Marcia's Lifespan Development

The essay will look at life span development of Erikson’s psychoanalytically oriented approach to adolescence, Marcia’s identity status theory, Levinson’s life cycle theory, adulthood, parenthood, effects of divorce, bereavement, unemployment, adjustment to old age in terms of disengagement and active theory. This will be followed by evaluation of all this theories and a conclusion will be given.
Erikson (1969) stated that individuals experiencing adolescence having an identity crisis with females more affected than males due to realising that this status will depend on their marriage partner.
Erikson’s approach evaluation is, adolescents and young adults experience key identity adjustments, which result in self doubts. Erikson laid emphasis

Both Erikson and Marcia suggest that once an adolescent has reached a given developmental stage, they will not return to their earlier position.
Evaluating Marcia’s theory established that limited evidence was available on how adolescents change and develop during teenage years while performing semi structured interviews. It also points out that adolescents may offer answers that are untrue just to please interviewers.
Levinson’s life cycle theory identified family, marriage and occupation as pointers in life structure. Adults go through structures, combined with transitions hence leading in changes in life choices and personality.
In adulthood, most individuals over the years experience numerous stressful life events. Holmes and Rahe (1967) devised the social readjustment rating scale questionnaire. Evidence obtained maintains the notion that severe life events will increase the likelihood of being affected by illness that is stress related. For instance an individual relocating house may find it stressful while another would

Bee and Mitchell (1984) suggested a likelihood divorce will be present if the couples are from broken homes or are married young. Rutter and Rutter (1992) noted that the impact between men and women of divorce differs with women financially more affected. Divorced individuals exhibit being stressed, unhappy and depressed.
Parkes (1972, 1986) argues that depression and hopelessness, beginning a new life and moving on and intense longing for the spouse. Ramsey and de Groot (1977) points to nine elements for grieving for a spouse namely shock, depression, reorganising one’s life, acceptance of the loss, aggression towards family, anxiety about the future to mention but a few.
Realizing economic status is a transition one makes to adulthood. Hepworth (1980) found unemployed men were stressed 6 times higher than the employed. A decrease in psychological well-being is evident due to unemployment (Warr, 1987). Moser et al (1984) found unemployed men were likely to die through suicide or lung cancer than the employed. Warr (1987) pointed to environmental factors that describe unemployment impacts on an individual’s psychological and physical well being like no interpersonal contact, little money, physical security, no opportunity for control or skills, reduction in goal direction to mention but a