Life course theories

1. Life course theories • Theories are defined as systematic efforts to formulate explanations of natural phenomena to make sense out of observations or experiences • Rules of the game of psycho-social processes • Development, socialization adaptation

2. Perspectives • Developmental—rate and growth of person • Socialization—skills/knowledge needed to perform roles • Adaptational—how persons cope with life events/circumstances that demand responses different from everyday habits

3. Models • Timing-of-Events model—social time is the time expected by a society that people will make major life transitions, like moving from childhood to adulthood, marrying, having children. Adaptation is required when a person is unwilling/unable to make timely transition. • Normative-crisis model—assumption that person must accomplish certain tasks (learning to be autonomous/independent in U.S. society) to grow psychologically and/or socially. (ex. Freud, Erikson, Levinson)

4. Stage Theories of Development defined • Stage theories argue that people go through stages of progression or sequence. Stage includes description of the stage or is a theory of what is going on in the stage. • Example—infancy, childhood, adulthood descriptive terms of stages, but also symbolize physical, psychological, social change • Sequence rests on assumption of mastery of functions to get from one level to next like sit-walk-run

5. Stages of physiology • We crawl, then walk, then run; we babble first and then we speak. Ability to get through these physical changes defines normal development • Buhler’s stages: growth w/out reproduction (0-15); growth w/reproductive ability (15-22); reproductive ability w/o further growth (22-45); loss of reproductive ability for female (45-65/70); decline w/loss of reproduction (65-death). • When reproduction defines stages how is this culturally defined?

6. Cognitive stages • Piaget: sensorimotor (0-18 months); preoperational (18 mon. to 6 years); concrete operations (6-12); formal operational (abstract principles)

7. Psychosocial • FreudOral, anal, phallic, latency, genital • Erikson: eight stages • Levinson: theory of life course • Gould theory of transformations

8. Role theories • Role: sets of norms/standards that apply to expected behavior of categories of persons in relationships with others • Scripts

9. Socialization stages • Infancy (Small) • Early childhood—preparation, dependency, roles assigned by sex, age, family and social origins • Adolescence to adulthood—transition to performance, autonmy, achieved statuses—knowledge, abilities, motivation • Occupational roles, family roles—role gain, role loss

10. Themes in life course study • Goals and life purposes • Life stresses and adaptation—includes social change as well as individual responses • Identity and life course—includes cohort identity • Continuity/discontinuity; scheduling; rites of passage; age/cohort effects; cultural variations