Summary of Life Course Theories (a.k.a. The Developmental Theories)
1
Rites of Passage
• It is believed that the progression into adulthood is a gradual process marked by dis7nct and unique RITES OF PASSAGE • Rites of passage are stages of life marked by dis7nguishable rituals • Rites of passages marks our progress from one status to another • What are some rites of passages in our culture?
Interaction of Clocks & Adulthood • Age of Majority: 18 • The transi7on to adulthood is dictated by the interac7on between a variety of interac7ng systems
• Chronological age • Physical Maturity: sexual maturity, physical dev.
• Psychological Maturity: matura7on of brain and mature way at looking at the world
• Social clocks: Social conven7ons and social norms
• Which do you think is the most important in the transi7on to adulthood?
The Inconsistency of Chronological age and adulthood
• Chronological age is no longer a good marker of adulthood or maturity
• Biological clock has sped up and due to improved nutri7on body is maturing at a quicker speed
• As a result, young teens are aPaining sexual maturity at a younger age
• The social clock is also difficult to use as a marker of adulthood because social clocks are ever-‐changing due to social changes.
• The social clock is a marker of adulthood in a specific 7me and place
Developmental Theories of Adulthood
• Developmental theories aPempt to explain paPerns in life and changes in behaviour, cogni7on, perspec7ve, etc
• Developmental tasks are stressed • Comple7on of task dictates progression to another stage
• Behaviour and transi7on is dependent on inner psychological changes in response to life circumstances
Three categories of Life Course Theories
• Erik Erikson, Jane Loevinger and Jeffery Arnett
• Family Life Cycle theory and Daniel Levinson
• Klaus Riegal and Lenard Pearlin’s
6
Seven Theories: 1. Erik Eriksons 2. Klaus Riegel’s 3. Jane Loevinger’s 4. Carter and McGoldrick 5. Lenard Pearlin’s 6. Daniel Levinson’s 7. Jeffery Arnetts
7
• Developmental theories use an… • As individuals progress through life, they face role
expectations that challenge them to develop.
• These theories describe predictable changes in the behaviour of individuals or families
8
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• For the growing individual, peer groups change and the focus of relationships shifts
• from self-centered view to include a more world-view
• All persons progress through the life cycle at their own pace, but there are approximate age ranges when these changes occur 9
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow
10
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs • Maslows theory is usually shown in a pyramid,
with the most basic needs for survival and safety at the bottom and progressing to the more abstract need for fulfillment
11
12 http://ghybe.oise.utoronto.ca/repository/1089410000/EasyAsPi.html
Development Theories examine how social and psychological areas evolve and develop at different stages in our lives
13
Erik Erikson • Erik Erikson was the first psychologist to describe
predictable stages of human development from childhood through adulthood
14
Erik Erickson Eight Stages of Life • According to Erickson the matura7on of our iden7ty emerges through life as we pass through age specific tasks • At each stage the individual is presented with a dilemma. The manner in which this dilemma is resolved will dictate the manner in which they develop through that stage of development • We are pushed through the stages by our bilogical clock and social clocks (What society expects of us) • By posi7vely resolving the dilemma we are acquiring the necessary psychological maturity and skills to master the tasks and dilemmas of the next stage of life • Failure to resolve a dilemma will have impact later on in life and at different stages
Erik Erikson • At each stage person is challenged by new situations and
circumstances in life.
• This is what is known as a Dilemma.
16
Erickson in action
• What are some developmental tasks in adolescence?
• Iden7ty forma7on (Who am I • Rela7onships (roman7c and peer) • Self-‐esteem issues • Independence • desiring and achieving socially responsible behaviour
• acquiring a set of values as a guide to behaviour
• Discuss how the inability to master these developmental tasks in adolescence will impact later stage
Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion
• Adolescents are like liPle scien7sts performing social and personal experiments on a daily basis
• As adolescents we aPempt to define who we are
• We experiment with different faces • We toy with different roles in an aPempt to see which role fits with our inner being of who we are
• We also experiment with different beliefs and social behaviours
• This is an aPempt to begin to form our iden7ty
• Here the overall dilemma is trying to is trying to merge your iden7ty with someone else. In order for this to be successful your iden7ty needs to be formed in as an adolescent.
