Summary of Life Course Theories (a.k.a. The Developmental Theories)

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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

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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

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•  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

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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

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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

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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

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Erik Erikson •  Erik Erikson was the first psychologist to describe

predictable stages of human development from childhood through adulthood

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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.

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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

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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.    

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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.    

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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

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Klaus Riegel • A change in one dimension requires an adjustment in one or more of the other dimensions

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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