Youth as the Period of Transition from Childhood to Adulthood - Essay Example

The world today is changing at a faster pace than one can imagine. It has become important to have knowledge to survive in the contemporary and competitive society. Knowledge is essential in issues like health, jobs and maintaining relationships. This helps to conduct the daily lives. Technological advancements in the society also necessitates that people are aware of the impact of technology in our daily life. Technology has changed the way people think, act, behave and communicate with each other. As technology has advanced crime and violence in the society has increased. This is due to change in the human behavior that has taken place. Crime is mostly committed by the youth. Youth is now very conscious of the different types of crimes that can be conducted and the way it can be executed. This information is easily accessible due to the technology that has advanced at a very fast pace. Thus to combat crimes and have a society where people can live without fear, where they can live with dignity, education has become important. Education refers to formal system that teaches them how to conduct their lives in a decent manner; how to interact and react with others in the society. It is found that youth has been deprived of formal education as there are numerous barriers. It is also recognized that education alone can bring about a harmonious society, a community that would think of the welfare of others before their own self. Thus it is essential to understand what these barriers are and how they can be overcome so that the youth is not deprived of education. Youth is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood and they are tossed from one state to another either because of the compulsion to abide by the norms of the society or because they undergo a mental turmoil themselves. Youth has been defined by UNESCO (2004) as persons between the age of 15 and 25. They are consistently unstable and are undergoing the period of evolution. This is precisely the age when they need the right guidance and direction how to conduct their lives. They are full of vigor and energy but they reel under the agony of indecision. Youth is a period when they have to acquire new tools to become part of the workforce and assume responsibilities in the world (Soares, 2000). The transition into adult life is a process of complex socialization with multiple influences and transfers (Pais, 2000). Accrued experience of the past assist in transition to adulthood added to which are the aspirations and plans for the future. The youth’s certainties and uncertainties are determined by the societies, economies and the culture in which they live. The changed environment has impacted their sense of self and their future prospects. Education does not guarantee a job and they cannot afford to start their own business. They thus feel insecure and lose the sense of purpose. The modern day youth is trying to make a place for itself in the society. There are many barriers that hinder the right progress or inhibit the transition of the child in to the adulthood. Many youths remain disadvantaged due to poverty, effects of hunger, live amidst instability and uncertainty and suffer from unacceptable levels of violence and homelessness. They do cherish the desire to have a proper education and work towards a career but they are unable to do so. Thus the main reason for continuing education is the financial barrier and only about 50% of the youth who begin college education end up with a degree (Shirah, 2006). Those from low and middle-income families are the worst sufferers. Education aid to the students can secure the economic future of a nation and every nation should strive to ensure that no student is left behind. Because of lack of financial resources, these youth have to work to earn a livelihood or else carry the burden of loans. Homelessness in the US is another problem that affects millions every year. The homeless cannot enroll in schools due to residency requirements, guardianship requirements, lack of transportation, lack of immunization records are some of the reasons that prevent the children from enrolling in school (NCH, 2005). Even if they are enrolled, the homeless still face barriers because of the high level of mobility and uncertainty. Since there is limit on length of shelter stays they face and also because they want to escape abusive partners. Once they change shelter they have to look for another school in the same district and face the same consequences of records once again. Hence the education is disturbed once again. According to Bowman et al., (2007) barriers to education apart from those mentioned above, include emotional crisis, the need to balance school and work, fatigue, poor health, hunger, lack of transportation, and concerns about being captured by authorities. All of these reasons are the outcome of poverty and lack of financial aid. Hence poverty is the barrier to education. The emotional crisis may be due to other reasons also apart from the financial problems. Parents are known to thrust their desires and their aspirations on the children and exert pressure to opt for a particular career. The youth demonstrate talent and skills in areas apart from formal academic studies. When they are not allowed to pursue such careers they tend to drop out of formal education system. Parents build such barriers and which make the youth rebellious. The parents need to support their child’s wild ideas instead of creating barriers, says Webb (2000). The youth should be allowed to expand their horizons. The youth is full of new ideas and they would like to build on them. When then their ideas are rejected they turn to drugs and become youth at-risk. The number of school dropouts is increasing and this has exerted pressure on the society to examine alternative values for the youth and find alternative education methods. The