Feminist Protests †1960s and 1970s Activist Movements

Different Aspects of Schizophrenia Essay - 1126 Words

Different Aspects of Schizophrenia The devastating mental illness of Schizophrenia is a major concern of modern medicine. Schizophrenia associates any one person with multiple problems. These problems include delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized behavior (Long 1999). The illness is a disease of the brain that is explained clinically as, disease of the mind, a simple explanation given by Nancy Andreasen (1999). It is important to understand that there are different types of this mental illness as well. The different types are the paranoid, catatonic, disorganized, undifferentiated and the residual type. In cases of the paranoid type preoccupations with one or more delusions or frequent auditory hallucinations occur. The†¦show more content†¦This is not for lack of effort. Literally hundreds of causes have been proposed (Davidson 1995). They include viruses, accidental injury before and after birth, as well as illicit substances. However, only inherited factors are generally accepted as signifi cant causes. Evidence for such factors comes from everyday experience: It is common to find families with several affected members. While such clustering could also be due to shared non-inherited environmental factors, more convincing evidence has come from twin studies, as well as studies of ill individuals who were adopted away before the onset of illness. These studies do not suggest inherited factors as the sole causes (Mitchell 1991). As stated by Nancy Andreasen (1999) Schizophrenia is probably caused by these multiple environmental stimuli and a combination of inherited genes. A more reasonable explanation is that there are individuals who have an inherited proneness to illness. Such individuals may fall ill, if in addition, they are exposed to obnoxious factors in the environment such as drugs. It has already been proven that in the causation of diseases like diabetes and raised blood pressure. It is important to stress that statistical analysis does not support the presences of a single genetic factor in this scheme. Rather, the inheritance is probablyShow MoreRelatedThis Paper Will Discuss Different Aspects Of Schizophrenia.1841 Words   |  8 PagesThis paper will discuss different aspects of Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is an illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and acts. It affects each person differently both on a daily basis and over a lifetime. Living with schizophrenia may make it harder manage your feelings, think clearly and deal with other people on the daily basis. Many people who battle with this disorder have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary. Schizophrenics have a hard time in socialRead MoreSchizophrenia And Its Effects On Society1464 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to World Health Organization schizophrenia is listed as the second highest contributor to overall burden of diseases. Schizophrenia is one of the most tragic diseases a human being can be afflicted with. The disorder involves disturbances in perception, thought, behavior, language, emotion and communication. The onset of symptoms begins most commonly in people who fall in the category of late teens to early twenties. In the United States alone one half to two and a half percent of the populationRead MoreThe Issue Of Child Onset Schizophrenia Essay1612 Words   |  7 Pages SOWK 506- Fall 2015 Assignment #3: Child Onset Schizophrenia Becki Kennedy and Mary Marrone USC School of Social Work December 11, 2015 Martha Lyon-Levine Introduction This research paper focuses on the issue of child onset schizophrenia, specifically looking at the prognosis, symptoms, stigma, and most effective treatment options for children. 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The psychological disorder schizophrenia is one of the many psychological disorders that people suffer, this disorder includes several different types of symptoms, and it is characterized by disorganized thought, perception and behavior. There are several treatments for this disorder, which include different medication, but in this particular case John Nash helped to hisRead MoreThe Lack of Insight in Schizophrenia1653 Words   |  7 PagesThe Lack of Insight in Schizophrenia In my lifetime, I have spent months with my Grandmother, Florence Ernstead, who is a diagnosed paranoid delusional schizophrenic. During this time I have realized that schizophrenics have difficulty realizing the seriousness of their disorders. This inability to acknowledge a problem is known by psychiatrists as lack of insight. Many psychotic patients, especially schizophrenics, display a lack of insight into their disorder (Keefe 9). Lack of insight refersRead MoreSpirituality, Religion And Schizophrenia Essay1398 Words   |  6 PagesSpirituality, Religion and schizophrenia Often psychiatrist treat patients with schizophrenia disorders who are religious or have some form of spirituality. The focus of the psychiatric care has been shifted from treating mental illness to caring for people who manage their own mental illness. Therefore, it is necessary to include an emphasis on the spirituality and religiousness of those with chronic mental illness and the role that it plays in their care. Spirituality and religiousness has beenRead MoreSchizophreni The Disturbing Mind Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pages Schizophrenia: The Disturbing Mind Riley A. Herwig West Georgia Technical College Abstract In this paper, I will thoroughly explain the devastating disease known as Schizophrenia. I will provide what the disease is, who is more likely effected, the symptoms of the disease, any known treatments, including medications and different types of therapy. After conducting my research, I have discovered