural issues are becoming major social and political issues in South Korea. The main reason that South Korean society has become more multicultural is because of intercultural marriages which have also resulted in an increase in multicultural families. These migrant women are faced with many kinds of discrimination and prejudice as a result of their different appearance, culture and language. Furthermore, Korean culture often deprives women of having any position above men especially once they are married. After being married a woman should become invisible, voiceless, and nameless in order to become culturally acceptable. This often results in a migrant woman feeling stressed, fearful, isolated and alone which often results in the development of a low self-esteem, a lack of self-confidence and a low self-image. In my research, I sought to listen to and identify the stories of migrant women, namely foreign women who have married Korean men with a focus on the impact on their identities within a Korean multicultural family through a narrative perspective in order to have a positive growth and outcome from their intercultural differences within South Korea. I decided to view my co-researchers not as co-researchers but as companions on a journey which we could undertake together. The use of the metaphors ‘journey’ and ‘companions’ seemed to give my companions the freedom to speak more openly and placed us on an equal level. Furthermore, I not only discovered my companions’ identities through their own stories, but also developed my companions’ true identities/multi-identities through the broader, inter-relational stories of other people within multicultural communities through a six step process of Listening to the voice, Gaining voice, Giving voice, Finding alternative voice, Retelling voice and Creating future voice. I made use of the narrative approach in order to listen to my companions so that a unity would exist between their past, present and future stories. As I listened to the stories of my companions from a narrative perspective new possibilities were opened which lead to alternative and future stories. Furthermore, my companions were given the opportunity to find themselves and make new identities on the real journey of life. Through the process of my research I also developed a multicultural identity model specifically for married migrant women in South Korea, but ultimately the purpose of my research was not to show or develop a multicultural identity model regarding migrant women, but was more to help these migrant women find their identities themselves and in this become self-empowered to become contributors to Korean society. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Practical Theology / unrestricted