Why is it important to study families globally? There are many reasons that come to mind when asked this question, such as, to have a better understanding of cultures as the United States becomes more diverse. Perhaps it is important to study families globally to see how different the Human Development process may, or may not be. Also, how do they face developmental tasks that they are faced with? Lastly, how are demography, critical studies and historical materialism related in other cultures? All of these are very important reasons to study families on a global level, but I believe that the main reason is to have a better understanding and perhaps use the information that we are able to learn from these global studies to enhance our own families. I believe there is a plethora of information that can be gained and applied to our own, every day, functions of family life. In Evelyn Millis Duvall’s paper “Family Development’s First Forty Years”, she explains in detail many of the aspects that are important in the development of a family. Duvall’s paper focuses on the interdisciplinary family development; therefore it is important to first understand the process of human development. There are seven patterns or processes that are important in human development. These seven patterns are also considered to be universal. They are: Physical Development, Personal Development, Psychosexual Development, Psychosocial Development, Cognitive Development, Moral Development and Longitudinal Development. Of the seven patterns, I believe that psychosocial development is the most important. Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is one of the best known personality theories in psychology. Erikson believed that there are eight stages of development in regards to personality that spans the life of a person. He believed that in each stage of development a person experienced a conflict that could serve as a turning point in development. In Erikson's view, these conflicts are centered on either developing a psychological quality or failing to develop that quality. During these times, the potential for personal growth is high, but so is the potential for failure (Cherry). The reason I believe this is the most important pattern in human development is because how a person is able to react and interact at various points in their life is detrimental to their success or failure. The basis of these interactions is ones personality. Erikson uses the idea of ego identity as one of the main elements in his theory. Ego identity is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction, but is constantly changing due to experiences and information people gather daily. The 8 stages of Erickson’s psychosocial theory are below:
Stage Basic Conflict Important Events Outcome
Infancy (birth to 18 months) Trust vs. Mistrust
Feeding Children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust.
Early Childhood (2 to 3 years) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Toilet Training Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence. Success leads to feelings of autonomy, failure results in feelings of shame and doubt.
Preschool (3 to 5 years) Initiative vs. Guilt
Exploration Children need to begin asserting control and power over the environment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose. Children who try to exert too much power experience disapproval, resulting in a sense of guilt.
School Age (6 to 11 years) Industry vs. Inferiority
School Children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of inferiority.
Adolescence (12 to 18 years) Identity vs. Role Confusion
Social Relationships Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Success