Life History Interview and Oral History Orientation

Narrative of the Person’s Life 

The events unfolding in the life of an individual are integral in the formation of a narrative that gives an in-depth meaning. This perspective is significant to Mr. James Franklin an African American Vietnam War Veteran as he identifies his deployment as the most important event in his life that shaped his later life. Mr. Franklin at the age of 76 is only among a few black soldiers who survived the life-threatening affair. He was able to witness first-hand the horrific events and the extent of human brutality. These terrifying occurrences caused the members great trauma but was a life changing ordeal that has continuously motivated him to do better in his life. 

While growing up, Franklin’s had a close relationship with his father as he had previously lost his mum when he was born. It was always an issue that he did not have the opportunity to see his mother alive as it caused him great heart ache. After his deployment at a tender age of 20, he would form stronger relationships with other soldiers in his company. Though many of them passed away during the combat, he maintained close contact with those who survived. The leader of their platoon was probably one of his closest friend as he would educate him more on techniques and strategies to employ to survive and attack the enemy. However, his company commander hated his guts and demonstrated clear signs of hatred towards him. 

James Franklin was always a jovial and ecstatic young boy despite growing up in a single-parent family. He would seek intellectual guidance from his father and engage in a staunch practice of Christianity. However, after his engagement in the Vietnam war, he came back a changed man. He was deeply involved in alcohol and drug abuse that he was twice at the brink of death at a tender age of 30. He also had erratic emotions with tendencies of being angered after a minor altercation particularly when he was drunk. Due to his big frame only a few people could control him. Following interventions from family and friends he changed for the better shortly before getting married to his wife of 42 years, Emily. It was after 30 years of marriage that he was diagnosed with diabetes type II. 

As a young man living in a society that was segregated, James did not have major aspirations for his life. He identified the racism and segregation as a barrier to any dream he had. However, through the love and dedication shown by his father, he developed some positivity in his life. He always saw the best in his father for the positive changes taking place. The events of the war changed his perspective as it showed him that indeed human beings can be brutal and merciless. He became more negative and less enthusiastic about life. However, he did not lose hope on family as he describes his wife and father as two of the primary factors that influenced him to change. 

The veteran soldier identifies his ability to cease consumption of alcohol and other major narcotics as an achievement in his life. Had he not quit these drugs, he would probably have died early as a middle-aged man. It was after this that he got his life back on track and returned to college where he would meet his love of his life, Emily. He met her at a time when he was just about to relapse into heavy drinking and comforted him by introducing him to a self-help group where she was a member. Mr. Franklin studied psychology as he intended to become a helper to other veterans who suffered from the traumatic effects of war. It continues to be one of his major areas of pleasure in his life. 

As in any other individual’s case, James has experienced numerous disappointments. The greatest of them being having never seen his mother alive. His father and elder siblings always had good stories to tell about their mother but all he could do was experience it through the photos. He also expresses a lot of disappointment for his inability to save some of his friends while at war. Mr. Franklin notes that they only received basic training before being deployed and had to learn techniques the hard way. It is because of such incidences that he indulged in a life of alcohol and drug abuse. 

Nevertheless, the 76-year-old is happy with his life at the moment identifying aging as a means of becoming wiser if one can learn from previous experiences. James depicts that successfully aging is when an individual would not wish to change a thing in their past. Despite the atrocities and negative experiences, he can find a silver lining from having a loving wife and raising two girls and a boy who became successful men in society. He also uses his experiences in war and life itself as a means to encourage and inspire young men and women deployed into the military. 

At the time when James was growing up, diversity was a critical issue in the society. African Americans were considered second class citizens despite their devotion to the country. This prejudice treatment affected the blacks deployed into the Vietnam war as they would be strategically placed in the risky areas of the battlefield. As a result, many of them died and it is only by chance that Mr. Franklin survived the ordeal. He was nearly denied the chance to marry the love of his life because of the color of his skin. Emily’s parents denounced her and did not even attend the wedding. However, they apologized years later as they came in search of their daughter and son-in-law for reconciliation. 

One of the dreams James has had is to travel the world and experience the different cultures while enjoying the beautiful scenery. All three of his children have already become independent adults hence giving him the opportunity to undertake this world tour. Franklin does not want to embrace the stereotype that senior citizens spend their time lazing around. In this regard, he has arranged with numerous non-governmental organizations to become a motivational speaker to veterans and victims of drug abuse in the numerous countries he and his wife will visit. He has vowed to continue working until his body cannot take the pressure anymore. 

