Family as the Smallest Component of Society - Assignment Example

Lecturer: Final Exam Question one. Family is the smallest component of a society and the most crucial in the development of the adolescent. The need for peer groups has vastly increased due to the modernization of the social structure. In this artificial society, family is fast losing its central function which is to nurture and socialize the children to responsible members of the society. Parents are spending less time with their children because they are out working. Children learn to look for companionship from technology such as the internet and television. The society consists of a generational gap between the young technological society and the old who are left out technologically. The young feel that they know so much and do not require the wisdom of the parents. On the other hand, parents assume that the young ones are capable of taking care of themselves. Peer groups are private gatherings of people who believe in the same ideals and adopt similar behaviors. It is harder for these peer groups to inter-relate because they do not share anything in common. Members of these peer groups grow up to form private groups that only accommodate people of a particular interest thus, eliminating diversity. Thus, society continues to practice segregation and injustice. Peer groups have become a necessary part of the teenagers due to the apparent lack of connection with the parents. Without the guidance of the parents, the teenagers have developed peer groups that lack the necessary capability to nurture them to proper adults. While many youths succeed as adults later in life, majority of them are increasingly getting into problems due to the lack of adult mentorship. The youth grow into adulthood without understanding the responsibility that comes with being an adult. Therefore, there is a breakdown on basic tenets of the society such as the family. Divorce is on the rise because couples do not understand the responsibilities in marriage; decline in morality due to lack of proper moral development from parenting and development of a secular society that has no time for religion. In fact, youths consider faith in religion as a preserve of the old. Question 2 Adolescent is the last stage before adulthood. It is distinguished by change, growth, and chaos when an adolescent suddenly must drop childhood tendencies and prepare for adulthood. The study of adolescent development must be wholesome and comprehensive in its approach. Understanding the biological developments that occur prior to and during adolescents is extremely crucial. These include body changes for both males and females and the effects these changes have on the individual. Previous studies concentrated on hormonal changes in adolescents. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy to understand the influence of biological changes on the physical appearance of an adolescent and its effects on behavior. Psychological development is another crucial area in studying adolescent development. The biological development of the brain results in increased knowledge and experience that interact with the dynamic social environment to spur cognitive growth. Therefore, it is necessary to study various cognitive and developmental theories in order to understand the cognitive state of an adolescent. For instance, research literatures on cognitive aspects of adolescent development will provide knowledge on issues such as the process of thinking like meta-cognition, abstract thinking. Social development deals with the way an adolescent relates with the rest of society. The social aspect of development involves pertinent issues like self concept, identity, self esteem, family, relationships, peer groups, sexuality and romance. Social development facilitates the development of self in an individual. The understanding of ones’ place and role in the society moulds the adolescent to be a productive member of the society. On the other hand, under development leads to socially irresponsible adults also known as social misfits. The culture and socio-economic disparities profoundly influence the development of adolescents. Modern culture is about technology and urban lifestyles. Electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, video games, and media all are made to target the adolescents. Markets have created popular cultures that are influencing teenagers negatively. Contrastingly, cultures of remote societies still define adolescents differently and as such affects how they develop especially on issues of sexuality. Besides, teenagers from upper economic classes develop differently from those from poor economic backgrounds. It is essential to understand how economic differences impacts on adolescents. The study of adolescent development calls for more research on various contemporary issues affecting adolescence. It is crucial to refine the approaches used to research these issues to capture the adolescents’ perspective as this will provide more insight to issues surrounding them. It is essential to understand the various research designs in order to apply the most appropriate one when conducting research on adolescents. Research designs such as longitudinal studies, crosssectional studies and experimental studies have their advantages and disadvantages. Question three Body image is central to a teenager’s life especially when they physical changes begin to happen. Adolescents believe that they need to appear perfect to everyone. When they fail to achieve this perceived perfection they begin to develop negative self-image. This results into low self esteem and most of the times lead to eating disorders and depression. