Week 8 Putting it all together AKEL

Every ending is always a new beginning...

These 8 weeks flew! The ending of this course is bittersweet. I had the opportunity to learn so much, and meet some great fellow classmates that only lifted each other's spirits. Commenting on one another's blogs was a great way to interact and get to know each other on a personal level. And lets not forget an incredible professor that made us realize the importance of the life span development, and ways to incorporate these variety of theories in our daily lives. Hopefully we can become better mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, teachers, students, overall better individuals and take what we learned in these 8 weeks and implement them in our lives, and the lives of our loved ones.

Like Fiore mentions in chapter 13, we started off in the beginning of the book asking why. And now that we've come to the final chapter we ask ourselves now what? What's next? What do we do with the information that was taught? There are many fields you can use the wisdom that we have absorbed such as business, communications, criminal justice, EDUCATION (woot woot), elderly services, medicine, mental health, and public services.

There should not be a specific field to work in to know the basic information of lifespan development. It can be a tool to understand your child better, or understand teenagers, adults, and senior citizens. I, myself, have a better perspective on how children behave, learn, think, and feel. Learning about how kids grow physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively can leave a deeper understanding of kids all ages as development can be complex as we all learned that first hand.

Leaders, parents, teachers, and so many more people can learn so much just by understanding one another and having a sense of empathy.

Remember that we don't ever really fail at anything especially at any of these stages of life, or the stages of theories that interest you, like Erikson's stages. We either win, or we learn from it and move on. No one is a failure.

I am going to sign off with one of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou:

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. 

Week 7 Dying & Spirituality-AKEL

           

DYING & SPIRITUALITY

As we come to the end of our Lifespan Development textbook, we also come to the end of the actual human lifespan development, death. The average life expectancy has been reported to be 78 years. As death has once been a subject that was always avoided, it has been more approachable in recent years. There are four types of death:

1. Clinical Death-when the individual's respiration & heartbeat have stopped
2. Brain Death-when the brain fails to receive sufficient supply of oxygen (takes 8-10 minutes)
3. Biological/Cellular Death-when cells begin to die from lack of oxygen
4. Social Death-when a patient is treated as a corpse, although still "clinically" or "biologically" alive

Grief is an emotional response to the loss of a loved one. Feelings of grief may include anxiety, despair, sadness, and loneliness. Psychologists have determined that the stages of grief are healthy and only natural to encounter. Anticipatory grief is the type of grief that is experienced before the death of a person. Four phases of this kind of grief is as follows:
1.      Depression
2.      Heightened concern for the ill person
3.      A rehearsal of death
4.      An attempt to adjust to what is likely to occur after death

Anticipatory grief comes into play when the death of a loved one is expected to happen, rather than sudden deaths. One has no time to go through these phases with an unexpected death. 

Different cultures and religions in the world have their own way with mourning for the loss of a loved one. Mourning over the dead is allowed in Islam, but there is a difference between what is allowed and what is prohibited. Grief at the death of a beloved person is normal, and weeping for the dead is allowed in Islam. A Muslim is also to mourn for 3 days in which those 3 days are open to friends and family. What is prohibited is to express grief by wailing (mourning in a loud voice), or hitting oneself. 

Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross is famous for her 5stage-theory describing the emotions that one goes through while dying. The stages are:
1.      Denial
2.      Anger
3.      Bargaining
4.      Depression
5.      Acceptance

Although these stages are for the person that is dealing with their death, I feel like these stages are also used for people that are dealing with a loved one that is/has dying/passed away.