As is evident in the report of James Franklin’s narrative of his life, there are multiple issues affecting him negatively. His path has not always been smooth as it is filled with numerous bumps and bruises. He has scars that will tell his story and he wears them like accessories to show what it truly means to be persistent. He did not give up on life even though all seemed to have been lost. Instead, he sought for assistance and picked himself up and continued to fight on. In light of this, his biggest piece of advice is that we should always surround ourselves with positive people who will build us up and not destroy use. It is these personal relationships that helped him through the most difficult encounters in his life particularly after the war. In the same way, he would want people to embrace togetherness and do away with discriminative attitudes as a means of improving the American society. 

Theoretical Analysis 

Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development 

In reference to James Franklin’s life story, it is evident that the psychosocial theory of development is prevalent throughout. During his early childhood, James depicted instances of hope, will and purpose. He had clear goals of becoming an influential member of the community. Despite being born in a society where segregation was the prevalent and discrimination of African Americans was quite high, he was sure that the society would change. Various individuals including his father who was a member of the civil rights groups were involved in making peaceful protests that would be integral to the realization of freedom and constitutional recognition of the blacks. Though he did not experience the love and comfort of having a mother, his father and older siblings would help in this realization (Syed, 2012). He felt cared for and received just the right amount of attention whenever he needed it. It is for this reason that he portrayed a jovial persona to the rest of the world (Syed, 2012). 

As he continued to grow up, he experienced numerous conflicting thoughts of his reality. The fifth stage of psychosocial development, identity vs. Role confusion, clearly troubled him. He was unable to clearly note his place in the community as the issue of segregation continued to take place. This stage extended to his early 20s when he was deployed to the Vietnam War. It was an effort of noting his role in the world (Syed, 2012). James barely had an idea on what the war was all about. In an effort to prevent altercations with the direct authorities, he would only pose such questions to his friends with whom they were deployed together. They would tell him that he there was no point in asking such questions as he would never get an answer to any of them. Through the experience of death and major bloodshed during the war he would retract from the rest of the world and instead indulge in drug abuse. 

Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development points out eight stages of growth from birth through to senior adulthood. In these stages, biological and social factors influence the nature of crisis an individual experience (McLean, Syed, Yoder, & Greenhoot, 2015). In the first year, the child questions the safety and predictability of the world that they live in. The child’s main source of resolving this uncertainty is through the actions of the primary caregiver (McLean et al., 2016). Despite lacking a mother, James Franklin was comforted by the presence of his father along with his elder siblings. They were a source of comfort that the world is not entirely a place of risk. They provided a place of stability and consistency in care. Through an early practice of positive parenting James was able to develop trust and hope for the future. It is a primary factor that prompted him to trust the intentions of the military just before he joined. 

In the fifth stage of psychosocial development, identity vs. role confusion, Erikson points out that it predominantly occurs in adolescence. In this stage, the child is between childhood and adulthood where the morals learnt during the former are used in development of ethics for the latter (Alisat, & Pratt, 2012). The theory claims that an adolescent should grow and adapt to changes in the body. As a result, success of this crisis becomes fidelity. A major weakness is evident is this notion where there is little direction in the development. The young adults are to make choices of what they want without much influence of the caregivers as was the case in earlier stages. This practice causes an identity crisis that prompts the individual to engage in undesirable behavior (Syed, 2012). James Franklin shows an identity crisis as he engages in destructive behavior when he engages in alcohol consumption and drug abuse after returning home from deployment. 

Conflict Theory 

Another major theory that could help in understanding the life of James Franklin is the conflict theory. This is a social theory based on the teachings Karl Marx. It argues that the members of society interact through conflict and not on consensus. In this case, as each group engages in conflicts they are able to acquire various resources including material and non-material possessions (Davidov, & Meuleman, 2012). The society will participate in multiple occurrences of clashing throughout its existence. The primary reason for the incidence of these disagreements is the limited resources in a community. In light of this, the interactions taking place in the society are merely a means of competition with each group seeking to achieve dominance over the other. The strength of this theory is evident in providing a thorough analysis of social change. 

James Franklin was born at a time when white majority were significantly oppressing the individuals with colored skin. The whites considered themselves to be superior to the other races. For this reason, they accorded themselves with numerous benefits over the other ethnicities. The policies that were present at the time would favor the white majority while oppressing the blacks. Despite the fact that slavery had been abolished in the community, the blacks were ‘slaves’ to the political injustice (Lancee, & Pardos-Prado, 2013). As a result, many of the African Americans were tired of the prejudice and took action by undertaking non-violent protests in the streets. The members of the community look towards ensuring social change through these numerous cases of conflict. In this way, the life of James Franklin is depicted as a necessary occurrence so as to influence numerous alterations in the functioning of the society. His life is depicted to show that he was a member of the disregarded community. He had received numerous demeaning references during his time growing up. 

