Age-Graded Decisions

In the early 20th-century, interest in the field of child development emerged. Researchers and theorists studied the ways in which children grew, learned, and, in some instances, were shaped by societal influences (Weiland, 1993). The study of child development enables us to appreciate and understand the social, emotional, physical, educational, and cognitive growth that children go through from birth to early adulthood. Grand theories attempt to organize and arrange concepts and aspects of development using a step approach. Such as that of Erik Erikson’s theory, the Psychosocial Identity Development theory, in which he addresses the development of personal, emotional, and social progression in an individual through stages (Pretorius et al., 2015). Erikson’s model for the approach of development involves the focus of overcoming conflicts that individuals encounter over the span of their childhood that influence their ego identity, or the conscious sense of self that develops and constantly changes due to new experiences and information that is acquired through daily interactions with others and events. In Erikson’s theory, he believed that each person experienced a conflict that served as a defining moment in their development that essentially shaped who they would become later on in life; he believed that unresolved problems of adult life echoed unresolved conflicts of one’s childhood (Berger, 2011).

Parents, they are the sole caretakers of their beloved children. They strive every living moment to care for, provide for, and to create a better life for their offspring. Most parents would prefer that their children follow the paths and guidance set forth by them. They teach and guide their children to the paths that they want them to follow, the paths that they believe is best for the future and well-being of their child. However in actuality, it is predominantly the child’s own decision to determine what their future holds. They may choose to follow the paths of their parents or perhaps even pave an entirely new road leading to their own destinies and dreams. Take the Wall’s family from Jeannette Wall’s memoir, Glass Castle, for instance. Even with

This theory considers external factors, parents, and society in the development of personality from childhood to adulthood. He developed a series of eight stages that he believed everyone went through over their lifetime. The third stage is the “preschooler: initiative vs. guilt. This is the stage where the child began to find purpose. Erikson described that by the age of 3, children began to deal with conflict and have a desire to gain independence. Josiah definitely went through this stage. At the age of 3, Josiah began to explore indoor and outdoor activities and let his interests be the guide to what he would pursue. By kindergarten, Josiah wanted to pick out his own clothes and wanted to choose what he would eat for lunch. Josiah and I were able to balance his decisions and my rules by compromising. I was able to pick out two outfits of my choice but allow Josiah to pick from those two choices so that he had some sort of independency. I also noticed that Josiah begin to interact with his peers better. He was able to help make up games and discuss new ideas to his teachers. Erikson’s initiative explained the development of purposefulness, trying new activities, trying out new skills, getting more involved with peers, and conscience development. Guilt, on the other hand, results in an overly strict superego related to excessive experiences such as criticism and punishment, from parents. I

While brainstorming for examples of normative age-graded, normative history-graded and nonnormative examples; I found it easier to pick out the normative age-graded and normative history-graded examples versus the nonnormative examples. I feel thankful and lucky to say this because that means I was not abused, lost my parents at a young age or anything too memorable. In fact, my nonnormative examples stray from the norm of being negative and actually are some of the most positive pieces to my life.

“In the late 1980s, Robert Sampson and John Laub stumbled across the files from a decades-old research project conducted by Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck of the Harvard Law School. This study that followed young boys from childhood into early adulthood and led them to question previous criminological research practice and develop their age-graded theory. It has been said that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Therefore, it is no surprise that, when criminologists study adult offenders, they discover almost all of them committed crimes as an adolescent. However, it is not logical to assume that everyone who engages in crime as an adolescent will commit crimes as an adult. Moreover, if one continues this faulty line of reasoning

I never felt as if one completely had a choice over their life and behaviors as a whole, because outside sources and events sometimes shape people to act a certain way or at least come off as so. For example, in elementary school there was always this one kid who would act out and completely disobey and disrespect all of the teachers at the school. He would curse and belittle them, as well as any student who was unfortunate enough as to cross paths with him. I never understood why, until his parents showed up at the school and acted the same exact way towards the teacher, completely disrupting class and shouting profanities. The same exact word choice as their son, which led me to believe that the way he was acting had been something he was taught and exposed to. Rather than being respectful and kind, he chose to act the same way his parents had towards that teacher, which makes me think that maybe that is all they taught him which led to him thinking it was okay and normal when in reality, it was the exact

As I worked my way through middle school, I would have never imagined that I would be as involved as I am today. From academic clubs like Science Olympiad and Robotics to service clubs like National Honor Society, Student Council and Key Club, my involvement in extracurriculars has been a positive challenge in a variety of ways. Key club in particular has pushed me to improve my community, expand my social life and prepare me for my future after high school.