When my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, she was first given the option of surgery. Exactly a week after her diagnosis, we were told that it had spread to most of her organs and it wouldn’t be long until it would take her life. At her first appointment, the doctor told her the shocking news and she took it very hard. She didn’t eat, sleep, or enjoy anyone’s presence for a week. At her second appointment, we told the doctor what had happened and asked him to tell her that it was a misdiagnosis. She went home happy. She joined us at the dinner table. She played with her great grandchildren. She enjoyed her last month on earth. Although she was under the impression she was okay, we still had hospice visit her 3 times a week. There were days when she had so much energy she would get off her bed and walk around her home without her cane. And other days when she was miserable and wished she would pass. The pain she was in was unbearable, but morphine drops helped a lot. I am happy I never left her side. Her children and grandchildren worked like clockwork. We made sure she was always comfortable, and not feel an ounce of loneliness. I believe we made the right decision by not telling her the news. It would have taken her quicker than what the doctor expected it would take. Cancer took her life in a matter of a month. Our family was devastated, but we coped with it. We had several ways of coping that made her passing bearable. I’ve always believed that sudden deaths are the most painful versus the ones that are given a time frame. You are spending every minute with that person, and preparing yourself. Her passing was so peaceful and beautiful. I miss her dearly and hope to see her again in heaven.  
 

Week 6- Early & Middle Adulthood-AKEL

EARLY & MIDDLE ADULTHOOD

Adulthood is distinguished by social and cultural experiences, unlike adolescence which is distinguished by physical changes and capabilities. The transitioning from adolescence to adulthood 18-25. Malcolm Knowles identified the biopsychosocial facets of adulthood as:

1.      Biological-when we reach the age to reproduce

2.      Psychological-self-concept of being responsible of our own lives

3.      Social-when we start to take on adult roles and responsibilities. 

I was a taken back to read that our muscles and bones start to deteriorate approximately 1% per year after the age of 30. It was quite alarming to read up on date rape. Date rape is coercive sexual activity between a victim and an offender who is known or an acquaintance. Male undergraduates said rape would occur in the following circumstances:

1.      If a couple went to the man’s house after the date

2.      If the women initiated the date

3.      If the man paid for the expenses

I don’t understand why the man would think he can rape or even lay a finger on her without her consent in return when he pays for the meal or treats her to something nice. Cognitive Development plays a role in adulthood, of course. In early adulthood, people can capitalize on the life experiences they’ve gained prior and during adolescence. Our main man Piaget is reintroduced in chapter 9. He argues that young adults possess more knowledge than adolescents, especially in certain areas of interests. He does make sense since age does play a part. The older you are the wiser you (hopefully) get. Theorists believed that there should be a cognitive development stage after Piaget’s stage of formal operations, so people can acknowledge the relativistic nature of problems and answers. William Perry did a case study in the 1950’s and 60’s on several hundred Harvard students between the ages of 17-22. He studied their intellectual and ethical development. His theory was criticized because the tests were done on male. We were then introduced to Sandra Bem who was a gender role researcher who believed we would all be much better off if most behaviors were viewed appropriate to both sexes.

Social Development also plays a part in adulthood. Adults tend to develop a separate and special personality, it is derived less and less from our parents and teachers and more from our behavior, also known as individuation. Daniel Levinson found that age 30 is a common time for people to reexamine their feels about major life tasks. I whole heartedly agree with this hence I’m back in school at 31 pursuing what truly makes me happy. The more I read up on Erikson, the more I am intrigued by the fellow. His 6^th stage intimacy vs. isolation plays a part in adulthood. On page 219 he describes this stage as, “The young adult, emerging from the search for and the insistence on identity, is eager and willing to fuse his identity with others. He is ready for intimacy, that is, the capacity to commit himself to concrete affiliations and partnerships and to develop the ethical strength to abide by such commitments, even though they call for significant sacrifices and compromises”. By intimacy he means the ability to relate to one’s deepest hopes and fears to another person and to accept another’s need for intimacy in turn. 

I must pause and say how much I loved what Fiore says about validation. This sentence stuck out and paved its way in me. On page 221 she says, “Validation is essential to our sanity”. Validation was probably used in a positive way here, but the way I wanted to understand it as we may always seek validation from people who don’t care as much about us as we do about them. And we are always doing our very best to get some sort of approval, token of appreciation or an ounce of love back for the sake of our sanity.… Okay, I’ll carry on…

The chapter goes on to talk about the rates of single parents and divorces have increased over the past years. They also mention same sex relationships. Figure 9.8 shows that there are more states in the US that legalize first cousin marriages than states that legalize same sex marriage which statistics should be the other way around in my opinion. 