youth has a desire to learn but not always by the rules and norms set by the society. Academic rules and policies cannot have priority over emotions and ambitions. This alternative method that the society should adopt is through a philosophical approach. The youth have an inner urge to know more but the education and home environment do not provide for this. The youth cannot accept something if it is thrust on them or they are forced to accept it. McDowell (2006) says rules without relationship lead to rebellion. The youth need supportive relationships, closeness, warmth, connectedness, good communication and responsive attitude. The education system, the family and the community must be able to make them understand the morals and values, the obligations for service. The support system must be able to instill a sense of confidence in them that they can contribute to the society. They have the power and all they need is the courage to take the plunge. They must be taught to first learn to respect their own self. Coping skills and conflict resolution skills is essential. They must possess a strong moral character. Each experience has something to teach us as Kolb describes, “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Shields, Aaron & Wall, 2002). It is up to the individual to disseminate the information and derive meaning from every experience. This is the experiential way of learning which involves the application of the learning. The information and experience is transformed into knowledge. According to Piaget, the formal operations stage, which is from the age of 11 to 21 years, cognitive abilities develop (Wankat & Oreovicz, n.d.). Piaget says as cognitive abilities develop, it is possible to imagine what others think. The youth at this age is able to reflect, draw conclusions, decide on their own actions and plan their schedule. This is a step towards independence. This is also the age when the youth starts realizing that people in authority can make mistakes. Rather than force them to learn something by rote, if the education process could become interesting by making it easy for them to understand the concept, chances are more students would be able to retain the learning because it then becomes interesting for them. This is the age where they can be molded in the right way. This is the time when their inner consciousness needs to be awakened so that they place each step carefully in the world external to them. The youth needs support, understanding of their desires, emotions, feelings; they need someone to care for them; they do not need sympathy (Sheehan & Kearns, 1995). People argue that the Greatest Happiness Principle states that the end result should give least pain and the maximum happiness to the greatest number of people (Mill, 1863). The Greatest Happiness Principle states that any decision should bring happiness to the maximum number of people. Utilitarianism says we must always do what has the best consequences. Anything that gives happiness has instrumental value. Happiness is supposed to be good and unhappiness evil. Hence the right thing is to promote happiness. A moral act is one that produces positive results and makes the world a better place. So actions are solely judged based on their consequences. Actions are right when they promote happiness and wrong when the reverse takes place. The youth rebels when rejected which implies that this action is wrong. Duty can be imposed from oneself; it is internal, according to Immanuel Kant (Bennett, 1980). Our reason imposes rational principles on us to govern our actions. Categorical imperatives that are action from duty are moral actions. For example, preserve your own life and be honest. Such actions are performed not as a matter of principle but as a means to achieve a certain goal and hence have no moral value. If actions from duty cannot be followed by everyone as universal law, then it is not a moral act; the action is wrong. Hence studying for the sake of pleasing the parents or to attain the goals set by the parents is merely an action from duty and hence a wrong action. The youth cannot and should not be expected to give in to such parental pressures. It is only increasing the number of drop-outs each year. During the transition period the youth needs to understand the powerless and irresponsible time of the childhood from the powerful and responsible time of the adulthood. Ego identity requires taking into account all that has been learned and trying to know who you are. They have to mould them selves into a unified self-image that is meaningful within the community. During this period, in search of their identity many adolescents exhibit withdrawal symptoms, which philosopher Erik Erickson called a ‘moratorium’ (Boeree, 2006). He suggests if this happens they should take a break and try to search what one really wants. Erickson believed that ego is a relatively powerful and independent part of personality that whose main function is establishing one’s identity. It also tries to satisfy a need for mastery over the environment. At the same time, conflicts arise and it has to avoid role confusion. This crisis is not insurmountable. It is a turning point where potential is increased and vulnerability enhanced. Those with happy and encouraging experiences emerge with a strong sense of the self and with a feeling of control. Others, who are unsure of their goals and beliefs, remain confused and insecure about themselves and their future. Erickson states that all experiences need not and may not be positive but positive resolution is dominant. To make the transition smooth, there should be an adult culture with role models and open lines of communication. Rose (2004) says adolescence being the most vulnerable and impressionable age, the youth need role models and adapt from anything or anyone that is closely available – the media, parents, family or teachers. The aim of role model education is to