Eriksons Psychosocial Stages - Coursework Example

? Erikson’s psychosocial stages Human life is characterized by growth, a process of development. Human beings, just as other organisms, have to be born first, before they can grow into adults (Leach, P, 2009). It is sometimes argued that the process of growth begins all the way even before birth. Whichever the approach, growth is a process of transformation from childhood to adult. Babyhood part of the growth stages and it is a period in a child’s life from infancy to two years of age (Gerhardt, S, 2004). This is a stage that is identified as the true foundation stage. It is a stage where by many patterns of behavior, emotional expression, and attitudes begin to come up. This is a critical stage in putting in place an individual’s emotional and personal adjustments. Babyhood is, therefore, a period of rapid growth and development. In this period, the children grow psychologically and physically. The children go through a development of their body control, standing, sitting, increased independence, and walking. In this case, the baby starts to perform tasks in an independent way (Gerhardt, S, 2004). The child in this stage may start to show out rebellion when treated as a child. This rebellion may be displayed in the form of crying or angry outbursts whenever the care giver fails to give it independence. Additionally, this is a stage of sex role, socialization, and creativity for future life adjustments. This is a stage that a child’s brain starts to develop. In this stage, a one-to-one love and care is needed to facilitate the brain building. The perceptions about the childhood concept have been a debated subject, with questions asked about the range of years that mark childhood (Gerhardt, S, 2004). Many theories have come up to help explain the process of growth. One such theory is the Vygotsky’s theory that perceives child development as a process consisting of a series of stages. These include infancy, early childhood, followed by pre-school and puberty age. Periods of crisis, occurring at ages 1, 3, 7, 13 and 17 punctuate these stages of development. The theory is founded on the approach that the process of child development is subject to nature and form of environment. This gives allowance for explanation of roles of social and cultural aspects in the processes of child development. Erikson’s psychosocial stages, on the other hand, can be applied in differentiating childhood from adolescence and adult hood. These stages include Basic-trust-versus-mistrust, autonomous-versus-shame-and-doubt, initiative-versus-guilt, industry-versus-inferiority, intimacy-versus-isolation, identity-versus-role-confusion, generation-versus-stagnation, intimacy-versus-isolation and ego-integrity-versus-despair. Childhood falls in the first four stages. On the other hand, adolescents fall in the fifth stage while adulthood falls in the subsequent stages. In this classification approach, child hood ranges from birth to 11years. In the subsequent stages, ages do not significantly matter (Laura 2007). This paper explores the conception of western society pertaining to babyhood. It also identifies cognitive, social, physical and emotional characteristics that distinguish childhood from babyhood. It goes further to examine and critique some of the recent articles that touch on cognitive, developmental processes. In each case, it gives a review of the article followed by linking them by an article by Erikson. An Article by Gerhardt “How affection shapes a baby’s brain”. In his article (How affection shape a baby’s brain), Gerhardt discovered that, during baby hood, the love and attention that a child receives determines his brain development. He argued out that whenever one finds himself being cared by those people who are sensitive towards his personality, and love him, his social brain development is likely to be triggered by these relationships. In his article, Gerhardt argued that the pre-frontal cortex, takes part in main functions of managing an individual's emotional life. This means that it comes about due to non verbal messages, and social cues, which other individuals transmit. This not only makes one empathize but also restrains a child’s emotional impulses that are primitive. This article also argues out that the babies are never born with the brain capabilities, but the brain develops post-natally. In this regard, the brain that a baby has nothing automatic but is the brain that develops due to a baby’s experience with other individuals. Love enhances an enormous connection bursts in the part of the brain in children with the babyhood stage. This also shows out that when an infant is neglected, the development of his pre-frontal cortex would be reduced. Early child care today facilitates the way one deals with stressing situations in life. In his article, Gerhardt pointed out that babies depend on their care givers to restore their equilibrium or sooth distress. In the presence of parents who are responsible, the response of stress, which is a biochemical chain that is complex, is a response that is of the emergency. When a baby has a care giver who shows resentment towards the needs of a baby, who assumes the child, or makes the child to go through distress for a long period, ends up making such a baby to have a tress response that is over sensitive. During babyhood, a child who lives with a parent that is depressed becomes extremely reactive to stress later on in life. This is so because many studies have shown that the response of stress is normally set just like a thermostat at an early stage in a child’s life. In terms of evolution having a newborn baby brain that is the brains of a new born baby are unfinished since they can go through an adaptation to suit the demands of a particular social group. In this regard, the brain can be programmed to act in a manner which can satisfy a certain community. Despite this, it is a strategy that is extremely risky. In an environment, that is harsh, a cry of an infant may be ignored or such a baby may go through a punishment due to distress. This will end up giving out a person who will fail to be sensitive and aggressive. In a community, that is hostile and tense could make use of this. Gerhardt also argued out that there exist a clear link between treatment that is harsh during babyhood and a later behavior that is antisocial. However, in the normal society, an endless repetition trans-generation of behavior that is antisocial is a powerful progression obstacle. In the evidence, of current research in his article Gerhardt gives out some relevance of debates on nurseries and smacking. Smacking is discussed as a damaging situation whereby the things that are needed by the baby are not found easily in a nursery. It is evident that babies placed in