Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out “Peer group Relationship and Identity formation among Adolescence in Higher Institutions”. Based on the statement, peer group relationships have brought about the influence of adolescent behaviours in searching for their identities in their being. Due to peer group influence, it has been notice that it disturbs students from achieving their academic goals caused by negative peer influence.

A descriptive survey research design was used on a sample of sixty-five (65) students using the simple random sampling technique. A questionnaire was used for the collection of data. The respondents were required to strongly agree, agree, strongly disagree, disagree to peer group relationship, course group and its influence, and identity formation.

The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics particularly frequencies, averages, and percentages. The first objective, which was to assess the influence of peer group relationships and identity formation among adolescence which implies that most of the respondents hold the view that studies are enhanced when they study with their friends.

The second objective aimed at finding out the influence of course group relationship in the life of adolescence which an average number responded positively to the question being asked regarding their interaction.

The findings showed that the relationship among adolescent peers has an influence on their identity development which arises from some causes which could be stress, depression, rejection, and anxiety. It was therefore concluded that test anxiety arises from many causes and affects students negatively on their identity development, but it can as well be managed or reduced in order to improve upon their interaction.

It was recommended that there should be sensitization of students on the kind of peer groups to keep, how to avoid negative peers so that there can be positive identity formation resulting from peer groups.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction

An early view of the development of adaptive behaviour during childhood and adolescence suggested that such outcomes stemmed largely from the quality of the child’s relationship with his or her parents and from the types of socialization practices that the parents engaged in this primary focus on the developmental significance of the parent-child relationship and of parenting practice was proposed early by Freud (1933).

Having friends allows sharing experiences and feelings and learning how to solve conflicts, not having friends leads to social isolation with limited social contacts as there are fewer opportunities to develop new relations and social interaction skills. Friendship metis is also a positive associated with psychological well-being (Ueno, 2004).

School is a setting where interpersonal relations are promoted, which are important for youngsters’ personal and social development (Eumi et al., 2009). It is responsible for the transmission of behavioural norms and standards which represents an essential role, the adolescent socialization for transmission of behavioural norms, standard and harmonious development between adolescents which makes it a privileged space for adolescence (Bapstista, Tome, Matos, Gaspar, and Cruz, 2008).  This chapter is concerned with the problem statement, research questions, and objectives, scope of the study, significance of the operational definition of terms.

Background of the Study

Historically, over the years there had been an issue with adolescence asking “Who am I”? the combination of physical, cognitive, and social changes life choices to be faced famously called an identity crisis (Erickson, 1968). He uses the term “crisis” to mean a turning point rather than a period of profound or debilitating uncertainty. He acknowledges that identity formation is the critical developmental task of adolescence.

At this stage, parents may feel bewildered at rapid changes in which their adolescent children appear to be as reflected in such things as musical taste, appearance, friends, romantic partner decision making, and moral conduct (Erickson, 1968).

There is no key differences that adolescence differs among conduct, that is no teenagers often see themselves differently when they are with parents and teachers than they are with peers Middle adolescence ages 14-16, in particular, is often marked by behaviour that change depending on where they are and whom they are with, for example being outgoing with friends, but shy at home (Steinberg and Morns, 2000)  as evidence accumulated over the second half of the 20th-century researchers came to several conclusions about the nature of peer relations in adolescence.

The nature of peer relations in adolescence. The basis for these conclusions has been covered in greater detail in previous reviews (Berndt and Murphy, 2002; Brown, 1990, Bukowski and Adams, 2005; Savin –William’s and Berndt, 1990).

Peer group relationships become more salient in adolescence. The transition from childhood to adolescence engenders changes in the individual, social context, and social norms that set to elevate the importance of peers. young people become likely to spend more time with age mates, often with reduce oversight by adults, and opinions of peers complete with adults as they put greater stock in the expectations and opinions of peers complete with adults as a significant source of influence on adolescent attitude, activities and emotion well-being (Berndt and Murphy, 2002).

With the transition to adolescence, peer relations grow more complex. Concomitance with the growing importance of the peers is an increase in the complexity of the peer system. New types of relationships emerge in adolescence most notable, romantic relationships and new levels of the per system become apparent such as reputation-based crowds or broader youth culture in selecting friendship groups, young people grow more sensitive to the ramifications of specific relation for their status or reputation within the broader peer system.