the devastating effects of this disease and the turmoil those who suffer fromRead MoreTo What Extent Neurotransmitters are Implicated In Schizophrenia1232 Words   |  5 PagesImplicated In Schizophrenia During the course of this essay. The effects of Schizophrenia will be discussed, and whether or not neurotransmitters have a major implication in the diagnosis of such a disease. First we will look at the neurotransmitters, and how they develop. Followed by the biological implications towards Schizophrenia. Concluding with empirical evidence to support or disagree with the different aspects that effect the prognosis of Schizophrenia. NeurotransmittersRead MoreThe Biological And Psychological Explanations Of Schizophrenia1405 Words   |  6 PagesIn this essay I will try to explain schizophrenia and talk about the main biological and psychological explanations, also showing how similar and different they are. Schizophrenia is defined in the oxford dictionary as a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behaviour, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental

Reflection on Nursing Care

Question: Demonstrates the impact of reflection on future practice through critical thinking and synthesis of ideas . Evidence of the identification of personal values and beliefs on caring as a nurse. Clear linkages of the creative representation in the reflection on values and beliefs . An engaging and clear creative representation of person-centredness within your practice and an application of the Synthesised Model of the Communication of Caring in Nursing Participation in online forum discussion . Relevance to practice ( /20) Analysis of how ordinary nursing practice that may be perceived as extraordinary. Evidence of how the creative representation will enable your future practice to be authentic to your values and belief . Answer: Reflection on Nursing Care Nursing is considered as a fusion of science and art wherein the theoretical framework is formed by caring. Caring and nursing are based on a relational understanding, connection and unity between the patient and the nurse. The art of caring in nursing is based on the metaphysical and empirical knowledge that forms the science of nursing (Robinson 2014). The personal values and beliefs on caring as a nurse include human dignity, justice, privacy and human relationship. These values and belief form the spiritual and humanistic approach to the art of caring in the nursing profession (Boyd 2013). Justified intentional care, competence and compassion forms the core of caring and nurses are expected to develop these qualities while being in their profession (Robinson 2014). This assignment is a critical reflection of the personal values and beliefs on caring as a nurse of a situation that was based on a geriatric care ward for a patient with dementia, following Bortons developmental frame work. I am a registered nurse working in the medical ward of a multispecialty hospital and this reflection is about an incident where I perceived an ordinary practice of nursing as extraordinary. This reflective incident is about a 70 years old patient named Harry suffering from dementia and started at 7:30 am when my shift starts. It is common for the elderly to develop diseases like dementia and Alzheimers disease with the increase in life expectancy (Fong et al. 2015). Dementia is a condition where the mental ability gets declined and interferes with the activities of daily life like communicating, thinking and memory. This patient was aged and was suffering from a long time without much improvement in his condition and I was involved in his nursing care. From this situation, I was providing the essentials of nursing care for an elderly patient with dementia as the process was challenging and it is quite difficult to manage the patients without having an appropriate understanding of the disease process (Peters, Villeneuve and Belleville 2014). I made active participation in the caring process by providing a safe environment for the patient and it was very much important to treat them with respect and maintain their dignity (Baborie et al. 2012). Person centered care was adopted for providing care to the patient as it is beneficial for the patients of dementia since they are considered as individuals rather than focusing on their disabilities and illness. It helps to treat the patients with respect and dignity (Brooker and Latham 2015). Harry was happy on my arrival and when I approached him for a bath, he became forgetful and confused and it is necessary for the nurses to supervise the patients of dementia during the process. Although the process went smooth, it got derailed at the end when he was asked to leave the bath as he started shouting with swearing and personal insults as he did not want to get out. From the incident, I developed mixed feelings as I belie ved that a previously happy patient turned agitated and distressed due to my actions and this evoked a feeling of guilt that made me upset. Although I was aware that mood swings are a part of dementia, however, considering his condition of ill health made me sad. However, I was happy that I eased the situation and was able to calm him down. This entire situation was ordinary from the perspectives of a registered nurse as they are used to the aggression of the patients of dementia, however, my perception and learning from the incident made it extraordinary for me. When Harry was informed about the changes in his behavior after he was pacified and how I handled the situation, he perceived the situation as extraordinary as well. Although it was my duty to handle such situations with care and kindness, he was surprised how someone can be kind when the patient is going rough and abusive. This was the perception of Harry of my patient centered care for his dementia and he perceived my ord inary nursing care as extraordinary. The