This study investigates the relationship between youth and society in terms of Erikson´s identity crisis theory of youth. The core concept of Erikson´s ethics is responsibility. On one hand, society has a responsibility to provide free environment and opportunities for the youth to explore. If the youth is oppressed by society, he will become alienated. On the other hand, the youth has also a responsibility to explore and ascertain his values, and then commit himself to the society. In this way, his meaning of life will be affirmed and his identity will be formed. Based on the preceeding conception, a causal model of identity development of college students is proposed.
The subjects are 972 students from colleges and junior colleges. The findings are as follows:
1. The causal model of identity development was found to be relevant for Chinese college students.
2. Most of the students(98.3%)have a sense of responsibility. The girls´ sense of responsibility is stronger than that of boys, especially on the subscales of "Abiding by Social Norm" and "Care for Society".
3. One-third of the students feel powerless. The boys´ feeling of powerlessness is stronger than that of girls, and the college students are found to be stronger than junior college students on this variable.
4. There is a negative relationship between responsibility and powerlessness among students.
5. Three types of student subculture are identified in terms of the degree of responsibility and powerlessness. They are "Ative type" (65.3%), "Powerless type"(33%), and "Alienated type" (1.7%). The students of the last two types are probably experience an existential vacuum and an identity crisis, as judged from their responses on two measures.
Based on the preceeding findings, some recommendations for policymaking and practices in youth guidance and service are offered.
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College Students´ Sense of Responsibility and Ego Identity: An Ethical Analysis of Erikson´s Ego Identity of Youth
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