My parents mainly wanted me to interact with the other kids during that stage in my life I did not talk much. Consequently, their plans did not work out, but then I wound up leaving for another church that was closer in distance. Then my parent puts us in the girl scouts, so we could interact with kids out own and my father wanted us to learn about leadership at an early age. Before they discontinued the Girl Scout’s in my community, I wound up traveling to with them and went to the museum of the founder of the girl scouts and I stayed with the troop until I was 10 years old. Another discourse community I joined was the children’s praise dance team and choir at the age of 7 years old. There were two reasons why I joined these communities. First reason, my parents suggested to be involved in some activities. And the second reason, a hefty portion of my family had some type of Fine art background; meaning they are very gifted and most of them made a career out of it. I wanted to find out if any of these activities were going to suit my interests, but a few years later I wound up quitting the dance team. Let’s just say it was not my cup of tea. Later, when I turned 10 years old I joined my school choir, hoping that I would at least get better, and the following year I joined my school band. But after a few years, I rounded up not joining the choir in high school

Growing up individuals encounter others with different views on various topics. It will appear that when someone has opposite viewpoints we must conform their views to ours and prove that we were always right, however what happens when we begin to second guess our own viewpoints. We will examine a case study involving Jayla and Elijah’s experience through college and their level of evolvement in understanding through the use of Perry’s Theory of Cognitive and Moral Development Stages as well as the levels of attachment in peer/romantic relationships.

This essay will demonstrate my understanding of developments which occur at each stage of an individual's life cycle. I will relate these developments to two relevant psychological theories and discuss how an individual's needs must be met to enable them to develop.

Merging these two theories would be helpful to provide more accurate prediction and understanding of crime. There are ideological differences as well as a different unit of analysis is different for the two but researchers may be able to look at the individuals who are in an environment that is strained as well as look at individual level variables of Age Graded theory. Age Graded theory does not include important factors such as cultural and institutional dynamic. Those who are involved in prosocial institutions and cultures such as education and arts may be integrated with those who are attached to their spouses.

At this level problems are now approached using logic, reason and combinational thought. Also individuals at this stage with formal operations can think about their own thoughts, feelings and think about thinking. I think that at this point Paiget is focusing on how we can look back at our past and reflect. My cousin is able to do this now and she now reflects on how her mother raised her so that she can raise her daughter the same way. My cousin constantly worries whether or not she is raising her child in a proper way or to the extent that it is expected of a mother to raise her child. She lives with her mother and her mother helps her by giving her advice from how to comfort the child to how to give the baby a bath. My cousin’s friend had her baby before my cousin and when her friend met my cousin’s child she was also giving her advice on hoe to take care of the baby. She is acquiring knowledge on how to raise her child from people such as her mother that have had years of experience raising children. Her friend told her that she worries to whether she is taking care of her baby the right way.

This is a time where there will be an urge to become closer to peers and become more social with people outside of the usual. This is also a time when notable changes in attitude may be seen. Burnett and Blakemore found that teenagers will are more susceptible to peer pressure, but they also become more resilient to it, especially between the ages of 14 and 18. Teens become more self aware of their ability to refuse peer pressure and make decisions for themselves. Through learning to reject certain people and behaviors, there is also a period of learning who enhances one’s personality. This learning stage brings attention to self-identity and group identity. People usually find a difference in the actions that they would do alone when compared to when peers are involved; this is also called Social Psychology, which is the understanding of individuals behavior in social situations (McLeod). Attitudes and emotions may become impacted by who is interacting with a person and there may be a willingness to do things that originally wouldn’t happen. The difference in personality and interactions is to prepare people for when they leave the stage of adolescence- Hopefully, humans emerge capable of socializing with others and communicating emotions- Even as the human brain continues to socially develop (Blakemore

Some of the most important contributions and influences parents can make and have on their children’s character are through opinions, customs, goals and fears, general emotional hygiene, and probably, most importantly, through modeling. So some influence is direct and intentional and some is unintended as in “The Egg.” Yet, although a child is highly influenced by the parents, the child will ultimately define their own personality, worldviews, and overall character, granted, partially from influences of environment, attitude, circumstances, and disappointments, but in the end, a child ultimately has the ability to grow and change their view on their own.

When I was growing up, I remember my family situation as extremely chaotic. I was one of eight children and my father and mother had little time to devote to me individually. Most of the time they spent trying to earn enough to support us with their meager resources. I was often called upon to act as a surrogate mother to my siblings. I felt I had little time to develop my own unique perspective and voice when I was very young. Even as a preschooler I remember doing chores to help out at home. However, this situation did foster some positive aspects of my character. I learned to be mature at an early age and gained a sense of competence because of my responsibilities. But I also was taught put the needs of others second to my own. I feel that I did not learn to value my own, legitimate desires to an adequate degree as a young girl and have only recently acquired a true sense of worth [THESIS].