outcome of this perception was beneficial for the treatment as he co-operated with me in his other care processes. During my process of pacifying Harry, I had a number of things going on in my mind. I was trying to apply the knowledge and theory of nursing care to get over this embarrassing situation created by Harry during his bath. His reactions were based on the thought that he will be allowed to do whatever he wish without any restriction and my actions were based on the scientific and ethical grounds of nursing care. On stopping him, he outburst with anger and this somewhat frightened and shocked me. However, the reaction was handled with care and I was there with him to calm him down as it was my professional and ethical obligation not to abandon the patient during the process of nursing care (van der Steen et al. 2013). According to the person-centered nursing framework, I was expected to provide holistic care and engagement to the patient and this was the reason I could not leave the patient on his time of discomfort. I was aware of the knowledge of the nursing care for the patient with d ementia and in such cases of patient anger, the most effective way to handle the situation is redirection of the topic in a firm and calm manner (Borson et al. 2013). This will ensure patient safety and reduce his confusion of expression of thoughts and following instructions. However, distracting his attention towards some other direction with the help of playful activities could have served the purpose effectively and made the situation better (Baborie et al. 2012). From the situation, I understood that even trivial events could bring about sudden changes in the mood of the patient with dementia that can even lead to aggression that has to be handled with appropriate patience and care, without leaving the patient. The broader issue that needs to be considered in this incident to make it successful is based on the critical analysis of why and where it went wrong that caused Harry to get angry Patients with dementia needs to be communicated in a way that makes them comfortable, based on the principles of person centered care of nursing (Borson et al. 2013). During his bathing process, if I communicated with Harry with small talks to distract him, the embarrassment could have been avoided (Catic et al. 2014). The consequence of this action could have made him feel ease with the situation and he could have avoided the verbal aggression (van der Steen et al. 2013). From this incident, I learned this skill which I will implement in my future cases of nursing care for the patients with dementia. I also realized that the curricula of the nursing schools should expand to include the courses on gerontology and geriatrics for providing specialized training for preparing the future nurses to provide optim al care to the patients with dementia and avoid such embarrassing situation to confuse and aggravate the patients. By reflecting on this incident, I have identified the gaps that I had in my knowledge regarding the nursing care of the patients with dementia that I bridged as the treatment progressed. Using Bortons developmental framework through action and reflection enabled me to develop the knowledge that is required in the practice of nursing (Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper 2001). Action and reflection as the core values enabled me as a nurse to work with the patients suffering from mental health and support their families by enabling mutual learning and co-production of the knowledge (Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper 2001). In this reflection, I used the framework of my theoretical knowledge and practical experiences to get over the problematic situation and established a dynamic theory of nursing practice. References Baborie, A., Griffiths, T.D., Jaros, E., Momeni, P., McKeith, I.G., Burn, D.J., Keir, G., Larner, A.J., Mann, D.M. and Perry, R., 2012. Frontotemporal dementia in elderly individuals.Archives of neurology,69(8), pp.1052-1060. Borson, S., Frank, L., Bayley, P.J., Boustani, M., Dean, M., Lin, P.J., McCarten, J.R., Morris, J.C., Salmon, D.P., Schmitt, F.A. and Stefanacci, R.G., 2013. Improving dementia care: the role of screening and detection of cognitive impairment.Alzheimer's Dementia,9(2), pp.151-159. Boyd, M.D., 2013. The Art of Nursing: Preserving History. Brooker, D. and Latham, I., 2015.Person-Centred Dementia Care: Making Services Better with the VIPS Framework. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Catic, A.G., Mattison, M.L., Bakaev, I., Morgan, M., Monti, S.M. and Lipsitz, L., 2014. ECHO-AGE: An innovative model of geriatric care for long-term care residents with dementia and behavioral issues.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association,15(12), pp.938-942. Fong, T.G., Davis, D., Growdon, M.E., Albuquerque, A. and Inouye, S.K., 2015. The interface between delirium and dementia in elderly adults.The Lancet Neurology,14(8), pp.823-832. Peters, F., Villeneuve, S. and Belleville, S., 2014. Predicting progression to dementia in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment using both cognitive and neuroimaging predictors.Journal of Alzheimer's Disease,38(2), pp.307-318. Robinson, S.G., 2014. True presence: Practicing the art of nursing.Nursing2015,44(4), pp.44-45. Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D. and Jasper, M., 2001.Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: A user's guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave. van der Steen, J.T., Radbruch, L., Hertogh, C.M., de Boer, M.E., Hughes, J.C., Larkin, P., Francke, A.L., Jnger, S., Gove, D., Firth, P. and Koopmans, R.T., 2013. White paper defining optimal palliative care in older people with dementia: a Delphi study and recommendations from the European Association for Palliative Care.Palliative medicine, p.0269216313493685.

