RicERCatori in Evidenza - Adolescence and identity: who am I?
More than two thousand adolescents attending high schools in Emilia-Romagna followed by a team of psychologists to shed light on identity formation processes during adolescence and how these are influenced by everyday contexts: this is the essence of the IDENTITIES research project, coordinated by Professor Elisabetta Crocetti of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bologna.
Professor Crocetti, what are the goals of the IDENTITIES research?
IDENTITIES (Managing Identities in Diverse Societies) aims to study how Italian and foreign-born adolescents develop their identity in a society that shows an increasing level of diversity, both ethnic and cultural. In particular, we are interested in understanding how adolescents’ interactions in the different spheres of life and socialisation (family, friendships and peer relationships, school, leisure time) affect the definition of their identity and, consequently, their physical, psychological and social well-being.
What are the elements that make this research innovative?
The experimental approach adopted is multi-method based, i.e. data collection is carried out using different methods (questionnaires, interviews, newspaper analysis) and also by means of an actigraph: a completely non-invasive medical device similar to a wristwatch for monitoring sleep quality and duration. It is also multi-information based, i.e. data is provided both by adolescents and by informants (parents, teachers, headmasters of the schools attended by the participants, councillors of their municipalities of residence).
These are all involved in the research and represent a privileged observation point as they are familiar with the life contexts of adolescents. Finally, the adolescents are followed up over time, with annual, monthly and even daily evaluations.
What challenge does IDENTITIES respond to? What are the benefits to society?
This research aims to understand how ethnic and cultural diversity can represent a resource, and not a threat, in the process of defining personal identity and the sense of belonging to a group. Understanding how the everyday experiences of Italian and foreign-born adolescents affect their integration and well-being therefore has important social implications. For example, the project examines how the school context can play a privileged role in fostering inclusion, or how the way the topic of migration is addressed in newspapers or discussed in the family can influence the cultural orientation of adolescents.
When you heard that the project had won ERC funding, how did you feel? What does this recognition mean for your research path?
I couldn’t believe my eyes. So much so that I asked my husband to reread the communication. Through the ERC funding, I was able to form a research group and share my passion for studying identity formation processes in adolescence with a new generation of researchers.
How far has the IDENTITIES research project come?
The project started in May 2021 and has a five-year duration. During the first year we involved schools, teenagers and families. At the same time, we developed a synergistic relationship with the territory, collaborating with the Regional School Office and with various services of the Emilia-Romagna Region that operate in the field of education, culture and social and youth policies.
Instagram contact
https://www.instagram.com/identities_erc/
RicERCatori in Evidenza is the column dedicated to the University of Bologna's cutting-edge research funded by the European Research Council-ERC and its protagonists.