Contemporary Dialogue

Abstract

Identity development has been identified as the key developmental task of adolescence but it is a lifelong process that extends beyond adolescence and its continuation during adulthood needs more exploration. This paper gives an overview of the different ways in which identity unfolds from adolescence into adulthood. An attempt has been made to better understand the life stage of early adulthood as the time for identity development. The idea of ‘emerging adulthood’ as proposed by Arnett (2000) is analysed as it applies to youth in India. The psychosocial theory of Erikson and Marcia’s follow up work has been taken as the basis to understand the process of identity development.