nursery fail to find anyone to be special in a manner that their parents expect them to be and wait for attention. This research explains the challenges of baby’s nurseries. A baby would only tolerate approximately ten hours in every week of day care. Otherwise, more hours in a nursery would affect the emotional development of a baby especially if the care is of a low quality. This means that, a care that is a full time during babyhood has a strong link to behavioral problem at a later age of a child. Such children may hit other children, be mean, and even shift blame to other children. These children become less cooperative and more frustrated. To Gerhardt, these are situations that suggest a poor social brain development. Increasing the ratio of caregiver to baby placed in nurseries reduces situations of aggression confirming that children like these failed to have enough love and personal attention. On the other hand, caregivers want to utilize most of their time with their infants to the extent that they overlook a full time employment. This makes such care givers to become less sensitive contributing to a cycle that is negative in which relationships ends up being strained under the babyhood demands. Gerhardt concludes his article by advising caregivers to come up with solutions that are flexible like a parental extended and paid leave, which helps both parents to take care of their babies while maintaining the economy of the family. Nurseries, on the other hand, needs to be of the highest quality. Involvement of the community is vital in ensuring that early parenthood is prevented from isolation. This, according to Gerhardt would lead to a potent brain development of a babyhood child. There is the interplay between Erikson’s psychosocial stages that aid in differentiating childhood from adolescence and adult hood with how affection shapes its brain as explained by Gerhardt. Gerhardt discovered that, during baby hood, the love and attention that a child receives determines his brain development. He, therefore, majors his discussion on the child brain development which is the corner stone for Erikson’s psychosocial stages. Gerhardt argued that whenever one finds himself being cared by those people who are sensitive towards his personality, and love him his social brain development is likely to be triggered by these relationships. This implies that the Erikson’s psychological stages are only achieved when a child is cared for well with the people sensitive to the personality of the child. This would help achieve a social brain development. An Article by Penelope Leach “Child Care Today: Getting it right for everyone” There comes a time in every new parent life when he or she realizes that this or that kid is going to start taking care of itself. Research shows that it is until age ten or so children are required to be taken care at each moment of each day. What happens when many parents tend to be occupied with full time jobs and what happens for the case of those who spend 60 or more hours each week doing work? For a mother or dad of any young child, such nasty calculation often becomes the organizing principle of his life. Even if, he or she is lucky enough to get a child care solution preferred, there are still those sick days, holidays, snow days, late nights, business trips, vocations, other emergences and the surprises that do continually threaten to bring all the program down. Penelope Leach a British Psychologist the author of the article on the best ways of taking care of children and the way Western countries are doing it, entitled “ Child Care Today: Getting it right for everyone” makes it clear that America could be doing better in child upbringing than it does today. The hanging debate in the background of a discussion that touches on child care is about whether it is the best practice for mothers to keep at home alongside their infants and the young children. Much of what has been written childbearing assumes that mums that spend all their time serves their children better. But Leach points it out that mother-only care model has been the artifact of a brief period and that period was exceedingly untenable to the extent that it quickly brought a social revolution. This way, humans were not meant to bring up their kids in isolation. In his article, leach gives a different yet unique approach to parenting, as well as child development issues in the 21st century considering view points of children themselves, politicians and parents. He also considers what the international research provides concerning effects of various kinds of care on children and families. The demands of children have not changed in the 21st century, but the challenges that encompass child care have significantly changed. It is common knowledge that the well being of children and their survival entirely depends on an individual taking care of them at least every minute of each day and night. Leach finds it challenging that most mothers and fathers are fully involved in paid employment. The must employed parents even work for long hours in trying to protect their jobs and the daily incomes. This, therefore, implies that much of day-to-day care of children is done by someone else rather than the child’s parents. The question she seeks to identify is who then is to do the caring, and who is responsible for bearing the costs. For Leach, what should matter most is to recognize that the care of the children is not limited to the parent’s responsibility of always struggling to be at two places, at the same time, but intrinsically, it is for the better of the whole society. He implies that childcare is a responsibility for families and the nation, in totality. According to Leach (2009), the western conceptions pertaining to childhood are culturally and historically specific. Arguably, child hood is a discovery in the modern times. This is because, in the past, children could be viewed as young adults ones they grew past infancy. They would be expected to behave just as adults. The needs of children not considered to be any different from those of adults. There were no concepts about childhood in the medieval times. However, children were viewed as less morally and mental developed than adults. It was for this reason that they occupied a distinct societal position. However, these conceptions changed in 21st centuries, where children are now regarded as ‘to-be’, rather than as being. It has been argued that Western society’s distinction of childhood is exceptionally sharp. This is manifested in the various ways that children are treated (Leach, P, 2009). The children in the western society are excluded from adult laws and conventions. They spent their time under the care of the institution and families that take care, entertain and educate them in separation