Research Paper on:
Connection Between Social Participation, Concept of Self, and Young People

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
among adolescents and young adults. As such, then, in an effort to enable the student to complete their paper on this subject, several criteria will be covered within the body  of the paper: prior research in the area, what is known about the topic, and possible avenues for further thought. Does there exist a relationship between self-concept and social participation,  or is self-concept dependent on other factors as well? Taking this as the main thesis statement, the student may wish to define self-concept and social participation, since these are very  broad and general descriptions. Self-concept, as it pertains to this study, is that development of self image, where moral, spiritual and physical actions play large determinant parts in creating  this image. Social participation shall be defined as those actions taken which reinforce or develop ones perception of self, either as a conscious effort on the individuals part, or unwittingly  as a matter of circumstance. As a group, teens and young adults seem to continually place themselves at genuine risk. This is one indicator that social participation is driving self-image.  Consider that for the first time in their lives they are truly able to make independent choices for themselves. As a result, many engage in highly risky behaviors such as  unprotected sex, drugs, theft, driving too fast, and thrill seeking. According to Lynn Ponton, author of The Romance of Risk: Why Teenagers Do the Things They Do, the ability to  take risks has been linked to the development of self-esteem. She believes that challenge and risk are the primary tools adolescents use to find out who they are and determine  who they will become. This testing of boundaries is a natural and normal part of the growth process, unfortunately for some teens, the envelope is pushed too far. Eric Erikson,