Research Paper on Youth Identity and Schooling Instructions Essay Example

Research Paper on Youth Identity and Schooling Instructions Essay Youth Identity and Schooling Instructions Introduction The concept of identity traditionally evoked numerous discussions since this concept contributes to the better understanding of the essence of human self and its formation. Obviously, the concept of identity is essential to research, and it opens new opportunities to understand what can influence the formation of the personality of an individual, his/her character, beliefs, views, opinion, etc. At the same time, it is necessary to underline that the concept of identity is often criticized since it is possible to estimate that the concept of identity imposes the external influences on the formation of the personality as determining factor, while other factors, basically concerning the internal world of an individual are practically ignored. At any rate, whether one supports the concept of identity or not, it is still necessary to remember that the human identity and human â€Å"self† are not the same things for the latter seems to be a wider notion which incorporates not only the notion of identity which, to a significant extent defines self, but it also implies the development of an individual independently from the process of identification with certain community, culture, nation, etc. In such a way, self-reveals the major weakness of the concept of identity and its limitations. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Youth Identity and Schooling Instructions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Youth Identity and Schooling Instructions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper on Youth Identity and Schooling Instructions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Nevertheless, the concept of identity is worthy of profound research because it can be very helpful in the understanding of young people’s experience of school. To put it more precisely, the concept of identity helps better understand the process of formation of an individual in school and the impact of the social surrounding as well as the education system at large on the formation of the individual’s identity and self. In such a way, it is necessary to analyze the concept of identity, understand its essence, and critically evaluate this concept to reveal the major strengths and weaknesses of the concept of identity. After that, it will be possible to fully reveal the significance of the concept of identity for the understanding of young people’s experience of school. Basic implications of the concept of identity In fact, the concept of identity is quite complicated, and it is hardly possible to give a universal definition of this concept. Nevertheless, it should be said that the concept of identity, as many specialists agree (Russell, 2002), is of a paramount importance and its existence cannot be denied. Also, it is worthy of mention that the concept of identity implies that an individual’s personality is shaped under the impact of his social surrounding and external influences of his cultural surrounding, norms, and beliefs accepted within a particular community the individual lives in. Gradually, in the course of the formation of an individual, he acquires the existing social and moral norms accepted in his community and, what is more, he attempts to identify himself with this community to get integrated into it and lead a normal social life. Otherwise, i.e., if an individual fails to identify himself with certain social groups, he is doomed to become a kind of outcast, who does no t belong to any community and leads an asocial life, though it does not necessarily mean that he is some criminal or his behavior is antisocial. In fact, such an individual is simply lost for community as well as the community is lost for him, but such cases are rather exceptional than normal and, as a rule, practically all individual are normally socialized and, consciously or not, acquire their own identity which actually unites them with the rest of the community and make them feel a constituent and inseparable part of this community. At the same time, it should be said that nowadays there are a lot of discussions concerning the problem of defining human identity and human ‘self’. But the question is not new. A specific feature of the contemporary research and discussion is that the main characteristic of these notions is that they are constantly changing. Furthermore, a significant influence on human identity and ‘self’ produce the society people live in. Among those who support this point of view may be named Zygmunt Bauman and Erving Goffman. They have some common points in their views on the problem of identity, human â€Å"self†, and human society. However, the views of Bauman are particularly interesting for the analysis of the concept of identity since this researcher focused on the problem of the holocaust in the context of modern society and, in this respect, it is also possible to refer to Goffman’s research of German society and the influence it produced on indivi duals. These researchers, referring to the extreme points in the development of human society as well as in the formation of human identity perfectly reveal the essence of this concept and the extent to which human identity may be affected by the surrounding culture and social environment of an individual. In fact, an individual’s identity may be shaped by his environment to the extent that he attempts to belong to the community even though its norms and rules, at the current moment of development, contradict to basic human values or even human nature itself, promoting intolerance, discrimination, and simply genocide as it was in the case of Holocaust. At the same time, this problem is also important for the modern society since it helps better understand the formation of human identity. Bauman is famous for his works dedicated to the problem of modern society and separate individuals which he analyzed in two of his works â€Å"Modernity and the Holocaust† and â€Å"Modernity and Ambivalence.