Piaget's Theory Of Biracial Development

When filling out paperwork, many don't pay much attention to the section that asks you to choose what race you are. Some only asks you to check one, so what if you are between two? To biracial people, this is a question they have to think about. Do you choose which you are more? But if your equal half and half that doesn't work. Then comes the question that some dread more than others, “What are you?” or “Which side are you more like?” Many people don't realize that having two different cultures from each of your parents, you don't have to choose, but learn to live with both. Living between both cultures can cause internal conflict about who you should be and external conflict from others to conform to a culture. But as you get older you learn …show more content…
“The pre operational stage is the second stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. This stage begins around age two as children starts to talk and lasts until approximately age seven. During this stage, children begin to engage in symbolic play and learn to manipulate symbols. However, Piaget noted that they do not yet understand concrete logic” (Cherry). Biracial children in the pre operational stage have a very similar identity to their parents because they spend most of their time with them or some sort of care giver. They don't have external conflict from peers and society yet, so many times they don't even notice or can't understand being biracial. The child is stuck by the parents side most of the time so they get pulled along to cultural or religious gatherings. So they just associate themselves with what there parents associate with, so if their parents are very religious they will be too as they don't have as much free …show more content…
Marcia states it as “The foreclosure status is when a commitment is made without exploring alternatives” (Marcia, pg. 434). These people were given an identity through their parents or some outside voice and accept it as their own. They may follow in their parents footsteps and accept their identity as their own. If their father is an Indian Doctor, they may feel that their only choice is going to be an Indian Doctor without much conflict. Certain parenting styles could be also the cause of a person foreclosing on their identity. If a parent using beatings or not letting the child show their side or go against their parents ideas, they are more likely to foreclose. The next identity status is identity diffusion, where the person is unable to realize the importance of developing an identity and live in more isolation. They have little crisis because they have very little interest in attempting to fit into a group. As a biracial teen, this would mean not taking in both sides of the culture but just repressing them because they don't have an interest in forming their identity. “As they begin to care more…they move up to the moratorium status, or they become so disturbed that they are diagnosed schizophrenic or may end up adopting a negative and self-destructive identity role” (Marcia, pg. 435). People in the moratorium status aren't committed to their