In other words, young people must negotiate peer relationships and issues on a broader set of levels than their identity in childhood. This prompts researchers to differentiate more carefully between dyadic and group relations and to distinguish among type dynamics within friendship cannot be expected to be equivalent to the dynamics within other dyadic connections; romantic relationships like the feature of interaction based friendship like friendship groups are likely to differ from those reputation based crowd affiliations.

Although different types of relationships or levels of peer association are distinctive, they remain interdependent for example, openness to and success in ran finder romantic relationships are contingent on experience within the friendship group and friendship norms (Furman, and Konarski, 2000 and finder, 1997).

Friends and friendship groups are characterized by similarity, which is a product of both partner selection and influence.

A fundamental feature of friendship is that partners share many characteristics in common. Through systematic research investigators have a background, taste, value, and interest propel individuals to select each other as friends, and as these characteristics are affirmed within the relationship, the relationship and the partner are likely to grow even more similar to each other (Cohen 1977; Kandel, 1978).

Identity formation among the profound and existing changes taking place in adolescents is the self-discovery our teens are working to figure out who they are making adolescent identity development a central feature of teens life young people identities are shaped by lots of factors, family, culture, and societal expectations, experiences with institutions like school and the media and friends .young people also take active steps and make a choice that shapes their identity. They select the environments and people they want to be around, they adjust their beliefs and behaviours based on feedback, and reflect on all of this while working to figure out who they are (Adam and Mashall, 1996).

Conceptually, peer group consists of people or individual that are with ages that are close in a year, for example between rang of one to 3years the school serve as a primary setting for the membership of peer group, they may be in the same class, sex and interaction is also equal.

It is generally observed that peer group has a lot of influence on adolescence on how they review themselves in associating with others through their status feel more comfortable and relax among fellow students a child who is brilliant is mingled with dull children will obviously be deviated from his zone.

The concept of personal continuity or personal identity refers to an individual posing questions about themselves that challenges their original perception like “who am I”.

The process defines individuals to others and themselves factors make up a person’s actual identity, including a sense of continuity, a sense of uniqueness from others and occupation .These group of identities demonstrates the human need for affiliation or for people to define themselves in the eyes of others and themselves (Katz, 1960).

Identities are formed on many levels. The micro-level is self-definition relations with people, and issue as seen from a person or individual perspectives; while the meso-level pertains to how identities are viewed, formed, and questioned by immediate communities and or families. The macro-level is the connections among and individuals and issues from a national perspective, the global level connects to individuals issues and groups at the world.

Contextually, Peer group relationship has been an important context in development during adolescence, less is known about how peer group influences the identity of the individual in a given environment (Blumenfeld, 1992 and Ryan 2000). In adolescence, a self –comparison with pees become important when adolescent try to associate their identities with their peers (Hill, Bromell, Tyson and Flent 2007).

Members of the peer group can model their behaviour according to group norms therefore peer groups can model their behaviour according to group norms. Therefore peer groups can have a significant impact on adolescent development (Steingberg  and Moris, 2001). A peer group not only provides emotional support for adolescence but also provides a social status necessary for his or her identity development (Nawaz, 2011).

Theoretically, the following theories will be used; Erik erison’s theory of Identity vs Role confusion and Albert Bandura’s theory of Imitation.

Statement of the Problem

The identity formation of the students in higher institutions has brought the need to investigate the factors influencing Relationships among peers; due to peer group influence, it has been noticed that it disturbs students from achieving their academic goals caused by the negative influence of peer groups relationships in higher institutions in Fako.

In the Fako division, some students in higher institutions have been faced with an inferiority complex and other detrimental behaviours from their peers due to wrong orientation and exposure by their friends. This, therefore, tends to influence their psychosocial behaviour thereby influencing their identity. This study is therefore aimed at investigating the influence of peer group relationships on the identity formation of students in higher institutions in the Buea municipality in order to recommend measures to boast students’ identity among their peer groups.

General Objective of the Study

The main objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of peer group relationships and identity formation in higher institutions in the South West region of Buea Cameroon.

Specific Objectives

1. To assess the influence of peer group relationships on adolescent identity formation in higher institutions in Buea
2. To investigate the influence of course group in the lives of adolescence in higher institutions in Higher Institutions in Buea
3. To identify the causes of wrong identify formation by adolescents in higher institutions in Higher Institutions in Buea