Life Task Pursuit in Social Groups: Balancing Self-Exploration and Social Integration

Abstract

Personal well-being and resilience are contingent on the ability to negotiate and successfully pursue personal goals through life tasks and opportunities afforded by one's social environment. Our research addresses these processes by examining college students' participation in campus groups. We investigated simultaneous strivings toward the development of a distinct personal identity and toward social integration. Specifically, we argue that group participation is critical to selfdefinition because its enables personal exploration within the context of a network of stable social relationships. We also demonstrate that individual goals interact with group structure in shaping the nature and extent of group engagement. We conclude that successful resilience of self is a reflection of balance in life task participation, in which individuals integrate personal self-development with maintaining social connections.;Personal well-being and resilience are contingent on the ability to negotiate and successfully pursue personal goals through life tasks and opportunities afforded by one's social environment. Our research addresses these processes by examining college students' participation in campus groups. We investigated simultaneous strivings toward the development of a distinct personal identity and toward social integration. Specifically, we argue that group participation is critical to self-definition because its enables personal exploration within the context of a network of stable social relationships. We also demonstrate that individual goals interact with group structure in shaping the nature and extent of group engagement. We conclude that successful resilience of self is a reflection of balance in life task participation, in which individuals integrate personal self-development with maintaining social connections.;