The theory points out that stability cannot take place in the society. In this case, the social hierarchies established in society are a significant factor towards continued conflict and contradiction experienced. The higher-ranking members of the society utilize their power and social position as a means of control to influences politics, education and other institutions. This behavior by the members of the upper class is an effort to limit the lower classes ability to gain access to important resource and gaining access to the wealth they have acquired (Lancee, & Pardos-Prado, 2013). The overall aim of social conflict is to ensure that the powerful members of the community maintain that status while subjecting the poor and dejected population to more misery. The influence of this theory shows that it is an acceptable practice to incorporate wealth, power and status to maintain control over other less capable members of the society. 

The life of Franklin is a testament to the social conflict theory. In this case, the members of the American community believe that they are by far superior to the other races. This belief is the main factor propelling the intervention in the war in Vietnam. The US among other countries did not believe in the establishment of communist governance hence sought to support the South Vietnam government to alleviate its threat to its superiority (Esteban, Mayoral, & Ray, 2012). The US had significant tensions with the Soviet Union through the occurrence of the Cold War. Therefore, through its involvement in supporting North Vietnam, the US military intervened to create a proxy war. During Franklin’s involvement in the war he would continuously ask himself what the military’s purpose in the war was. In this case, it is evident that he had doubts that their actions were valid of protecting the Vietnamese or was a mere ploy to further their agenda. 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 

This theory identifies the significant factors involved in achieving psychological health whereby, the innate needs are given priority. Abraham Maslow, the author of the theory, coined this perspective as a means of demonstrative the positive aspects of human beings rather than considering them to be mere symptoms to an end. He developed this theory by observing the brilliant minds in society including Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt among other notable figures (Taormina, & Gao, 2013). In this case, the author points out that observing unhealthy specimen in research only lead to the development of a cripple philosophy. He depicted that in order to achieve self-fulfillment in the life of a person, it is essential that a person satisfies the various needs in the hierarchy in order. The theory is an important factor towards identifying transitional behaviors depicted in the life of person. The five primary groups of needs begin with the physiological needs which are the lowest and the first to be satisfied. They are followed by safety needs, social belonging, esteem and finally self-actualization. 

The life of James Franklin clearly adheres to the laws of Maslow as he develops from a child to a mature adult. It is evident that Franklin has met the initial physiological needs as he is able to grow into a huge man with immense strength to defend himself. The latter is however, a matter of genetics and other factors. Once these needs are satisfied, Franklin makes efforts to satisfy the safety needs (Taormina, & Gao, 2013). In this case, these are the numerous factors that demonstrate safety and security such as finances and physical security, health and overall well-being along with other measures of protecting one’s future. Participation in war is depicted as a measure of guaranteeing such needs. This was at a time where the military was considered to be an honorable career path for the male members of the community. It was a representation of one’s capability to protect their family from any physical harm that could attack them (Lester, 2013). 

The theory, has one major pitfall is the lack of a global hierarchy system that serves all communities. There have been numerous researchers who sought to identify the evidence for the satisfaction of the various needs that Maslow proposed. In this case, it evident that the order of the needs may vary depending on the culture of the people it serves (Lester, 2013). The individualistic societies such as the Western countries effectively incorporate the proposed hierarchy in their lives. However, in a collectivist community, there may be a few changes in terms of order. The needs of self-improvement along with the achievement of self-actualization are the important factors individualistic communities (Thielke, Harniss, Thompson, Patel, Demiris, & Johnson, 2012). In the communal society, being accepted in the community and furthering the agenda of the whole are depicted as more important. Another troubling weakness of the theory is the valuation of sex as a physiological need ranked alongside food and shelter. Critics have pointed out that the theory lacks the overall emphasis on family, emotion and evolutionary implications associated with sex. 

The above-mentioned weaknesses are depicted in the life of James Franklin. As a member of a community that advocates for individual thinking, he actively pursues the Maslow’s theory. In this case, he engages in sexual promiscuity even before he has realized an emotional connection with a girl. His main agenda is not to establish a family or relationship with the girls he encounters, but to fulfill his sexual desires. As per the theory, it is a basic need that should first be satisfied before other needs are met (Lester, 2013). However, in the case of Franklin this sexual desire is pursued after he has engaged in war. It is a clear indicator that the general procedure of fulfilling needs from bottom to top is not applied in all cases. There are those who may mix it up and still realize personal actualization. 

