Knowledge and Wisdom from Childhood Experiences - Term Paper Example

Developmental Autobiography First Middle initial and of Prof. First and of lecturer October 4, 2011 As I look back and picture the various stages of my childhood, I can clearly see how the experiences of my childhood shaped my adult life. I was born and raised in the United States island territory of Guam and my childhood was far from being typical as it involved being raised by a single parent, living in poverty and wanting to be away from home in order to avoid the struggles associated with parents who were usually high on alcohol and drugs. In this autobiography, I will illustrate some of the major events in my life from birth through high school and apply the Erik Erikson’s developmental theory of psychosocial development to these experiences. Although my development as a student is still not complete, I believe that I would be able to help other people with the knowledge and wisdom I have gained over the years through my various life experiences. I was born on August 21, 1983 in Guam and my earliest memory of my childhood was playing with my siblings in front of our small house. I have four sisters and three brothers and I am the third oldest among my siblings. Financially, we were poor and therefore my family lived on the support provided by the federal government. I remember, as a child I always had to forgo things that I desired because of our financial limitations. That was not all. I and my siblings also had to face several challenges that came from the home front. Both my parents were addicted to alcohol and drugs. This combination of living in poverty and my parent’s addiction to drugs and alcohol resulted to a lot of fights and arguments in the house between my parents and also between my parents and my siblings. This challenge increased further when one day my parents decided to get separated. Therefore, a large part of my childhood was spent in a single parent home. In the following pages, I will try to analyze my life with respect to the eight stages of social skills development as identified by Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Each of these stages are characterized by specific developmental achievements, which act like a turning point in the development of an individual (Cherry, n.d.) . Erikson identifies the first stage, which is seen from birth to 18 months, as the oral-sensory phase wherein a child learns to trust his/her caregiver (Heffner, 2001). Although I can hardly recollect any experience before I was 18 months old, my older siblings have mentioned that we grew up trusting and caring for each other. The parental role in my life was mostly filled by my older siblings. They were my so called “caregivers” and we would always stand up for each other. I strongly believe that their support has helped me to gain confidence and not feel threatened by my surroundings. If this void was not filled in by my siblings, I would have certainly developed a sense of fear, anxiety and insecurity while growing up. Since my siblings had stepped in to fill the parental role in my life, they were always there for me whenever I needed any help or assistance. I vaguely remember eating my meals on my own during this phase of my life. Although there were a few occasions when my parents would criticize me for messing up the place, my siblings always helped me and encouraged me to learn these basic skills. Erikson identifies this second stage, which occurs between the ages of one and three, as the muscular-anal phase wherein a child begins to develop self-esteem and autonomy as he/she gains control over their bodies and acquire new skills (Harder, 2009). I believe that these early experiences helped me to gain confidence and not be ashamed of my abilities. As I grew, I slowly began to care for my younger siblings just the way my older siblings cared for me. I would help them with their daily chores and be there for them whenever they needed me. Even in school, I would take my siblings to their classrooms first and then proceed to mine. Erikson identifies this third stage, which occurs between the ages of three and six, as the locomotor phase wherein a child begins to express himself or herself more often, as they interact with others (Heffner, 2001). I believe that these early childhood experiences helped me to feel secure in my ability to lead others and make decisions. By age eight I became conscious about the facts that surrounded my life and I began to feel embarrassed about my parents since they were not like the typical parents of other children. I started to participate in sports activities so that I could be away from my home. My teachers saw my interest in sports and encouraged me to participate in various sports events. Erikson identifies this fourth stage, which occurs between the ages of six and eleven, as the latency phase wherein a child begins learn, create and accomplish various types of skills that gives him/her a sense of pride (Wong, 1998). I am very grateful to my teachers who were very supportive during my school days and helped me to gain confidence in myself and a sense of competency. After I turned thirteen, I began working in the farm, planning fruits and vegetables, because I realized that if I wanted to buy anything for myself, I need to earn some money. I also met a young man who, like me, desired to move to the United States of America some day. The father of this young man was the governor of Guam who told me to save some money