Life Course Paradigm Analysis

The Vietnam 1 Running head: SOCIAL EFFECTS OF THE VIETNAM WAR The Vietnam War's Effects on American Society Halley E. Moore Metro High School- St. Louis The Vietnam 2 Abstract The Vietnam War had a profound effect on American society. It changed the way we viewed our government, the media, and our Constitutional rights. Because of this shift in perspective, the country was torn apart and yet still came together in new and different ways.

They kept the trauma and images through everything. Many of the went back to loved ones, got married, had kids and lived to old age where they died from it. This is the good aftermath of facing war. Some soldiers couldn’t ever get over the trauma and how they watched other people constantly get killed. Many people tried to live their day like any else did but even the lightest noise could set them off which caused a lot of suicide’s to happen just from the trauma.

During the time the United States was in a war, the American public was sharply divided creating another war among its people. The war had transformed America to a different place with its defeat. It had far-reaching consequences and impact on most aspects of American life from the economy, culture to domestic politics and foreign policy. The Vietnam war created a time of uncertainty because so many had lost their trust in the government. With the end of the Vietnam war, the United States left with a humiliating defeat and shockingly high casualties.

A terrible conflict left a mark on American History that had never been seen before. For the first time in the countries’s history people were not proud of their governments role in a war. Protest engulfed the Nation as people were disgusted with choices made by their leaders and the subsequent actions carried out by their soldiers. When the soldiers came back home they were not greeted with the praise that prior generations had gotten. They were given little attention and in some cases hated. This conflict of course was the Vietnam War.

One cannot think of the 1960s and the 1970s without thinking of Vietnam and the social movements that went along with it. Perhaps one of the most tumultuous times in American history, the early latter half of the 20th century saw the Baby Boomer Generation, the Vietnam War, the Sexual Revolution, the Civil Rights movement, and a sharp divide between urban and rural communities as well as between citizens and politicians. These developments led to the death of innocence in American life, and the development of a new social consciousness among young people.

War, a conflict with violence and death -- full of misery and anguish. War is not a strife for fun, it is a competition for peace and dominance over each other. On the battlefield fear is thick in the air, soldiers sneak towards the enemy hearing every sound in the surrounding environment.Then the fighting begins with the first gunshot echoing throughout the battlefield, quickly followed by more. Overhead bullets ricochet off trees The soldiers shoot back determined to win. Left and right, people fall, each shot in a different spot. Finally a few shouts of distress followed by the rustle of leaves claims they have retreated. But it is a small victory with death in the air. There have been many wars in history some more important than others but all have affected history in one way or another. One of those important wars is the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War changed America so much more than people actually realize.

Tensions were not only rising in Vietnam but they were also rising on American soil. Opposition to the war escalated as the casualties grew, which created divisions among people of the American society. The United States government

This psychological interview analysis will compare and summarize the theoretical applications of Erikson’s Theory of Human Development and Levinson’s Life Structure Approach. The subject of the interview, Charlotte McBeth, will express the challenges that arise in the stable and transitional periods of life in a Scottish family, which she expresses in the various aspects of instability and transitional periods that Levinson defines. The death of an infant brother defines one such instability, which reflects the high infant mortality rate and a sense of guilt that Erikson would analyze through the “Initiative v Guilt” stage of childhood. However, Charlotte had a large and supportive family unit, which allowed her to find intimacy in adolescent with her close friend, Rena. In adulthood, Charlotte was able to transition to America by having a family support when leaving Scotland to find better job opportunities abroad. In essence, a summary of Charlotte’s interview will be accompanied by a psychological comparison of Erikson and Levinson’s life development theories.

The life course perspective theory is a micro theory that delves into a subject’s past to interpret present endeavors that may assist in predicting future behavior or misconduct. It could be classified as a road map to an individuals expected behavior and may provide reasoning for that individuals’ life choices, not only in relation to criminal behavior but also on ones ability to sustain relationships.

The Vietnam War is the longest war fought in America’s history (1954-1973). The Vietnam War occurred because North Vietnam followed Communist ideas and the United States followed democratic ideas. The North wanted to interfere with the South into becoming Communist but the U.S did their best to reduce or eliminate the North interference in South Vietnam. The Vietnam War was the first ever war to be shown on television. Although the U.S won the battle, the T.V exposed the horrors and struggles of the war. It seemed like the U.S was just killing random people for no reason. It made a lot of people question whether the U.S was the good or bad side. During the war, there was a theory “Domino Effect/Theory, that basically meant that once one fell under communism than the others would fall too. This war was extremely difficult because they were fighting in a forest. There were trees and bushes and everything would block the sight of the soldiers. So there was Guerilla Warfare which meant unconventional fighting, surprise attacks and ambush. Helicopters were extensively used. It was a fast in and an easy out. After the Tet Offensive, people started to distrust the government and increased the number of protests. There were war-hawks and doves. They were two completely different groups. One was anti-war and the other was pro-war. The war made a drastic impact in American Culture. Especially with the American people. The Vietnam War created division. (History.com)

Life has its way of turning an individual’s attention to better understanding the overall course of life. One may experience different transitions, and turning points as well as particular life events and family experiences that may influence the developmental trajectories of life. The Moore Family- Ed, Jessica, Derrick, Terrance, Debbie and Barbara- all have stories that have unfolded over a period of time. One of the useful ways I will attempt to explain the Moore’s family stories, and the relationship between time and human behavior, is the life course perspective. The life course perspective maintains that chronological age, relationships, common life transitions, and social change shape people’s lives from birth to death (Hutchinson, 2013). Timing is very important.

The importance of knowing the life course paradigm is for the social worker to started to navigate and better understand where client/s experiences stem from. Moreover, for the developmental theories it provides a framework for social workers to go by too see if clients are developing psychosocially and physically correctly (Payne, 2005.) In addition, it assists social workers in helping client’s get to their appropriate developmental stage either psychosocially or physically. Lastly theories help practitioners provide an expiation on the practices they can take on with clients (Payne,

The Vietnam War commenced during a time of great social and political unrest in America. It came during the middle of the Cold War, a fierce worldwide battle between Eastern communism and Western democracy. There was already division going on in America at the time, with events like the “Red Scare” in Washington creating a growing fear of worldwide communism. The U.S. involvement in Vietnam began with Harry Truman aiding the French in an imperial war from 1946-1954, which the French eventually lost to the Vietminh. This loss began the controversy surrounding Vietnam. The U.S. once again entered Vietnam in 1965, this time involved in a civil war between the democratic South and the communist North. What ensued was one of the most controversial wars in American history, which had a lasting impact that is still felt today.

The Vietnam War's Effects on American Society Abstract The Vietnam War had a profound effect on American society. It changed the way we viewed our government, the media, and our Constitutional rights. Because of this shift in perspective, the country was torn apart and yet still came together in new and different ways. The Vietnam War's contraversiality spurred a great many sources of protest, against our government's use of power, how far we could stretch the rights of free expression, and primarily against the violence of the war itself.

This methodology encompasses examining the child’s life through many different contexts, such as: demography, history, sociology, biology, developmental psychology, and economics. ( w. website ) The Life Course Perspective takes the combination of the historical and social factors and sees them in an individual’s course of personal development. A life course is defined as a sequence of socially defined events and roles that the individual enacts over time. ( W. website ) The theory loosely follows the sage old adage, “To know where you’re going, you have to know where you have been.” More precisely, the theory explains that the roles, events or transitions in an individual’s life don’t naturally progress in a structures order, but instead but create the sum of one’s life experience. (website) Transitions play an important role in the life experience.