† He believes that modern society tends to be a society of order in which science and reason play the main role. At the same time, this tendency influences identity and force individuals to adapt to the changing society. At this point, he is close to views of Goffman who analyzed the Nazi period in German history and came to the conclusion that Germany was a solid mechanism, an asylum or total institution as he said. According to this point of view, individual’s identity and human â€Å"self† are changing and depending on the changes in the society and social conditions around people. In other words, the concept of identity is not static, in stark contrast, identity is constantly changing, and these changes are the reaction of an individual on the evolution of his socio-cultural environment. This means that an individual can hardly avoid the impact of society and, therefore, he is susceptible to the external influences which affect his identity. Moreover, an individual has a natural need to feel that he is a part of the community for he cannot live in complete isolation from society. Otherwise, he could not lead a normal social life and become some sociopath. As a result, an individual’s identity is affected by the changes in the surrounding world and adapts to new socio-cultural norms whatever they are, if these norms are accepted by the overwhelming majority of society. Actually, Bauman, on analyzing the processes that take place in modern society and paying a particular attention to study of Holocaust during World War II, indicates that in the modern world identity and human ‘self’ disappear in the context of rapid political and social changes like it happened in Nazi Germany and Jewish population of the whole Europe when there was a shift in human identification and their ‘selves’ as well as perception of representatives of other people as a ‘lower, worse race’. One of the conclusions he makes after the analysis of holocaust and its influence on human ‘self’ and identity is that the process of changes is practically a never-ending process and now it is characterized by a tendency to orderly organized society. In this respect, it is particularly important to refer to the researches conducted by Goffman concerning German society and human identity and â€Å"self† at the period of World War II. He attempted to trace what happens to an individual who enters a total institution. Germany at large could be treated as a giant organism where the order was everything and might be called a total institution because of its high organization and bureaucracy. Nazi tended to establish a new order in the whole world, and according to Goffman’s views, it would necessarily involve the evolution of identity and human â€Å"self† of each. In such a way, the researcher proves the profound impact of the socio-cultural environment and dominating ideology on human identity since he underlines that the dehumanization of German society at the period of World War II was basically the result of the dominant ideology and Nazi propaganda which affected identity of each provoking either positive or , what was rarer negative reaction on the changes in the life of German society. Eventually, this led to the probably greatest tragedy in the history of mankind but, what is more, this led to considerable changes of human identity, which under the impact of external factors, simply transformed individuals in puppets in the hands of Nazi puppeteers who controlled all spheres of life, including education, and, therefore, could influence the formation of individuals’ identity. Actually, Goffman states that in order to survive in any kind of social order an individual has to engage in a continuous process of evaluating the demands and expectations made upon him or her, and attempt to satisfy those by presenting an acceptable behavior to the outside world, in such a way adapting to a new social order (Russell, 2002). He also gives several examples which he treats as extremes in such a situation. For instance, he describes the story of a boxer, Rocky Graciano who was moving from one institution to another, and everywhere he tends to fight the system until he joins the boxer club in prison. Since that time on he stopped fighting against the system and was completely absorbed by it. On the other hand, he draws another extreme example that is a story of Robert Maxwell who plays according to the system’s rules but finally his ‘self’ rebels. His official ‘self’ became unbearable for him, and he committed a suicide been unable neither to play the system nor to oppose it. Thus, Goffman depicts two possible extreme ways out either to be absorbed by the system or be withdrawn. It may be projected to Bauman’s study of Holocaust. It is quite obvious that both Germans and Jewish had to adapt to new rules of the system created by Nazi. At this context quite noteworthy is a disbelief of Goffman in the ability of collective actions to change the system or the situation somehow in favor of individual’s identity or ‘self,’ to protect them from cruel rules. To prove it he draws examples of Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Treblinka in which groups of inmates have managed to gather enough strength and against the worst odds sabotage part of gas chambers. But even those who survived people have managed to do this only because they were in groups and played by their rules. In spite of the fact that the research discussed above involve the experience of the epoch of World War II, they are extremely important for the contemporary world. As it has been already mentioned above, such notions as identity and human ‘self’ are changing, and such specialists as Bauman and Goffman believe that they are dependent on the system existing in the society that force individuals to adapt to it. In this respect, Holocaust and German history during the Nazi period may be treated as evidence of this statement. What is more, these historical examples indicate to