I will briefly summarize chapter 10 since I enjoyed chapter 9 a little too much as I connected so well to it. 

Chapter 10 discusses the slow deterioration of our health, our vision, our hearing. Hormone replacement therapy is offered to women that have reached menopause. We are introduced to several types of intelligence. Fluid, crystalized, analytical, creative, and practical. Fluid tends to decline starting from middle adulthood. Crystalized increases throughout the lifespan. Chapter also discusses stress and how adults are usually expected to deal with it entirely on our own. Stressors that individualize experience including poverty, chronic illness, and divorce is known as Risk factors. Protective factors are characteristics of resilient individuals that protect themselves from stress. This chapter was a bit sad because the more I read, the more it described my parents, or elders that I love and respect in my life. We tend to forget as we grow older, they do too.

Week 5-Adolescence-the awkward stage-AKEL

ADOLESCENCE

The stage of adolescence! The time when one discovers him/herself. The time when the body, mind and soul grow. Oh, and of course the time when shaving, stress, acne, condoms, and feeling grows for opposite/same sex are introduced. You may not need to use condoms at this age, but sex education is/should definitely be brought up at home or school. Your identity becomes clearer. You’re on your way to adulthood! Don’t get too excited though, it’s not as grand as you think it is.

According to Frank Wedekind and Lewis Carroll, adolescence does not come with a specific age start (Fiore, 2011, pg.186). The entry to adolescence triggers the biological, psychological, and social transitions. It can range from a girls first menstrual cycle, also known as menarche or to male’s first ejaculation, to when your pubic hair begins to show, or have interest in dating/sex. Because of the amount of change a person can experience in physical, cognitive, and social areas, psychologist G. Stanly Hall offered a theory that links to adolescence which is “storm & stress” (Fiore, 201l, pg. 187). I thought this theory perfectly describes this stage of human development.

With physical, emotional, and behavior changes at this stage, comes wanting to fit in and judging themselves, and dissatisfaction with self-appearance. One may pick up a very unhealthy/bad habit of an eating disorder such as bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa. Bulimia consists of binge eating followed by purging. Anorexia is characterized by an abnormally low body weight; calorie intake is severely reduced.

 As one grows in this stage, so does their parietal and frontal lobes of the brain which makes a drastic change in the way adolescents think. The ability to think during early and middle adolescence brings us to Piaget’s 4^th and last step of his theory also known as the formal operational stage. Piaget was first to note that adolescents fixed towards democratic values because of this new thinking capacity (Fiore, 2011, pg. 191). 

Issues of independence, identity, sexuality, social life, drugs, alcohol, and schoolwork can occur in this transitional period. Romantic interests, and cliques tend to naturally grow in importance for some time during a teens journey to adulthood. This period of change in adolescence and the stability of school, family, or even priorities are about to change for individuals as they move to the next stage of early/middle adulthood. Buckle up! It’s going to be one bumpy ride!

Week 4- Early & Middle Childhood Development -AKEL

Early & Middle Childhood Development

As we wrap up with the previous chapters of birth, newborn, & infancy, we move on to 

early and middle childhood development. Things get a bit interesting as with every chapter we are introduced to, I am reminded of my own child’s development, and it is always nice to learn something new and incorporate it in her/my daily life. We are first introduced in chapter 6 to Selma Fraiberg who describes the ages from 2 to 6 as “The magic years” (Fraiberg, 1959). Indeed, these years are quite magical, and the little kiddos never seize to amaze us with their wittiness and their charming personality. We truly underestimate them, and they know more than we think they know. I’ve always believed their brain around this time is like a sponge. They absorb any and every like information that they are exposed to (good or bad).

Piaget’s 2^nd stage of preoperational period comes into play during this time in a child’s life. Children are at a level of thinking that precedes operational thought; they are familiarized with symbols to signify objects and events in place of setting. (Fiore, 2011, pg. 133).

