This paper will focus on the latter part of middle adulthood. Middle adulthood represents the time in life between ages 34 to 60 (Newman & Newman, 2015). Since the middle adulthood is the longest stage of the life cycle, this paper will focus on an individual within the age of 45- 60. Individuals in the middle adulthood stage begin to develop concerns about future generation. They feel the need to contribute to the world through family and work. These feelings and thoughts are referred to as generativity. Erik Erikson refers to the problem posed at this stage as generativity vs. stagnation (Newman et al., 2015). Stagnation occurs when an individual is self-centered and unwilling to help society move forward. Several changes begin to …show more content…
develop during this time that changes a person’s role and function in life. Family dynamics also begin to change during this time. One may reverse roles with an aging parent or have to resign their central role in the lives of growing or grown children. During this stage some individuals are unable to accept aging and may feel frustrated and unfulfilled. At this time, one may experience a sense of failure in their chosen of career, feelings of sexual inadequacy, or even fear of inevitable death. Problems that may develop if an individual fails to resolve these concerns include brooding, physical illness, suicide, chemical dependency, and depression. This paper is an observation on a male client who is in his middle adulthood stage of life, his name is Sam.
Sam is a 60 year old, retired prison guard who was diagnosed with depression at the age of 56. Sam felt that all his life he struggled with hopelessness, but never felt the need to seek out any professional support other than his family. Sam stated, “I would feel down on myself, but never put much thought into it.” Sam’s first involvement with psychiatric services came shortly after the death of his son. Sam relayed that this was a difficult time for him. He was forced to retire due to a medical condition, his youngest daughter had started her own family and then tragedy stuck Sam’s oldest child and only son committed suicide. Sam stated that he felt that his world had just ended and he himself could not find any reason to live. Sam noted that he became angry and would avoid any contacts with his family. He even contemplated leaving his wife, whom he was happily married to for 35 years. Sam explained that he simply gave up, he stopped watching his diet, he started smoking again after giving it up for 10 years and he would often not get out of bed for days. One could surmise that Sam had entered a state of stagnation. He had lost so much that he isolated himself, gave up on his future and due to these feelings it placed him in a state of stagnation (Van Hiel, Mervielde, & de Fruyt, 2006). Sam’s medical doctor had noted several changes in his demeanor, …show more content…
health and over all well-being. She had suggested for Sam to attend grief counseling and had prescribed him an antidepressant. Sam was resistive at first but with much support from his family he complied with his treatment plan. Sam felt that the combination of the counseling and medication saved his life. He is now a proud grandfather of an amazing grandson and his life has been improving every day. Sam wanted to make it clear that he still struggles from time to time with feelings of hopelessness, but he has a great support system to help him get through these times. When I asked Sam to elaborate on his relationship with his grandson, he happily boosted about all the things he had taught him and his future plans of teaching his grandson to fish. One can now surmise that Sam has entered a state of generativity. This can be due to Sam’s grandson again placing him in a role as a mentor. Life Stage and Tasks In order to understand how Sam was affected by his depression, one must first understand the complexity of the life stage he was in.
Sam is considered to be in his middle adulthood. As stated previously, according to Erikson’s life span model this period is referred to as “generativity vs. stagnation” or stage 7 (Erikson, 1950). Generativity vs. stagnation is the main psychosocial conflict one is experiencing during this period (Newman et al., 2015). During this phase, individuals are attempting to find a balance between generativity and stagnation (Van Hiel et al., 2006). According to Erikson (1950), generativity is “primarily the concern in establishing and guiding the next generation.” Generativity and parenting can be closely linked because it is through our parenting skills that we begin to mentor and teach the next generation (Van Hiel et al., 2006). Through these activities we are providing guidance to our own children, which in turn will affect society as a whole. Please note that parenting is not the guaranteed path to generativity. Some research has even suggested that fostering and facilitating generative activity with older adults can improve their level of independence and even improve their quality of life (Ehlman & Ligon,
2012). Stagnation which is the opposite of generativity has been researched and documented much less by Erikson (Slater, 2003). According to Van Hiel (2006), “stagnation represents a lethargic stance towards the world” (p. 545) and during this state one will only be interested in themselves and their own needs. In Erikson’s later writings, he used to term “self absorption” along with stagnation (Van Hiel et al., 2006). Furthermore, confirming that an individual in the state of stagnation will have low levels of involvement and little to no concern for others. According to Erikson’s life span model, the period after middle adulthood is later adulthood or “ego integrity vs. despair.” This period encompasses the ages of 60 to 75 (Newman et al., 2015). During this stage one will being to accept one’s life and begins to adopt new roles in the family. Sam is beginning to make this transition into later adulthood. He has taken on a new role as a grand-parent and has a positive outlook on life. Even though Sam is still being treated for depression, his feelings of hopelessness have decreased which has allowed him to make a smooth transition into later adulthood.
Sam’s dad committed suicide after struggling with bipolar disorder. Sam didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of his father, which may have given him the upper hand when having to deal with those thoughts. If Sam didn’t have this psychological disorder he wouldn’t have these troubling or confusing symptoms. Dysfunction is the inability to function as expected in social and occupational activities. When Sam was in his depressed state, he found it hard to hold a job.
Williams, R. H., & Wirth, C. G. (1965). Lives through the years: Styles of life and successful aging.
In today’s culture, the number of issues that the average person has to face on a daily basis, are astronomical. Millennials, in particular, have been greatly affected by this, so much so that a new phase in the human lifespan has been created just for them! Dubbed “emerging adulthood” by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, plopped smack dab in the middle of adolescence, and adulthood, this phase captures any, and all doubts that 20-29 year olds are plagued with. From their economic standing, to racial, ethnic, and identity issues, and to disabilities ranging from both mental, and physical, this phase captures every single uncertainty, fear, and qualm that one person can possibly have in a neat little package.