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and obesity are caused by the anxiety over the body image. When the teenager feels that they have no control over their physical appearance they resort to eating disorder as an attempt to gain control. Disease like Anorexia can be fatal if left for long without treatment. As an educator, there is need to understand the various challenges that physical development bring to adolescents and be willing to discuss with them. They need to understand that it is particularly crucial to accept ones body as it is and the dangers of developing negative self image. When dealing with eating disorders, I would sensitize the parents on the conditions of the child and the best way they can help as the parents. For instance, t the adolescent should feel supported and understood. All interventions such as counseling, hospitalization should be done with the understanding that it is for the teenagers benefit. The development of both primary and secondary sexual characteristics may be confusing to many adolescents. As their sexuality develops, teenagers get attracted to the opposite sex or people of the same sex. This problem must be handled carefully and privately by educators and the parents of the teenager. It is necessary that the parents understand that there is a possibility that their child will be gay and that they need to understand and support her or him. Question four Cognitive development in adolescence has largely been neglected by research. Therefore, when writing a research paper on cognitive development in adolescents, there is need to consider the contemporary challenges facing adolescent. Proper literature review should be done in order to provide more information on these issues. It is vital to research on the relationship between cognitive development and moral development. Most of adolescents are considered immoral in their behaviors. They involve themselves in risky behaviors that are immoral. These behaviors not only affect their growth, they also affect their choices in life. Fewer studies have been carried out to understand the relationship between these two aspects of development. Self identity is a significant problem for the majority of adolescents. Problems arising out of physical appearance occur due to false self perception. The obsession with self appearance is thought to result from the false belief that everyone is preoccupied with her appearance. As a result, they may develop diseases like anorexia nervosa or become anti-social due to low self esteem. Consequently, research should focus on the role of cognitive development in self perception and self image. Many adolescents dream of being capable members of the society. They think of developing their careers and being able to take care of a family in the future. However, while some manage to build terrific careers, others do not succeed as much. Can the level of cognitive development be used to predict the level of success of an adolescent during the adult life? If so, what can be done to improve the chances of success for those not developed cognitively. Question Five The current society is a technological society that is fast paced and driven by the need to be efficient and relevant. As a result, the adolescent is plunged into a world that demands more that he or she can deliver (most of the time). The period of adolescent has appreciably reduced such that by seventeen years, most adolescents find themselves in adult roles. The society requires them to study harder and faster in order to be relevant in adult life. Those who can not cope with education no longer have a secure future. The media has bombarded the adolescence with many destructive options. Cases of cyber bullying are on the rise in the United States with some resulting to suicide. Violence among teenagers is equally alarming with incidences of shootings occurring remarkably often. These are believed to be the direct result of media influence through violent programs on TV and video games. Media also influences the teenagers to adopt lifestyles that are highly unproductive and unnecessary. The current youths grow up in a society that is fast losing its moral authority. Issues like corruption, in government offices, racial discrimination, class struggles and lack of exposure to religion is both confusing and regressive on the youth. At the same time, they are faced with the need to balance between the individual self and community. These expectations placed on the adolescents by the society lead most of them to curve in under pressure. Thus, suicidal rates are higher, drug abuse and crime. It is the duty of educators to understand the problems facing the youths so as to formulate better ways of dealing with them. Teenagers should be educated on the challenges they are likely to face and how to deal with them. Nevertheless, there are those problems that will require the efforts of educators and the rest of the communities. It is crucial to look at the problems from the point of view of the teenagers in order to devise better solutions. Parents should be involved in ensuring that their teenagers are brought up in a healthier environment. Question Six Most parents continue to treat their adolescent’s as children. This usually generates conflict because it is a time when the teenagers are trying to establish their own identity. They crave for autonomy and prefer the company of their friends to that of their parents. Nevertheless, it is crucial for parents to understand how to address the adolescents in order to foster a healthier development. The relationship between a parent and a child affects how they both will deal with the adolescent stage. When parents relate well with their children they can easily communicate with one another. As teenagers I always knew that I could tell my father anything. He taught me to talk to him about my problems so that we can solve them together. Furthermore, he always gave me responsibilities that showed that he trusted me. Even though, we differed on many things such as the friends I could hang out with, he always expected me to do the right thing. At the onset of puberty, it is always harder to deal with the sudden changes that begin to occur. My parents noticed this and sat me down one evening and explained to me that these changes were normal. Even though, it was embarrassing to discuss my sexuality with my parents, their concern gave me the confidence that they cared. I was encouraged to socialize and developed relationships. I could invite my friends over for dinner or studies when my parents were at home. Whenever we had conflicts, my parents would wait until I calmed down before discussing anything. My mother discouraged verbal confrontations and always insisted that we can only solve problems through proper discussions and not heated arguments. I am proud to say that my experience during adolescents was much better because I had supportive parents. Read More