the great role the concept of identity may play in the life of society at large, and each in particular since individuals’ identity is shaped under the impact of their surrounding. This is why an individual’s identity may change respectively to existing social norms and existing social structure. In such a situation, it is obvious that it is possible to create conditions in which a limite d group of people that have all the power in society can influence the development of human identity and shape it according to their interests. It is necessary to underline that this risk is not a myth nowadays. In contrast, it is quite probably, taking into consideration the increasing role of media and the fact that they increase their influence on the formation of identity while education can hardly resist to the negative influences of students environment. In such a situation it is really important to perfectly understand the significance and essence of the concept of identity to better understand students’ experience of school and attempt to minimize negative and increase positive influences of their socio-cultural environment. However, it will be impossible to do without the analysis of basic strengths and weaknesses of the concept of identity. Strengths of the concept of identity Speaking about strengths of the idea of identity, it is necessary to underline that this concept refers to the natural need of an individual to be a part of the community. To put it more precisely, the concept of identity implies that an individual, as a social being, cannot live in complete isolation from the rest of society. Consequently, an individual needs to get integrated into the community he lives in to lead a normal social life. In this respect, the concept of identity helps better understand the process of individual’s integration and external factors that influence his integration in the community and, what is probably even more important, the factors that influence the formation of his self. It should be said that an individual is a dependent being and the concept of identity explains the mechanism of the formation of his id the identity in the result of the influence of his socio-cultural environment. In this respect, it is necessary to underline that one of the strong points of the concept of identity is the fact that this concept reveals the irrevocable power of the social surrounding of an individual and its influence on his identity to the extent that an individual cannot resist to the influence of the existing social norms, rules, regulations, cultural traditions, and customs. As a result, an individual, as a rule, is not even conscious of the fact that his self and his identity are influenced somehow, and that is actually not his own rules and norms in accordance with which he lives but it is rather the rules and norms that are imposed on him, on his identity by society. Furthermore, it should be said that the concept of identity also reveals the changing nature of human self and its dependence on the changes in the socio-cultural environment. To put it more precisely, the changing nature of the concept of identity helps explain the changes that occur in individual’s views in the course of his development and throughout his life. In practice, this means that the concept of identity gives a reasonable explanation why individuals can change their views even in the adulthood or late adulthood when their character and personality at large are shaped. In such a situation, the concept of identity proves the fact that individuals constantly react to the changes in their socio-cultural environment and adapt their behavior respectively to the changes that occur in society. In such a way, due to the idea of the changeability of identity, it is possible to understand the fact that human self, human personality constantly evolves and it cannot be a rigid structure. In other words, an individual cannot be a programmed machine or, to put it more precisely, an individual cannot be a machine once programmed and being unsusceptible to reprogramming or changes. In this respect, it is possible to speak about another strong point of the concept of identity, namely about its role in the revealing the possibility of negative impact and the opportunity of the establishment of the total control over an individual from the part of a state or a limited group of people that have the power and are able to control various spheres of the life of society, including economy, politics, and education. The research of Nazi regime and its comparison to modernity are particularly noteworthy since they fully reveal the danger of such a situation when human identity is practically manipulated by a criminal regime that leads to dehumanization of each and the entire society. In fact, the concept of identity, helps better understand the ways in which human self may be influenced and, therefore, the understanding of the concept of identity gives ample opportunities to avoid blindfold programming of masses of people by means of education, for instance, since as educators fully realize the role and significance of identity and how it is shaped they can also influence its formation in a positive way. Consequently, the concept of identity turns to be quite strong since it is based on the social nature of human beings and their need to be a part of the community they live in. This concept reveals the possibility of manipulation and influence on the formation of human identity and, what is more, it helps better understand the extent to which such manipulations may be dangerous. Moreover, the concept of identity helps understand that an individual’s identity may change not only in the result of some manipulations but also in the result of any changes in social life and existing social order. This is why the concept of identity contributes to the more careful attitude to the implementation of radical changes which can affect the identity of each. This is particularly important since the formation of identity and external influences