The theory of James Marcia is an effective tool, which describes decision-making related to one’s career. It is based on the notions of commitment and a crisis (Kim E, 2016). A commitment is the course of actions one takes to reveal the preferences of specific activities. A crisis, in turn, complements it by including the thinking process, which facilitates decision-making. The possible combinations of these two elements, high or low, create four categories.
A crisis and a commitment describe the way a person makes decisions in a career (Kim E, 2016). The low crisis and low commitment result in diffusion, which means the lack of both thinking and acting. When the commitment turns too high, it becomes a moratorium. The low crisis and the high commitment lead to foreclosure, and when both commitment and crisis are high, the situation is defined as an achievement.
Diffusion happens when a person does not consider any options and takes no action for them.
Moratorium defines the period of searching for suitable activities and trying them without making long-term decisions. Foreclosure refers to the choice of wrong occupations under the influence of other people or erroneous beliefs. However, there is a perfect method, which is known as an achievement, and it results in satisfaction from work.
My personal experience can be described as the combination of moratorium and achievement or MAMA cycle. My first intention was to be a welder, and I spent ten years studying and practicing it. At some point, I realized that, although it was the right choice for me, there is no development in this sphere. Hence, I changed it to nursing as it seemed to be appealing to me. This decision is also right for me at this time, and I am satisfied with my choice.
References
Kim E. (2016). James Marcia’s Adolescent Identity Development [Video]. YouTube. Web.