Generations: Leading the Future with Integrity
Susan Tyree
Liberty University
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| Caption: Deciding to Make a Difference http://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/ |
Abstract
Generativity versus
Stagnation is one of the eight stages described in Erik Erikson’s psychosocial
developmental stages of the life span. In an interview with my mom, I was able
to learn more about this stage in the real life example of my mom. It was
interesting to be able to learn how this stage is very true to how a person continues
to grow and learn throughout their life. The following describes the interview
I had with my mom and the different aspects of her stage that she is going
through and how she is affected by it. We discussed different coping mechanisms
from her past that she will use in the present and then in the future. This post
also describes how research supports some of the coping strategies that my mom
uses and how it promotes healthy brain functioning. This activity was very
interesting to be able to ask firsthand about the different stages of life and
how everyone goes through similar crises just in different ways.
Generations:
Leading the Future with Integrity
Erik Erikson describes eight
different stages of development that individuals go through throughout their
entire life span. When the assignment was given to interview someone who is
within a different lifespan and discuss with them the different facets of the
stage they are currently in and the issues and how they overcame those issues
of past stages, I thought that it would be an excellent idea to gain knowledge
from someone older than me. I chose to interview my mom who is 49 years old and
currently in the middle adulthood category. This category Erikson named Generativity
Vs. Stagnation. During this stage, the success would be generativity, which
could be described as a person’s contribution to society and guidance to the
next and future generations. Stagnation then would be the negative side where
they kind of sit back and unwilling to assist society and give back.
When I told my mom about this stage
that she was in I asked her if she felt that this stage is true to where she is
in her life, she said that she does see how this fits. She said that she is
willing to help those who help themselves and that as a teacher she sees
herself as a generativist in a way because she is constantly guiding younger
generations to move forward. I asked her if the decline of the younger
generation in consequence to the decline of our country’s morals and values is
ever discouraging and in a way feel like falling into the more stagnant role.
She answered that she feels like no matter how our country might be, she thinks
she would still care and guide for the younger generations. However she did say
that sometimes she does feel like giving up or holding back sometimes because
younger generations often feel that they deserve help and reward whether they
earned it or not.
I then began to ask her about her
past stages and the crises that go along with each and discussed with her how
she was able to overcome each and what coping strategies helped her within
each. She answered that with each stage she learned that if you work hard at
what you want then you will achieve success. She also stated that it is
important to try your best and think about the outcomes of each situation. She
talked about how with each crisis when she needed some way to cope it would
sometimes help her to walk or work out as a physical mechanism to dealing with
stress and hard times. I asked her if she could see herself using these same
coping skills in her current or future crises and she said that yes, she would,
she found them very helpful in achieving successful outcomes.
In an article by Ryan Wessell and
Carla Edwards entitled Principles of
Longevity and Aging: Interventions to enhance older adulthood it dsicusses different
ways to promote healthy aging and longevity in adulthood. Although it focuses
on older adulthood, it still has some important elements that can be applied to
any age including middle adulthood. The authors stated in a section about
physical exercise “regular exercise may [also] reduce anxiety and depression
and increase cognitive activity (Wessell & Edwards, 2012).” This is
especially applicable to my mom because she often exercises especially during
stressful situations or when she is dealing with a specific stage crisis. The
article goes on to discuss many ways in which it is important to be active in
your community in order to remain healthy and keep your brain active. All of
these are applicable to the stage of life my mom is in because it talks about
being active in the community and sharing your knowledge and experiences to
help guide the younger generations.
Questions for
Readers:
1)
Do you think this stage will be
difficult to go through, how often do you think people successfully age through
this stage?
2)
What sort of issues do you think might
cause a person to want to be more stagnant than generative?
3)
Do you think exercise is a good enough
coping mechanism?
References
Wessell,
R., & Edwards, C. (2012). Principles of longevity and aging: Interventions
to enhance
older adulthood. Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 2(1),
108-121.
Great job Susan! It sounds like you had a wonderful interview with your mother, and I love how she feels that, “no matter how our country might be, she thinks she would still care and guide for the younger generations”. That is so amazing to hear, as I believe it is vital for everyone to try their best to help future generations in any way that they can. As for your question about how often people successfully age through this stage of middle adulthood, I think it depends solely on the individual and their surroundings. There are so many different ways to interpret what exactly successful aging means, and I feel that it all comes down to how the individual views themselves personally. Although I think that exercise is a great coping mechanism, I do not believe that it is the only mechanism one should utilize. According to Feldman (2014), “there is no single way to age successfully” and “how people age depends on personality factors and the circumstances in which people find themselves” (p. 576). Along with exercise, I personally think that an important aspect of successful aging involves being able to actively participate in one’s own home and community environment.
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Feldman, R. S. (2014). Development Across the Life Span (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education. ISBN: 9780205989362
I always think it's a precious experience to have a good excuse to talk with our loved ones about their past and to have them think differently about life stages and choices that they made. I love your mom's passion for teaching and her commitment for generations to come, despite the social implications that seem to rise daily with this populations.
ReplyDeleteFrom your discussion questions, I can speak from experience that, yes, the stage of middle adulthood is difficult to go through. This developmental stage covers quite a few years in which many changes typically take place. For those who are parents, the challenge of the process of parenting, along with managing households, careers, marriage, extended family relationships and friendships and ministry can sometimes be a daunting task. However, I will say that this stage of life has also been the most rewarding. I feel that I have established a true sense of identity, which is remarkable considering much of my twenties were spent battling insecurities. I would say that middle adulthood, for me, has been a period of discovery, confidence and accomplishment.
Susan, I really enjoyed reading your blog interview that you did with your mother and the experience had to be an inspiring one. Speaking from a younger point of view I can still agree with what your mother said about wanting help and reward whether it is deserved or not. I have even seen instances where adolescents and even young adults tend to want a reward with not much work put in to receive the reward. I also agree with Kaylee when she said that success in each stage is dependent upon the person in the stage. I do believe that It can be difficult, just as any other stage, but people can successfully move through the stage. I think that not receiving help from older generations before the person was in the stage might cause a person to want to be more stagnant than generative. I think that exercise is a great coping mechanism especially if the person feels as though it is effective for them, which is most important. Exercise can be a form of the coping mechanism sublimation, which is converting the stress or unacceptable feeling such as anger and acting it out in a socially acceptable way.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine how great and valuable the time was that you spent with your mom regarding the interview and her development. I admire her mechanism for dealing with stress or an unavoidable situation. In most cases, it is easier and healthier on us if we just remove ourselves and think about what we really can do. The impact that your mother has not only on those around her but future generations is great. The fact that she can implement a desire for them to be successful in their lives will instill great life lessons. Agreeing with what was mentioned above me, if we are not willing to receive help or work on past issues then our development and success will be limited as we move throughout the stages.
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