occur unconsciously for an individual, who sincerely believes that his views, ideas, opinion are exclusive of his own and not imposed on him by his socio-cultural environment. Weaknesses of the concept of identity Naturally, the concept of identity cannot have only strengths, and like any other theoretical concept, it is susceptible to criticism revealing weak points of this idea. In fact, the concept of identity is not an exception in this respect and has certain weaknesses which may decrease the significance of its impact on the formation of individuals’ personality and their life and behavior at large. First of all, it should be said that the concept of identity implies the irresistible need of an individual to feel that he is a part of the particular community. In other words, this concept implies that an individual needs to identify himself with the certain socio-cultural formation which has its own rules and norms. In practice, this means that an individual does not simply want to get integrated into any community but, moreover, he wants to share the same values, traditions, norms, culture, etc. only by the necessity of his identification with the community he lives in. As a result, the concept of identity makes the socio-cultural integration even more important than the process of socialization itself. What is meant here is the fact that it is still quite an arguable point that an individual does need to identify himself with some community. Instead, it is possible to presuppose that it is just a normal process of socialization when an individual simply tends to live in accorda nce to the existing norms that are accepted within a particular community without regard to its essence. In this respect, the idea of changeability of identity may be a kind of response to criticism of the concept of identity, but it is still worthy of reminding that nowadays, the problem of the loss of identity is often discussed (Chriss, 1993). To put it more precisely, the current trends prove the fact that modern society gets more and more integrated and various communities tend to unification and the creation of the new, universal community. In fact, this is a part of the process of globalization that affects the formation of individuals, but, at the same time, it is important to underline that such loss of identity indicates to the fact that people or their identities can change to the extent that they cannot simply identify themselves with any particular community. Instead, they simply become a part of the world community where the problem of identification with a particular social group is practically irresolvable. As a result, the essence of the concept of identity is a questio n, i.e., if there is a problem of the loss of identity than it would be logical to presuppose that the role and significance of identity was exaggerated since, in the modern world, people, originally having different socio-cultural background and, therefore, different identity, can normally live in multicultural community and feel their unity partially preserving their uniqueness and partially integrating in the new, global community. As a result, the concept of identity turns to be susceptible to changes to the extent that it can simply vanish in the process of the formation of the new, global community which leads to the loss of socio-cultural identity of individuals related to a particular and unique community or culture. In perspective, it is possible to speak about the formation of the community that will unite people of the entire world and, in such a situation, the concept of identity loses its significance even more because the only community individuals will need to identif y themselves with will be mankind. In such a way, it is obvious that the concept of identity should not be bound solely to the unique socio-cultural background of an individual, but, instead, it should incorporate all the external influences society produces on the individual. Though in such a situation, the existence of the concept of identity seems to be doubtful for there is actually no really motivated need of an individual to identify himself with the particular socio-cultural background but simply the natural need of socialization and acquisition of the essential social skills, learning existing social norms in order to lead a normal social life and adapt his behavior to the existing social norms. Anyway, being a part of the community is not necessarily equal to the identification with the community. It is another weak point of the concept of identity, which exaggerates the external influences on an individual and minimizes his internal power and inclinations. In this respect, it should be said that an individual cannot be dependent on his social environment because each is a unique personality. At any rate, it is obvious that whatever the community is and regardless the extent of its impact on an individual there are no identical individuals. Naturally, people may be similar in their behavior, share similar beliefs, have similar ethical and moral norms, etc. but still they are different. This difference is determined by individual, internal peculiarities of each person and it has nothing in common with the concept of identity. Otherwise, all people would be the same and they would be programmed machines without their own will and deprived of independent judgments. Obviously, such a situation is practically impossible and even the arguments of the supporters of the concept of identity that there were totalitarian regimes that totally controlled people and shaped their identities are not very convincing since even in Nazi Germany as well as in any other totalitarian state there was opposition, there were dissidents who did not want identify themselves with dehumanized community. The importance of the concept of identity in understanding young people’s experience of school Nevertheless, in spite of certain weaknesses of the concept of identity, it is still very important in understanding young people’s experience of school. In