Final answer:
Individuals typically become acutely aware of their ethnic or racial identity during early adolescence. This phase coincides with exploration of personal identity, influenced by socialization and environmental factors. Understanding of sexual orientation also usually emerges during this stage.
Step-by-step explanation:
Individuals first become acutely aware of their own ethnic or racial identity typically in early adolescence. This awareness is often magnified for teenagers who are members of ethnic minority groups. Racial socialization, which includes teaching children the positive aspects of their in-group usually by caregivers, plays a significant role in shaping how they feel about their in-group. However, this can vary based on the family's processes and how much emphasis they place on racial and ethnic identity. Rogers and Meltzoff (2017) suggest that for children around 10 years old, gender identity may be more important than race, indicating that racial understanding is an evolving process through childhood into adolescence.
During adolescence, young people are engaged in the task of identity versus role confusion, trying on different selves to see which ones fit. This developmental stage is essential as adolescents ask themselves "Who am I?" and "What do I want to do with my life?" Their success in this stage results in a strong sense of self and identity. In contrast, those who do not actively search for identity or feel pressured to conform may experience role confusion and have a weak sense of self.
Furthermore, individuals become aware of their sexual orientation also in early adolescence, this recognition often coincides with the broader understanding of ethnic and racial identity. Geographic location and social environment can significantly impact the perceptions and salience of ethnic identity. Government forms and social encounters frequently ask people to categorize themselves in terms of race and ethnicity, reflecting the socially constructed nature of these categories.