Activities of preoperational children consists of:

1.      Animism-When children think objects have feelings

2.      Defined imitation-Imitating an action or event they have witnessed

3.      Symbolic play-an object can represent a different object in the play scenario

An example of symbolic play (but really has nothing to do with playing) I think is over the summer when I lost my grandmother to cancer, it took a toll on my daughter since the last 2 months was spent with her, as my aunts and myself took turns taking care of her. Of course, my daughter was by my side helping out. My grandmother and daughter had such a strong bond and truly believe it will never be broken, and although she’s only 3 years old, I believe she will never forget her either. Getting to the point, every time we pass a cemetery, it reminds my little girl of her great grandmother and automatically assumes that’s where she is laid to rest. We can pass 2-3 cemeteries and my daughter assumes my grandmother is in all 3 places. I found that very smart of her to think that way. The symbol of any cemetery represents my grandmother. Just to make a note, my child is always asking about God, death, and what is her great grandmother doing at the moment. It is only natural I believe to ask so many questions at this age as they want to know everything.

I believe that around early childhood and sometimes middle childhood time of one’s life is when they are being molded into the person they want to be. Through the parents and teacher’s guidance, and not with force, and positive reinforcement in a child’s environment, they can shape themselves into the best person they can possibly be.

Week 3- Pregnancy, Birth, & Infancy Oh My!-AKEL

Chapter 3 Pregnancy & Prenatal Development

As we wrap up with chapter 2 and learn the different kinds of theories of development by different theorists, we are introduced to the beginning. Beginning of life. How amazing is it that we are basically made into a zygote; the result of a cell when an egg is fertilized with a sperm. We also learn the structure of a cell  that comes in 23 pairs-46 total. One single damage to the DNA can cause a disorder/condition. For instance, an extra copy of chromosome 21 (makes a total of 47 chromosomes) can cause Down Syndrome. Aside from chromosome disorders, there are genetic disorders (such as Sickle Cell Anemia (blood disorder found mainly in African descent), or Tay Sachs (caused by a recessive gene, found in Jews of European origin). 

Reading on made me feel a bit nostalgic. Remembering the good old times when I was pregnant with my first and only child. The germinal period is the time when the fertilized egg passes through the fallopian tube. Whereas the embryonic period is a time of rapid development. Fetal period is a time of preparation for life outside the womb. There are always other options if one cannot carry her own child on her own due to some kind of difficulty such as In Vitro fertilization, Intrauterine insemination, Gamete intrafallopian transfer, and more. Even if any of those are not an option, one can always adopt. We are also warned about any kind of harm a mother or child can endure during pregnancy, and to be careful and stay away from whatever we are able to stay away from (drugs, alcohol, etc..). 

Chapter 4 Birth and the Newborn Child 

(Hope this part doesn't gross anyone out, as its a natural and beautiful process a woman experiences-she probably wont think its beautiful at the time, but you get my drift)

This is when things get a bit serious. The birth process. Many women experience false labor pain (as I had experienced) which is called Braxton-Hicks contractions. Once the mucus plug followed by your water breaking (amniotic fluid) makes its way out, you know its time to get in that car and head out to the hospital. Ladies, or gentleman (whose partner is pregnant), a few squats can help speeding up that process. Trust me. Labor hours vary from woman to woman but the average time is 5 to 6 hours. But not if you're Ruba. You'll sit for 18 hours and then be rushed for an emergency C-section. How fun! But yes, that is one of the methods of childbirth. Natural child birth, home delivery, and cesarean section.

Infants display their capability through their sensory abilities and reflexes. Infants' assessment focuses on neurological functioning and other behaviors to increase information about the neonates capabilities. Families should try to adjust to the birth of a new child at their earliest conveniences as some women will experience postpartum depression. It takes a heavy toll on a person, physically & mentally. Brook Shields is an example of a woman who experienced post partum depression, and is raising awareness about postpartum experiences. 

