Adult development constructs within sociology seek to understand the process through which an individual takes in the becoming an adult as well as processes within adult life. Cognizant of the various stages of development, this research paper will take the perspective of evaluation of the processes based on an interview. Therein, the interview conducted will form the basis of the report therein. Therefore, the interviewer will choose a suitable candidate for an interview, and the responses made will form the basis of analysis from the sociological perspective. Further, the paper will explore possible theories applicable in the context of the interview responses and make necessary deductions.
Selection criteria and interviewee analysis
To conduct the study, the interviewee selection process took a stratified randomized model through which an individual was identified. The interviewee is a 60-year-old male, who lives in the rural areas and has his occupation as farming. The method through which he was identified as suitable for the interview is the category of experiences. For such s study, the researcher must identify a subject whose life experiences offer more information through the various stages of life. Further, his age and presence of various aspects of stages in human life reflect the amount of knowledge and input he brings to the research. The selection was random for the particular individual who fit the description criteria for the research proposed.
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Cognizant of the psychological and sociological perspectives, the information gathered from the interview articulate several theories of adult development. For instance, about the Levinson’s theory of the seasons of life, the information gathered in the respondent follows that path. The theory suggests that an individual follows the seasons of life model in adulthood. The stages of the seasons of life theory indicate a transition from entry to adulthood to maturity as an adult. Cognizant of these issues, the responses from the interviewee indicate a clear progression of these events. At the age of 60, the respondent is in the final season of life about this model. Further, a critical emphasis on the responses indicates the presence of various activities or events in the respondent's life that shaped his life and the direction through which he lived. The model is categorically defined by Vaillant's theory that suggests an individual must undertake several critical tasks in his life to be considered mature as an adult (Vaillant et al. 2017) . Therefore, the theory is at work in the life of the respondent as there are critical issues within his life that indicate progression of maturity as an adult. For instance, for an individual to enter into adulthood, one must develop an identity for progression. The responses mean an individual who is well aware of whom he is in life and therefore an established identity.
Stemming from a sociological perspective, an individual’s health can take the perspectives of physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health. The physical health of the respondent seems to suffer in some aspects. Through the years of physical labor as a farmer, the respondent suffers from arthritis of the knees and several musculoskeletal disorders. Although he takes medication, he has strained mobility issues caused by the arthritis of the knees. From a social perspective, the respondent seems to be healthy due to the number of friends who he interacted with during the interview. Further, his social status in the community as an elder is an indication of a social environment that has been cultivated over time (Levinson, 1986). This is further substantiated by the nature of the stories given by the man during the interview. He generously talks of his adventures in life with the people he cares about, the family, friends and the society who have played a vocal part of his life. Informed from an emotional perspective, the respondent is relatively healthy. There are issues of the great emotional burden that weights his life and still fester. The notion is detected on the sense of bitterness through which he speaks of some issues that remain unresolved in his past. Nonetheless, from a spiritual perspective, he has explored spirituality through his commitment to his Christian faith. Informed by the significance of his faith stemming from the direction of his life, he emphasizes the importance of faith that has directed significant decisions in his life that made who he is.
Diversity and difference
Culture is an intrinsic part of human civilization and socialization. The activities and actions that make up a person stem from a cultural perspective. Informed by the cultural practices, customs, and traditions, the life of the respondent is profoundly influenced by the cultural themes and values. For instance, the cultural community through which he is socialized into has various aspects that define a man’s life. For instance, there are norms in the society that determine when a person ought to do particular things to be construed as usual and be accepted within the community. Cultural aspects such as when to go to school, when to marry and when to perform certain tasks (Kennedy, 2014). From the responses provided by the respondent, cultural aspects that informed his decision to do things are immense. For instance, by the age of 30, it's customary to get married in his community and therefore, his decision to get married at the age of 29 was determined mainly by the need to adhere to the cultural norms. Further, cultural aspects such as becoming an elder in the community are a cultural responsibility as the eldest son in his family.
Originating from the same cultural context, my deduction from this perspective is inclined to the interpretation of the cultural perspective. Informed intensively by the culture of the respondent; the information acts as both an asset to the interview as well as a source of bias in the deductions and interpretation of actions.
Human behavior and the social environment
There are some influences in the respondent’s life that have guided his behavior and consequently the activities in his life. For instance, his Christian values are the most significant influencers of his behavior. Since his conversion as a Christian at the age of 38, he let go a set of behaviors that were deemed not Christian. His faith provided him with a moral beacon through which his behavior and actions were based. Further, his religious responsibilities guided his actions through the strive to be a good role model as a Christian. Further, his position as the eldest son in his family in the perspective of culture and customs gave him responsibility as an elder in the family. Such responsibilities were crucial in shaping significance behavior in the strive to be respected in the society. The cultural context also influenced his behavior in the society (Kennedy, 2014). As a man, a father as well as an elder in his community, his behavior is expected to take a particular direction. In the attempt to conform and adhere to such norms and standards, his behavior was modified to fit the norms and standards.
Normal adult development is a construct that is relative to the context and basis of observation of the life of a person. To base the construct in the life of the respondent, one must underscore the socialization context of the individual in relevance to the society he lives. Therefore, from this perspective, his life can be determined to have taken a relatively normal progression. Informed by various theories in the sociological perspective, he has been able to adhere to several milestones in that context (Colarusso, and Nemiroff, 2013). For instance, based on the seasons of life theory, his life activities can be traced at an almost identical match of the theory. Further, in relations to the cultural context of socialization, the respondent’s life follows the customary norms of life progression. For example, as to what is expected of an elder son, he takes up the responsibility of the family and the immediate community. Further, the progression of his education in school and the community customs takes the path of normalcy that is close to others in relations.
Informed by the information provided by the respondent, his responsibility in the community, church, and family identify a high degree of protective factors. For instance, he has to safeguard his faith and religious values in the context of interaction with others. Similarly, he has to protect not only the dignity of the community but also the customs that reside in them as the elder in it. Nonetheless, there is a risk of conflict between the cultural perspective and the religious perspective in his life. Not all values in the cultural context adhere to the religious values. Therein, provided with the responsibility of both, he faces the risk of losing grip on either one.
References
Colarusso, C. A., & Nemiroff, R. A. (2013). Adult development: A new dimension in psychodynamic theory and practice . Springer Science & Business Media.
Kennedy, C. E. (2014). 1. Stages of Adult Development Changes during adulthood are often viewed regarding. Lifelong Education for Adults: An International Handbook , 176.
Levinson, D. J. (1986). A conception of adult development. American psychologist , 41 (1), 3-13.
Vaillant, G., Calarusso, C., Nemiroff, R., & Gould, R. (2017). Some Considerations on Adult Development.