fact, whether one supports the concept of identity or is skeptical about it, it is hardly possible to deny that people strongly tend to social integration and they attempt to gain the recognition and public acclaim. This is why it is possible to estimate that people tend to identify themselves with the community they live in to gain the desirable recognition and acclaim. Such identification is particularly important to adolescents because adolescence is a very important period in the life of each individual which is marked by consistent physiological and psychological changes which affect the personality of an individual dramatically. In this respect, it should be said that the role of school experience increases considerably for adolescents since due to the changes that occur in this period of their development their school environment, basically consisting of their peers, grows more significant than their family environment, i.e., their parents. This means that in school, as students grow older, especially in the period of adolescence, they tend to become a part of their community consisting of their peers. In other words, they want to identify themselves with the new social group, different from that they get used to, for their family and other significant adults play less and less important role in the social life of an adolescent, while the role of peers increases considerably.As a result, they attempt to create their own, unique community, where they live according to their own rules and norms. No wonder that such trends often lead to unpredictable or even antisocial behavior of adolescents. Basically, adole scents are often dissatisfied with themselves since at this period of their life they have not really found their own identity yet but they are rather in search of it, and their attempts to identify themselves with the group of their peers may be viewed as the first relatively independent attempts to identify themselves with some social group. Naturally, educators and parents should understand these changes that occur to young people in school and react adequately to changes in adolescents’ behavior and psychology. In such a situation the concept of identity turns to be of paramount importance because it helps better understand and explain the motives of actions of adolescents, their behavior at large and, what is more, reveal their actual needs. Obviously, this can help construct a more effective model of relationships with adolescents since when educators and parents know the needs of adolescents and their motivation, it is possible to meet the demands of educators and parents to needs of students. To put it more precisely, due to the concept of identity, it is possible to create a positive school experience for young people assisting them in their efforts to find their own identity. In this respect, it is necessary to underline the important role of educators and parents in the guidance of young people in their search of the identity. Naturally, it does not mean that educators and parents should shape the identity of students. In fact, in adolescence and later, they will hardly be able to control students and shape their identity avoiding the influence of peers, but it is extremely important to guide adolescents in search of their identity and their self that is possible to achieve through establishing an effective and cooperative relationship with students. The latter goal is quite difficult to achieve but the knowledge of the concept of identity can enlarge educators’ and parents’ opportunities to influence students because the concept of identity implies that identity is changeable and, therefore, educators and parents should simply choose the proper way how to influence positively the formation of identity of adolescents. At this point, it is n ecessary to underline that the interference of educators and parents in the process of development of adolescents and form their identity should not be excessive. Instead, they should simply assist and guide but not rule adolescents. Anyway, the concept of identity is extremely important for young people in school. In fact, it is in school they made their first steps in search of their identity and, consequently, school experience is very important for them. Moreover, it is even possible to estimate that the experience they acquire in school can, to a significant extent, the further development of their identity and their personality. Even though identity is susceptible to changes, it is still necessary to remember about the great role of the adolescence and young adulthood in the formation of identity and personality of the individual. In fact, both identity and personality of an individual are shaped by the end of his schooling that proves the importance of this period in the life of each person. This means that, by the end of schooling, the identity is practically shaped and after school, it will simply change and evolve under the impact of various external factors and changing the socio-cultural environment. Conclusion Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible to conclude that the concept of identity is essential since it plays a significant role in the process of formation of an individual and affects an individual throughout his life. At the same time, it is necessary to underline that the concept of identity has both strengths and weaknesses, which should be taken into consideration to avoid exaggerating or underestimating the importance of the concept of identity. The latter is particularly important about the understanding of young people’s experience of school. In fact, the idea of identity help educators and parents better understand the changes that occur to students in the process of their development, especially in adolescence, and assist them in their formation. At the same time, the concept of identity is also essential for young people in school as well because it is where they acquire the essential social experience and the basis of their character and perso nality is created.