expose the youth to specific attitudes, lifestyles or outlook. The role model can embody the values and provide a frame of reference for the youth. At this age, youth as mentioned, are vulnerable and they can see through if the role model does not believe in the values that he is trying to inculcate in them. Role model helps to bridge the gap between the ideal and reality and learning becomes experiential. It even becomes interesting for the youth. When the role models share their experience and testimonies, it becomes deeply ingrained on the minds of the youth. Lectures and preaching are difficult to conceive but when the youth actually can feel and experience, they feel motivated. The youth should be given opportunity to analyze and process the learning. A teacher does not teach but merely support. Most of the teaching is done by the self. In Kolb’s learning cycle, the learner is active (Harris, n.d.). Everyone’s circumstances are different and each one’s learning is also different. Educational researchers have highlighted the limitations of lectures even in higher education. In this case, which requires inner awakening, and which cannot be tackled by mere preaching, role playing can be very effective. This image demonstrates how effective role model can be: Source: http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&ndsp=18&hl=en&q=education+barriers&start=36&sa=N Through support and challenge, a mentor can ease the transition for the youth (Rose, 2004) as can be understood from the image here: Source: http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=mentoring&btnG=Search+Images This is not merely because the youth learns from the experience of others, but more importantly because the role model can urge them to invoke and evoke their feelings from within. He can motivate them to learn through their own experiences. The youth today are very perceptive and can see through the integrity of their role model. The youth has to be made conscious of their own actions. Learning from experience (LFE) is more closely linked to the creation of knowledge and affective knowing learned through the interpretation of experience, according to Burgoyne (1995). LFE pertains more to collective learning in social context. The transition from one phase of life to another becomes smooth. Sharing experiences in a group works better than individual learning by discovering alone. For instance if a group of boys are found to be taking drugs, which is essentially the cause of their dropout of the education system, they should be allowed to take drugs freely for a certain period and asked to observe their own reactions. The youth learns to observe their own behaviors as they occur and to reflect upon the causes and effect of their behavior. Through such constant intervention by the role model the youth will eventually realize the consequences of their own actions and how it has taken them away from the right path. Hence freedom can make the youth understand and accept their responsibility rather than enforcing rules on them. Today’s youth is impressionable and vulnerable and hence need to be handled differently. They undergo agonies and dilemmas and feel lost in the absence of emotional support. This support has to come from the family, the teachers or the community. They must be taught to reflect and introspect rather than cram rules and by heart chapters. They need to be motivated and usually a role model serves the best example for them. This makes the transition from childhood to adulthood smooth and they learn to be conscious and responsible for their own actions. Even if poverty befalls the family they would know how to handle crisis. Instead of blaming their parents they would rise to the occasion to cater to the demands of the family. The rebel in them has to be eliminated and this can be done through acceptance rather than rejection. Their ideas and ambitions have to be given support. Even if their ideas are wrong they themselves should be able to understand it through experience and reflection. If the family and the society can contribute in the balanced growth of the youth, the barriers to education would be removed. References: Bennett, J. (1980). Morality and Consequences, THE TANNER LECTURES ON HUMAN VALUES, Delivered at Brasenose College, Oxford University Boeree, G. C. Dr. (2006). Personality Theories, Erik Erickson. Available from: http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/erikson.html [accessed 03 July 2008) Bowman, D. et al., (2007). Serving Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: Understanding Their Needs, Implementing the Law. Homeless Education Preconference. Available from: http://www.fldoe.org/bsa/title1/pdf/unaccompained_youth.pdf [accessed 03 July 2008) Burgoyne, J. G. (1995), Learning from experience, Personnel Review, Vol. 24 No. 6, 1995, pp. 61-72. Harriss, C. (n.d.). Use patience in Teaching. Available from: http://phillips.personal.nccu.edu.tw/rpg/ch_role1.html [accessed 03 July 2008) McDowell, J. (2006), Ministering to Youth in a Changing Culture. Available from: http://www.ag.org/top/church_workers/age_yth_interv_mcdowell.cfm [accessed 03 July 2008] Mill J S (1863), UTILITARIANISM, What Utilitarianism Is. NCH (2005). Education of Homeless Children and Youth. Available from: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/education.pdf [accessed 03 July 2008] Pais, J. M. (2000). Transitions and youth cultures: forms and performances, UNESCO 2000, Blackwell Publishers. Rose, D. (2004). The potential of role-model education. Available from: http://www.infed.org/biblio/role_model_education.htm [accessed 03 July 2008) Sheehan, M & Kearns, D. (1995), Using Kolb: implementation and evaluation of facilitation skills, Industrial and Commercial Training Volume 27 • Number 6 • 1995 • pp. 8–14 Shields, R. W. Aaron, D. & Wall, S. (2002). What is Kolbs model of experiential education, and where does it come from? Available from: Read More