every month and when it was enough, he would send me and his son to a trade school in the U.S. At this point in my life, I was sure that I did not want to continue with the life that Guam had to offer. I wanted a major change in my life and I wanted to do better than my parents. So, I took up this challenge. Erikson identifies this fifth stage, which occurs between the ages of twelve to eighteen, as the adolescence phase wherein teens begin to develop a sense of individual identity (Harder, 2009). After I graduated from high school in 2001, I and my friend joined a trade school in Phoenix, Arizona. During my stay in Arizona, I met a girl who is now my wife. I joined the air force in 2005 and then transferred to the army in 2009. I can identify myself with the sixth phase of young adulthood, which occurs between the ages of nineteen and forty. As Erikson describes, in this phase of my life, I have developed a strong sense of commitment, security and care in this long term relationship. We now have a six year old son and I have developed a strong sense of commitment as a father, husband and as an army personnel. Looking into the future, I can see myself continuing into the seventh and eighth phases of Erikson’s psychosocial theory, which are the phases of middle adulthood and the maturity respectively. I can foresee myself focusing on providing a good healthy environment for my son to grow up in. I can see myself being productive at the workplace and be involved in community activities as a gesture of giving back to the community which was very supportive and receptive when I needed their assistance. Erikson identifies this seventh phase of middle adulthood, which occurs between the ages of forty and sixty-five, as a phase wherein one tries to create or develop things that would outlast them (Sharkey, 1997). As I look into the future, I see myself successfully completing this stage of life after having made some significant accomplishments and being productive and useful. Erikson identifies the eighth phase, which occurs from age sixty-five till death, as a phase wherein one tends to look back and evaluate their life (Bentley, 2009). I can foresee myself looking back on my life and explore my retired life. I would reflect on my life in Guam, the challenges that I had to face there, the God ordained opportunity that came my way to move to the U.S., my life in the U.S., my family and the accomplishments that I was able to make after my move to the U.S. Looking at my son I would definitely feel happy as I was able to provide him with a much better life – a life full of opportunities and fewer struggles. These thoughts would give me a sense of fulfillment as I consider the legacy that I would be able to leave behind for my son. My past experiences have helped me to be psychologically stronger and focused in what I want to do with my life and for the future. I believe that my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has helped me to overcome many obstacles in my life and it is this strength that carries me though various challenging situations. Even with my early childhood experiences, that were surrounded by poverty and parents who were addicted to drugs and alcohol, I hoped that one day I will be able to come out of this situation. Due to divine providence, there were opportunities that came my way, which helped me to come out of that situation into a land that offered several opportunities to grow and flourish. The experiences I had during my childhood, shaped my perspective on life and helped me in my psychological, moral and spiritual development. Today, I can confidently say that my childhood experiences have made me what I am. I am now in a position where I can help people, who come from a similar background, with my knowledge and wisdom that I have gained over the years. Having undergone such trying times, I would be able to empathize with them and encourage them. My first counsel to them would be to have faith in the Lord. This would give the person a hope to hold on to when they are in difficult situations and would encourage them to never give up. I believe that life is meant to be difficult because it teaches us to dig deep down inside and use the tools that God gave us to face the challenges in life, in order to be happy. I would encourage people to explore opportunities to overcome difficult situations and do their best in terms of hard work and sincerity. Once that is done, the results will definitely be positive. References Bentley, J. 2009. Erikson’s eight stages of development. Infant and Child Development. Retrieved from http://psy3215.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/eriksons-eight-stages-of-development/ Cherry, K. (n.d). Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. About.com. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial.htm Harder, A. F. 2009. The developmental stages of Erik Erikson. Learning Place Online. Retrieved from http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm Heffner, C. L. (2001). Psychology 101: Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. AllPsych Online. Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ social_development.html Sharkey, W. 1997. Erik Erikson. Muskingum College, Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/erikson.htm Wong, A.S. 1998. Erikson’s psychosocial theory of human development – applied and made easy for parents. Blessed to be a Blessing. Retrieved from http://www.vtaide.com/ blessing/ERIK1-4.htm Read More