from adults. Children are often under restrictions from interacting with adults outside the family and friend circle unless professional in childcare. Most of the arrangements that children get, such as games, toys, color and even books depict a clear line between them and adults. Basing on Leach’s approach to child care, it can be argued that it matters a lot in recognizing that the care of the children is not limited to the parent’s responsibility of always struggling to be at two places, at the same time, but intrinsically, it is for the better of the whole society. This implies that childcare is a responsibility of the families, and the nation, in totality and its success depends how the process takes into consideration Erikson’s psychosocial stages. Whenever a child goes through all the Erikson’s psychosocial stages with the correct best care, the achievement of a full fletched child would be a guarantee. The Gelman’s article; that three factors co-function to realize cognitive process Gelman notes that direct interaction with environment contributes immensely towards the development of knowledge for the learner more than the input of the humans. However, he acknowledges farther that psychologists should not be limited on the impact of the environment since there are other elements that influence the cognitive learning process in the same way. In particular, the input (content) natures as well as the learners’ nature are the most notable. Gelman acknowledges that indeed the three play a hugely crucial role in influencing the cognitive learning process. Moreover, he opposes the perception that conceptualized development is dependent on the environment or innate specifics, suggesting that, rather, the two co-functions to realize the process of cognitive learning. He bases on the children reconciliation pertaining to competing systems of beliefs (Laura 2007). Gelman recapitulates the assumptions that development encompasses the transformation of structures; the input from the human that interact with the learner is subject to nature of content structure. The structure, which could be non-contingent and consequential, interests more than the content itself. Gelman adds that, more often than not, the children learning process entails taking in of contents that are more or less inconsequential or contingent, such as the mother’s phone number or the barn colors. He notes that the learning t that is self initiated is composed of cultural input, although it is not easily discerned following its pervasiveness and, hence, the liability to be taken for granted. He argues that the interaction of children in the environment facilitates their learning in life and the world phenomena from the people that they interact. In particular, they could learn a lot through observation. However, these initial interactions act as stepping stones to taking in of conceptualized ideas. Gelman also acknowledges the fact that children exposure to the environment does not imply that they would passively take in all lesson that environment offers. The passive learning is thus a subject of selectivity. As such, the bias of the child and the input of the environment play a crucial role in determining the trend of the child’s conceptualized learning process. Discussion of the themes and findings that have emerged in the writings, in relation to the developmental phase of the lifespan they have addressed. Clearly, basing on the different approaches concerning child development, many things seem to come into play for a successful child development. Gelman empresses the idea that play enhances the cognitive well being of children. It is agreeable children play enhance cognitive learning processes. This is especially true if the factors that affect cognitive learning process are given uttermost considerations. It follows that playing is part of the process of learning from the environment. In particular, playing enables children them to passively learn the ideas that would eventually precede the conceptualized learning process, just as posited by Gelman. Playing quickly enables the children to get versed with environmental input, which would act as a predecessor to the conceptualized learning process. The children’s conceptualized learning process is a subject of three factors; the environmental input, the cultural input and the nature of the content. Play sweetens the nature of the content nature of content of the environmental input, of which children receive favorably. Playing, especially the adult-undirected ones, dispels bias in the taking in of information. The children passively take in most of the information they come across; hence an effective preparation for the conceptualized learning process. Additionally, development is subject to structure, just as advanced by Gelman. Playing enhances the children’s structural development while favoring brain development. Indeed, parental child care is pivotal in ensuring that children quickly attain a cognitive process of conceptualized development. However, what would be the criteria of ascertaining whether or not the parental care is adequate for the child’s effective development, as far as the cognition processes are concerned? Or is it possible that there can be no such term such as best care? Perhaps, this is the only question that Leach burkes. The major stages in psychosocial development are characteristics by the intersection of mind and culture. There is basic strengths and crisis in each stage of development. The stages of life are linked to somatic processes and dependant on the psychic process of personality development and on the ethical power of the social process. The epigenetic state of the ladder reflects a certain coherence language, such as hope, fidelity and care confirm developmental meanings-hope being expectant desire, fidelity to be trustworthy, and care means to cherish. The basic strength of infancy stage is hope. It emerges from the conflict of basic trust against basic mistrust. Hope is the pure future. The antithesis of initiatives and guilt connect to its crisis. Playfulness is an crucial factor in all the stages in this group. Infantile origin of the Oedipus drama is attached to this stage of life cycle while inhibitions form the antipathetic counterpart of initiative. Before the play age is anal stage of conflict. In psychosocial term, it is considered to be the crisis of autonomy versus shame and doubt, and to resolve this came the word will, with which compulsion and impulsivity are its antipathetic counterpart. References Gerhardt, S., 2004. Ch 1 ‘Building a Brain’ in Why Love Matters: how affection shapes a baby’s brain, Hove: Brunner-Routledge Leach, P., 2009. Child Care Today: What We Know and What We Need to Know, Cambridge: Polity Press Laura, R., 2007. Child Care Today. Read More