Identity maturation posits the development of a person’s core identity across the lifespan. This perspective comes from identity process theory and research highlighting the lifelong processes of identity assimilation, accommodation, and balance. These processes are responsible for addressing change in the sense of self, over the course of adulthood, in the person’s sense of identity as increasingly represented to others in society. Although personality may be stable, a person’s self-knowledge and relations with others undergo alterations throughout adulthood. Identity maturation in a profession is represented by the development of a cohesive viewpoint of the professional self and efficacy in practice from growth of cognitive and moral reasoning.
Published in Chapter:
Identity Growth in the Professions
Andrew G. Stricker (Air University, USA), Todd Westhauser (Air University, USA), David J. Lyle (Air Education and Training Command, USA), Charles Christian Lowry (Air University, USA), and Travis S. Sheets (United States Air Force, USA)
Copyright: © 2019
|Pages: 33
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-9679-0.ch002
Abstract
Identity theory and research offer important insights for helping to guide the development of professionals across the lifespan of service vital to the public's wellbeing. A developmental framework is introduced as a guide for professional identity growth along dimensions of cognitive and moral reasoning. The framework includes literacies, spanning the dimensions, associated with social intelligence, leadership, competencies, and mindsets. Insights from research are offered for supporting the use of the framework with developmental instruction of professionals to promote higher levels of identity growth and maturation associated with improved judgment and behavior. Instructional practices are also described for helping professionals transition effectively to higher growth levels for use by coaches, mentors, and instructors. The profession of arms is highlighted for illustrating and applying the developmental framework in the context of a profession.