Early Adulthood Dilemma: Intimacy vs Isolation
Adult Dilemma: Generativity vs. stagnation
• The challenge of this stage is how one’s behaviours contribute to society • Having children, job,
volunteer, etc assist in feeling as a contributor to society • Who you are? Who you
want to be? Who you want to be with? Questions that are to be dealt with in adulthood
Think about Examples of Generativity vs. Stagnation
Jane Loevinger
• Identified ten stages in the formation of the ego (achieved by FEW adults)
• Full ego development occurs when a person develops an autonomous self.
• Autonomous Self – A self-reliant person who accepts oneself and others as multifaceted and unique
24
What is an Ego? • Freud proposed the concept of an ego which is the understanding of oneself • We all have an idea of who we are and this idea of oneself begins in infancy as we begin to view ourselves as separate individuals
Jane Loevinger: Ego Development and Adulthood
• As adults we begin to perceive ourselves as autonomous individuals • We begin to define ourselves and see ourselves as separate beings yet
connected beings • As adults we are attempting to transcend the conformist stage of life were we
behave, believe, etc in extremely “trendy” and stereotypical manners (conformist stage)
• Every is black or white • Adults begin to view the world in a different way and are more abstract in their
perspectives on life • They begin to accept differences and understand the variations that exist among
humans • Loevinger termed this the conscientious stage • In order to accept differences in others we need accept ourselves and have a
clear sense on who we are • This is a prerequisite for healthy intimate relationships
Jane Loevinger
• Adolescents are at the conformist stage • What do you think this mean?
• Young adults are at the self-aware stage • What do you think this mean?
• Adults are at the conscientious stage • What do you think this mean?
• These stages are determined by an individual’s… 27
Jane Loevinger: Stages Conformist Stage (Adolescents) – View life in a stereotypical ways when classifying human experience so they can see where they belong. Conscien0ous Stage: (Adulthood) – Individuals are able to appreciate others as individuals in reciprocal rela7onships. Self-‐ Awareness Level (Early/Emerging Adults) Between Conformist Stage and Conscien7ous Stage.
28
Are you aware?
• As you reach the stage of adulthood what issues/differences have you become aware of? How do you think your opinions on such issues have transformed since your early adolescent years (conformist stage)?
The Family Life Cycle • Adults find themselves separa7ng from the family unit • What do you think cons7tutes healthy separa7on from your family as you aPempt to enter adulthood?
Three Factors Needed 1. Adults must form an iden7ty separate from their family.
Individua7on – Iden7fy what they will take along and/or leave from their family/ 2. Emo7onal Support -‐ Young adults must develop in7mate rela7onships with peers outside their family. 3. A commitment to Career or workplace role is needed.
31
Steps to separation from Family cycle
• This process involves sorting through what you have learned from your earlier experiences and “ingesting” the positive while disregarding what did not work. In this process we begin to contemplate what form of life we want to lead as individual adults.
Klaus Riegel
• Development does not occur in predictable stages, but as the individual adjusts to internal and external chages
• Four interrelated internal and external dimensions of development: • Individual psychological dimension • Individual biological dimension • Cultural-sociological dimension • Environmental dimension
33
Klaus Riegel • A change in one dimension requires an adjustment in one or more of the other dimensions
34
Leonard Pearlin • The uniqueness of continuous change for individuals is
important in personal growth.
• Not a believer in stage theories; development is a lifetime continuous change.
• Placement with society such as…are guides for movement
into adulthood.
35
Leonard Pearlin 4 elements determine the path an individual will take.. 1. Individual Characteristics
2. Ability to cope stress 3. Social Support networks 4. The nature and timing of stress that requires response.
36
Levinson: Seasons of Life Era of Early Adulthood lasts 25 years. Begins near the end of high school (17 years old) and ends with the transi7on to middle age (early for7es). Cri7cal Period: 22 to 28 years of age (entering adult world) He iden7fies 4 major tasks during this period. 1. Forming a Dream and giving it a place in the life structure.
2. Forming mentor rela7onships
3. Forming an occupa7on
4. Forming love rela7onships, marriage and family. 37
Daniel Levinson
• Success in adulthood begins with separation from the family and beginning individual stages in life thus creating one's own life structure
• …between adult child and parents must occur for an
individual to enter adulthood
38
Daniel Levinson
• 22-28years – individuals build the structure for their life,
forming a dream, mentor relationships, an occupation and love relationships
• Age 30 transition – 28-33years, re-evaluate their life structure from their early twenties, make changes before its too late, the settle down
39