Human Behavior and the Social Environment Social work has long recognized the relationship between the behavior of an individual and the environment in which the individual interacts (Hutchison, 2008). Human behavior theories offer a framework to organize, interpret and understand this relationship (Hutchison, 2008). For this case study, the following three theories will be examined for relevancy: Life cycle theory, role theory and resiliency theory. Life Cycle Theory Psychosocial development throughout the Life Cycle theory (sometimes known as individual development theory) proposes that each individual has the ability to master their environment at all stages of life (Coady & Lehman, 2008; Hutchison, 2008). The theory had its beginnings in Freud’s psychosexual stages of child development; however Erikson is responsible for laying the groundwork for the theory as it is known today, by proposing an epigenetic model of human development (Hutchison, 2008). The main tenant of the psychosocial development theory throughout the life cycle is that an individual’s personality is held to unfold over the course of their life, with healthy development based on the ability of the individual to master tasks and skills at each level or stage of life (Coady & Lehman, 2008; Hutchison, 2008). Erikson’s original model sectioned the life span into eight levels with each containing its own unique psychosocial challenge or conflict which, depending on the outcome, would help the individual experience positive growth (Coady & Lehman, 2008; (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2005/2011; Hutchison, 2008). The eighth stage encompasses late adulthood, where the conflict experienced is that of integrity versus despair. If an individual has experienced successful o... ... middle of paper ... ...amilies in Society, 86(3), 367-373. doi:10.1606/1044-3894.3434 Hooyman, N., & Kiyak, H. A. (2011). Social gerontology: A multidisciplinary perspective (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Original work published 2005) Hutchison, E. (2008). Dimensions of Human Behavior, Person and Environment, 3rd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Lamb, F., Brady, M., & Lohman, C. (2009). Lifelong resiliency learning: A strength-based synergy for gerontological social work. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 52(7), 713-728. doi:10.1080/01634370802716216 Resnick, B., Gwyther, L., & Roberto, K. (Eds.). (2011). Resilience in aging: Concepts, research and outcomes (1st ed.). New York: Springer Science & Business Media, LLC. Richardson, G. E. (2002). The Metatheory of Resilience and Resiliency. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(3), 307-321. doi:10.1002/jclp.10020
Being aware of what life course one’s on and the impact of transitions within a person’s life course is important for social work practice. It is important that social workers reflect on both their own and other’s experiences throughout the life course and support this understanding within the various theoretical frameworks. It helps us to understand the common themes which have affected people through the age and helps us understand why people behave the way they do in certain situations.“Understanding of life course aims to encourage us in the flexibility of imagination which is required in order to enter into the lives of people at different ages and to see the world from their point of view” (Sudbery, 2010, p.231).
This class, Social Work Theory & Practice was made to be able to introduce me to social work theories, ideas, and skills needed to work in the social work profession. This class main tool used was a book called A Brief Introduction of Social Work Theory by David Howe which discusses social work theories in a compressive and explainable way. This class is important to my higher learning because it break down the theories that I will need to use during my practice and a...
Hiller, S. M., & Barrow, G. M. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Resilience and hardiness has long been a topic of research and discussion within different paradigms and fields of study, for example, in military psychology, psychiatry, health statistics and measurement, medical anthropology, education, medicine and organizational settings. Resilience means the skills, abilities, acquaintance, and insight that accumulate over time as people struggle to conquer adversity and meet challenges. It is an ongoing and developing fund of energy and skill that can be used in current struggles (Saleebey, 1996; Liebenberg, 2005).Most commonly, the term resilience has come to mean an individual's ability to overcome adversity and continue his or her normal development.
...gs and needs, and looking of other ways to strengthen resilience such as meditating (American Psychological Association, 2013).
Aging and old age for a long time presented as dominated by negative traits and states such as sickness, depression and isolation. The aging process is not simply senescence most people over the age of 65 are not Senile, bedridden, isolated, or suicidal (Aldwin & Levenson, 1994). This change in perspective led the investigation of the other side of the coin. Ageing is seen as health, maturity and personal Royal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generatively, coping and acceptance of age-related constraints (Birren & Fisher, 1995). Psychological und...
There are several theories surrounding the aging adult and what successful aging embodies. A common theme of successful aging is one’s wellness. Wellness in relation to health is represented and encompassed by balance among one’s emotional, social, spiritual, physicality, and culture. As demographics begin to change in our country, new and changing definitions of what successful aging means among our society are developed through research and practice of caring for those within the population of older adults.
Hutchinson, Elizabeth D. Dimensions of Human Behavior: The Changing Life Course. (2008) California: Sage Publications 2008
Even if there are only a few studies which have focused on what might work for the students to promote resilience , Kinman and Grant(2011), state that a resilient social worker will be able to:
Resilience is defined as an important quality that enables people to cope with unfavorable situations and find ways to overcome the negative results. According to Allender, Rector, and Warner (2014I), people with resilience would have the required qualities to bounce back against threats and stressful situations, and recoil with an attitude of dominance, capability, and aspiration (p. 556). Thus, because of all its susceptibilities, the homeless population should be regarded and treated in a way that could encourage survival through personal’s ability to react positively to conflicting situations. Many studies have mentioned the relationship between an individual’s prior experiences with its form of resiliency, however they also emphasized on the individual’s education level, work training and qualifications, and other life’s experiences to help cope with difficult moment.
Lifespan development is discontinuous. It is a process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times. Although there is evidence that indicates that both continuous and discontinuous contributes to lifespan development, I believe that most of life can be described as discontinuous. Psychoanalytic perspective states that people go through a series of stages in which they confront conflicts between biological drives and social expectations, how they resolve these conflicts determines the person’s ability to learn, get along with others and to cope with anxiety. This theory explains that during this period of the child’s life they will set the course for the rest of their life based on these conflicts
Smith-Osborne, A. (2007). Life Span and Resiliency Theory: A Critical Review. Advances in Social Work, 8(1), 152-168.
Weiss, Robert S., and Scottq A. Bass, eds. Challenges of the third age: Meaning and purpose in later life. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2002. 41-43. Print.
Aging and being old was dominated by negative characteristics and conditions such as illness, depression, and isolation for a long time (Eibach, Mock, & Courtney, 2010). At first glance the terms “success” and “aging” seem to be in conflict to each other. When asking people about aging, their answers have many facets that are also found in psychological definitions: successful aging is seen as health, maturity and personal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generativity, coping, and acceptance of age-related limitations. In the psychological sense successful aging is also often seen as the absence of age-associated characteristics (Strawbridge, Wallhagen, & Cohen, 2002). It seems that successful aging means is not aging.
Resilience; the word may seem foreign but it actually shines in some of the most difficult times. Resilience strikes courage into the heart of the most anxious person, and it makes the most difficult task turn into the easiest. Now, the question may be asked: if a difficult task, that seems impossible to overcome is presented, why might it seem so hard to be resilient? Well, although it may seem that resilience depends on the difficulty of the adversity, it depends on the strength of the person affected by the adversity and it’s their own choice they make whether they overcome it or not. In the articles How People Learn To Become Resilient, The Deafening Silence, 15 Common Defense Mechanisms, and Jericho, the contrast is show that while people