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Chap 2 Adolescence

This document discusses the needs and problems of adolescence. It notes that adolescence ranges from 11-18 years and is a period of physical and psychological changes. The document outlines the primary physiological needs like food, water, rest and sex. It also discusses secondary socio-psychological needs including the need for security, love, approval, freedom, and self-expression. Some key problems of Indian adolescents mentioned include perplexity over physical changes, intensified sex-consciousness, adjustment difficulties with parents and community, and conflicts between childhood and adulthood roles.

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Safi Sweet
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360 views

Chap 2 Adolescence

This document discusses the needs and problems of adolescence. It notes that adolescence ranges from 11-18 years and is a period of physical and psychological changes. The document outlines the primary physiological needs like food, water, rest and sex. It also discusses secondary socio-psychological needs including the need for security, love, approval, freedom, and self-expression. Some key problems of Indian adolescents mentioned include perplexity over physical changes, intensified sex-consciousness, adjustment difficulties with parents and community, and conflicts between childhood and adulthood roles.

Uploaded by

Safi Sweet
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ADOLESCENCE:

NEEDS AND OF ADOLESCENCE


An individuals needs and problems influence his development to a great
extent. At adolescence - a period ranging in most children from 11 18
years, but earlier in onset for girls than for boys a number of physical
changes occur which can be a source of great embarrassment and perplexity
to children. Adolescence is a crucial period in the life of an individual with its
characteristic needs and problems of adjustment. Every adolescent has
certain needs, the satisfaction of which is essential to his continued physical
and others aspects of development. A need is a tension within an organism
which must be satisfied for the well being of the organism. When a need is
satisfied the tension is released and the individual experiences satisfaction.
There are certain basic needswhich are functioning in every individual. They
are broadly classified into Physiological needsand Psychological
needs.

Primary or Physiological Needs: The fulfillment of physiological needs


are inevitable because they are concerned with the very existence of the
individual. The need for oxygen, need for water and food, need for rest and
sleep, need for sex gratification etc. are the important physiological needs.
Secondary or Socio-Psychological Needs: Needs that are associated
with socio-cultural environment of an individual are called secondary needs.
They are acquired through social learning and their satisfaction is necessary
for the psychological well being of the individual. The important sociopsychological needs are as follows:
1.
Needs for security :
economic

The adolescent need emotional, social and

security in addition to physical security. The person who lacks the feeling of
security may become maladjusted. The need for social security is associated
with mans desire for gregariousness.
2.
Need for Love :
psychological

Affection or love is one of the most basic

needs of the adolescents. Adolescents have a strong desire to love and


to be loved. The individual who is not loved will not deep proper attitudes

and concepts concerning his own worth. Proper love will strengthen the
individuals feeling of security.
3.
Need for approval :
adolescents. His

There is a carving for recognition in

ego gets satisfaction when he is recognized and approved. The adolescent


desire that he should be a centre of attraction for the opposite sex and his
abilities, intelligence and capacities should be recognized by others. The
teachers should find out the field in which the pupil can shine very well and
which help him to earn admiration from others.
4.
Need for freedom and independence :
time when the

Adolescence is a

individual is striving to wean himself away from the control of parents and
elders. He want the right to give expression to his feelings, emotions and
ideas. He feels annoyed and unpleasant when restriction is imposed on him.
5.
Need for self-expression and achievement : Every adolescent has
an inherent
desire for the expression of his potentialities. He may have a poet, musician,
painter etc. hidden within him and he want to get adequate opportunities for
the expression of his potentialities. He experiences satisfaction when he
succeeded in them and failure makes him depressed and disappointed.
Hence the curriculum should be appropriate for every pupil so as to permit
achievement for him.
Problems of Adolescents with special reference to Indian context
Any period of development is likely to be accompanied by many potential
difficulties. Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood
that implies many development changes and associated problems. Some of
the outstanding problems of Indian adolescence are the following:
Perplexity with regard to somatic variation: Every adolescent has more
or less difficult task of adjusting to somatic variation which may occur in
connection with puberty. The follow of blood during menstruation in girls and
nocturnal emission in boys creates worries and give birth to so many fears
and anxieties. Since ours is a conservative society, youngsters are less
informed about the physical changes that are occurring during puberty. Lack

of scientific information about sex hygiene and philosophy make them to


satisfied with crude and perverted knowledge about sex related matters
Problems related with intensification of sex-consciousness: The
sudden awakening of sex instinct during adolescence results in
intensification of sex consciousness. Adolescents are curious to know about
sex related topics and are seeking answers to their innumerable doubts in
sexual matters. In our country most of the parents are illiterate and they do
not have scientific knowledge of sex problems. Moreover, our social values
are different from that of western countries, and hence parents hesitate to
discuss sex problems with their children. So the adolescents resort socially
unacceptable ways to quench their curiosity and to satisfy their sexual
needs. There is also the misguiding of print and electronic media that finally
results in sexual maladjustment in adolescents
Adjustment difficulties with parents: Adolescents have a strong for
freedom and independence. But often it is obstructed by parental
oppositions. In Indian context, parental opposition may extend to such areas
as choices of friends, choice of education, recreational interests, dress, lifestyle, our of going from and coming to the home, mode of behaviour etc. The
conflict between parental norms of behaviour and peer group relationships
often lead to friction in the relationship and adolescents find it difficult to
adjust to the needs and demands of parents. Failure to adjust with the
parents may result in revolting against parents and authority.
Childhood-Adulthood Conflict:
In our society, the adolescent is
considered as neither as a child nor as an adult. He has to depend his
parents and elders for his physical and emotional needs. But at the same
time he wants to hold independent views and opinions like an adult. He can
very well manage his own affairs and resist any unnecessary interference
from the part of elders. He begins to feel ashamed and embarrassed for the
protection and care shown by the parents. He is often treated in an
ambiguous manner by parents and teachers. Sometimes they expect him to
behave as an adult and at other times, they treat him as a child. The poor
adolescent is caught between the role of the child and the adult, which push
him into confusion and tension.
Adjustment difficulties with school discipline :
Most of the
adolescents face a great problem in adjusting with school discipline. Some
times schools expects too much from students who must submit to teachers
who may be tyrannical sometimes. Schools should not implant habits of

unquestioning obedience that inhibits the growth of young people towards


true independence.
Adjustment difficulties with community:
The adolescent is
expected to find his place in a society marked by increasing social isolation
and rapid technological changes. This changing world make it difficult to
anticipate and plan for adolescent life. They have difficulty in adjusting their
capacity to the demands of the community. At this critical phase most
adolescents react by withdrawing into a non-demanding and non-working
world of pleasure and satisfaction.

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