In the middle adulthood life stage the developmental task are “managing a career, nurturing intimate relationships, expanding caring relationships, and managing the household”. (Cite From Book) June is experiencing the psychological crises of generativity versus stagnation. June is comfortable taking her mother’s place at the table in the United States and not even looking for her sisters. However, when her aunties told her that they had received a letter from her sisters she fought the stagnation part of the psychological crises. According to Newman and Newman generativity is “to bring into existence”. (CITEp.513). This could be though “introducing new things, ideas, beings, or bonds to relationship-all of which not had existed before”. (CITE) June then switch to generativity in where she wanted to do what was best for her mother’s future generations. June wanted to meet her siblings to discuss the type of person their mother was and tell the sacrifice their mother made for them. June felt obligated to meet her sisters to contribute and bring forth the bond with her
For all teens, the transition into adulthood is generally seen as a challenging and scary process. For teens diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as their caregivers, this transition is often more complicated. The period of transition for individuals with ASD into adulthood is intensely more challenging due to their “unique characteristics, the lack of services that address the special needs of such individuals in adulthood, and the expectations of society for a typical path to adulthood in the face of atypical problems” (Geller and Greenberg, 2009, pg. 93). Without the necessary resources to transition, teens with ASD find themselves unprepared for life at work, in college, or community living. Through this paper, the reader will obtain knowledge in regards to what ASD is, the barriers it yields concerning the transition into adulthood, and the effects it has on the individual as well
Generativity vs. stagnation is Erikson's seventh stage of development, which occurs in adulthood. Generativity includes responsibilities such as raising children and being productive in a job. Adults who do not perform these tasks become stagnant.
Hiller, S. M., & Barrow, G. M. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Through real life examples this essay explored the three domains cognitive, physical and social/emotional. It is evident that people in their early adulthood portrays the structure set out in these domains and proofs that the theories explored are close to accurate. Nigel’s interview showed that all domains interrelated and that his experiences matched most theories. His journey as an emerging adult is only the beginning.
Greg is a forty-one year-old man, who is retired from the military. He is in stage seven of Erikson’s psychosocial development called Generativity vs. Stagnation, which includes middle adulthood, forty to sixty-five years of age. According to Capps (2004), Erikson defines generativity as “the concern in establishing and guiding the next generation” (p. 25). This stage claims the largest stretch of time on Erikson’s chart encompassing middle adulthood. Greg has become successful throughout this stage and has a feeling of accomplishment by being active in his home and community. Stagnation represents an individual that is disconnected or uninvolved in their community because they fail to find away to contribute to society. Greg realized he was
Sam Mercado lives like any other high school student, but acquires an appreciation and enjoyment that many lack. When asked what he was most thankful for, he answers with the life that his parents provide him and all the opportunities he receives. Continuing on, he says that he plans to be a strict parent, which showed me that he understands the important role of parents in a child’s life. Although he retains respect for his own parents, he points out that he wouldn’t stop being with someone if his parents disliked that partner. This indicates that he also contains a deference for others and trusts his own judgment. In addition to respecting others, he also enjoys spending time with his friends and prefers to be around others when he’s
At this stage, the main question they asked themselves are “how can I contribute to the world? And “Do I have a purpose in life and am I contented?” (Cherry, 2015). Generativity refers mainly about one’s ability to care for anotherperson; parenting is an important event during this life course. My client being a single mother and essentially the one who raised and support her daughter, feels contented and convince that she accomplished this field. Her main purpose of her life right now is to provide for her daughter and to help her family members that are less fortunate back in Philippines, allowing her to have a sense of worth and fulfillment in life. Other objective of this physiological stage of life is self satisfaction, compared to the other previous stage where they rely mainly on others opinion and social comparison at this age self worth and own’s view of self is valued (Foster & Levitov, 2012). Working as a nurse for almost 30 years, this line of work gives her self fullfillment knowing that she is contributing and serving the community. Stagnation on the other hand is the opposite of generativity, it refers to failure to contribute to the society or care for someone else other that yourself. Individuals that fail to attain generativity tends to be uninvolved or detached from their community, creating a feeling of unproductivity and decrease self worth
As people progress through life at some point they come to a point when Generativity and stagnation begin between ages 40-60 years old. During this time men and women reminiscing about their contribution to family, relationships, work, and society in the context of how their legacy will be sustained past their lifespan. Berger (2014) clarify this broad application to as satisfying someone’s need to be productive or generative particularly “through parenthood, caregiving, and employment” as it pertains their input toward guiding later generations (p. 646).
With perseverance of stage six, I have now entered the seventh stage of life. The seventh stage focuses on generativity vs. stagnation. McAdams (2009) states, “To be generative is to generate a legacy of the self for the good of future generations,” (p. 382). There are four types of genera...
I do believe that there is such a thing as a mid life crisis. There are multiple causes that can cause a midlife crisis, mostly being outside sources such as issues with a career and issue with children. But many sources of a midlife crisis can be from within a person. Such a deep sense of reject, a fear of humiliation among among successful colleagues. When people go through a life crisis they will cope in different ways. Something that I read on the huffington post, to paraphrase a crisis does not just appear in a out of thin air. It come from a long time of exhaustion and sudden acknowledgement of the passage of time. But that usually begins to panic about health issue.
As stated by Cronin and Mandich (2016), there are changes in patterns of participation in major life areas in late adulthood such as work, educational pursuits and recreation and leisure. Based on the finding, the factors which contribute to these changes are physical limitations, discrimination, lack of fund and resources, lack of financial support and lack of assistance or social support which can increase their predisposition for having poor sense of purpose in