Chapter 5 Infancy

Lets be honest, infants are underestimated for their abilities. We may not notice this because they are so dependent on their caregivers/mothers. They are capable of so much, even when they are one month old they can pick up that head of theirs. In order to achieve a great physical development in infancy, good nutrition is required. Here comes the great debate about what is better for the baby. Breast milk, or formula. On page 104 in our LifeSmart text book, it states that breast fed infants are less likely to get sick as often as a formula fed baby. Lies lies all lies. Adam, my 5 year old nephew was breast fed for 2 years and is ALWAYS sick. Compared to my 3 year old, who was only breast fed for a month (as badly as I wanted to keep on going, I had to stop for various reasons), who isn't as bad, just the usual ear infection when she was teething, or cold and flu in the winter. But everyone has their own preference on feeding their infant and moms shouldn't bottle shame other mothers. Yes folks, people out there have time on their hands to shame other mothers for using formula.

There are various techniques that are used for researchers to draw conclusions on the human brain, especially infant brains. Those techniques are: CT scans, PET scan, MRI, EEG, and electroencephalogram.

Piaget's theory was perfectly introduced in this chapter as we talk about cognitive development. As page 102 states, "Piaget believed that the first few years of life are marked by extraordinary mental growth and influence the entire course of development". Piaget proposed a theory of development as a sequence of distinct stages, each of which entails important changes in the way a child thinks, feels and behaves. Piaget's sensorimotor period consists of 6  stages:

Stage 1: Simple reflexes
Stage 2:  (1-4 months) stage of primary circular reactions; infants actions that are focused on their own bodies and refluxes.
Stage 3: Secondary circular reactions (4-8 months)-Piaget's term for infants activities that are directed toward objects and events outside themselves.
Stage 4: coordination of secondary schemes-Piaget's term for when infants combine secondary schemes to obtain a goal
Stage 5: Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months): Piaget's term for repetition with variation; infant is exploring the worlds possibilities
Stage 6: Internalization of schemes: Children's use of symbols to think about real events without actually experiencing them

Biopsychosocial model of development is evident as various phases of development converge in a child's use of language such as motor, language, and cognitive development.

I have noticed I became a bit open with myself on this particular blog, and apologize if I have offended anyone. 

Week 2- Theories Of Development-AKEL

Theories of Development - Interpreting the Lifespan

Chapter 2 introduces all the major (and a bit more in between) theorists and their own theories of development. Let me just add, chapter 2 was basically my high school psychology book summarized in one chapter. Not complaining though :). Some may not agree to every theory that was presented, but it opens the doors to view each and every one of them and maybe compare them to your understandings of lifespan development or even apply them to your daily life style. 

The major theories of development are from Freud-psychoanalytic, Erikson-psychosocial, Piaget-cognitive, Vygotsky-sociocultural, Bandura/Skinner-behavioral, Lerner-contextual. Carefully reading through all, and trying to understand each one, I found that Freud’s theory was a bit confusing which had me going back and forth trying to understand his reasoning. Although he brings up some interesting points, I don’t agree with his theory 100%.  Freud thought that our adult personality is determined by the way we resolve conflicts between these early sources of pleasure- the mouth, the anus and the genitals-and the demands of reality. These ideas and feelings inhabit only a small part of the brain and a person’s deepest thoughts, fears and urges remain out of our awareness. They are in our unconscious part of the mind.

What stuck out the most to me from them all, and made more sense to me were Uri Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological theory (bioecological model), Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, Albert Banduras Social (Cognitive) Learning, Ivan Pavlov’s classical conditioning, & B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning. I agree that the environment around a child can influence how the child grows and develops as Uri explains. Also, according to Lev, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments, initially children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to communicate their needs. Remembering when I was in first grade, I always told myself I wanted to be a teacher when I grow up, and to be just like that specific teacher. Observing her methods of teaching our classroom was so fascinating. She was so loving, understanding, and made every individual feel just as important as everyone else. This is just one of the examples of Albert Bandura’s social cognitive learning. Classical & operant condition, punishment, extinction, as well as reinforcement (both positive and negative) can be seen at home and even in school. I can also say that these are things that I instill at home with my child. It is something I went through a child, and is only natural to pass it down to mine.  I loved Pavlov’s way of teaching classical conditioning. No animals/feelings were hurt, unlike John Watson who made an infant cry (sorry for the dry humor).