Symbolic Interactionism 

This theory is integral in providing an explanation to the behavior depicted by an individual. The theory identifies that individuals along with groups of people develop significant meaning of various images or symbols. The derived meanings are used in the interaction process on a daily basis. This theory as a result draws from views of Max Webber who depicts the actions of an individual based on the significant interpretation they have of the world (Oliver, 2012). This assertion is a clear notation of the differences experienced between the communications of people in the world. The theory is used as a means of better understanding the society from which an individual comes from as their behavior is judged subjectively and not objectively. The meanings of various symbols help illuminate the beliefs of the people and not just the facts. Even bad and undesirable behavior can be explained accurately as a measure the beliefs observed in the community. 

For instance, once he was discharged from the military, James Franklin engaged in a life of poor choices where he would consume alcohol beyond recognition and abuse drugs. The theory of symbolic interaction theory highlights various aspects of believes depicted in the community. To begin with, as a male figure in the society, Franklin was expected to show his masculinity even when he was going through a difficult time. As per evidence in his later life, he was experiencing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). At the time, soldiers were thought to be the strongest men in society and there was yet to be a focus on such issue (Oliver, 2012). The most common way that they would deal with traumatic events once they returned home is engaging in social drinking and avoiding at all costs talking about the issue. Despite the evident health consequences, this group perceives social drinking as a positive behavior where its participants will engage is banter and light teasing. The lack of consideration for health matters is evident in the behavior of Franklin. He abused alcohol and other illegal narcotics to the point where he nearly dies, twice. Additionally, he engaged in sexual promiscuity as it is another symbolic representation of his manhood. The more women a man has the more he is perceived to be a local hero among peers. 

The theory develops three major factors in the formulation of symbolic interactions. There is the role perspective where it asserts that people are conformists and will make efforts to fit into the roles that have been prescribed by the society (Handberg, Thorne, Midtgaard, Nielsen, & Lomborg, 2015). The members will usually monitor each other to ensure that every person adheres to the norms established failure to which sanction for misbehaving are applied. Another assumption is that of phenomenology that premises that reality is formed as a conscious perception of objects and events by conscious beings. The final assumption is that of behaviorism where the proposers of this theory assert that the mind does not have an independent influence on the actions portrayed by the individual (Handberg et al., 2015). The latter assumption is significantly criticized as it demonstrates a lack of responsibility for an individual. In this case, the behavior of a person whether good or bad is usually the cause of the environmental influences. This assertion shows that all forms of negative actions should thus not be punished as the individual is blameless in the situation. Such a notation could result in a society that has no morals or consequences for bad behavior. If the perpetrator of an action is not punished what ways will society use to ensure stability. 

The weakness of the theory is evident in the life of James Franklin. Following his two near death experiences, he recognized that his behavior was counterproductive to developing a good future. He resorted to pursuing education exploits as a means of building a career and starting off a life as a responsible human being. In this case, he noted that despite the positive symbolism associated with drinking alcohol and abusing drugs, neither of them was effective in helping him cope with the effects of the war. Were the behavioral assumptions of the symbolic Interactionism perspective true, it would take the influence of multiple individuals for him to take action. Even with the influence of various factors in the environment it is not guaranteed that he would act in the manner they had proposed. 

The lack of quantifiable measure of backing up the various assumptions in this theory highlights is significant limitations. As a result, the supporters of the theory are relegated to a minority as symbolic Interactionism is considered to lack an in-depth focus on the interaction between individuals (Dionysiou, & Tsoukas, 2013). Franklin’s life story serves as an example as there are various instances where his behavior is as a result of influence of the society. His decision to travel the world with his wife while helping the people where they travel is not a clear depiction of the beliefs of American culture. The latter believe in travelling as a means of leisure and personal fulfillment while Franklin uses it as an opportunity to improve the global society. 

Personal Reflection 

There were various assumptions that I had made coming into the interview. I was expecting a man who would focus primarily on the issues of racism and prejudice that took place at the time he was growing up. However, that was merely a small portion of the entire interview. Franklin instead chose to focus on his family from childhood into adulthood while also including the relationships he encountered with friends. He believes that these relationships are the primary influences of his adult life. In this regard, the occurrence of prejudice and discrimination had little effect on his beliefs. Being a member of the generations identified as baby boomers, I was expecting to hear a story about war in Vietnam or any other. This assumption was confirmed as he details numerous events taking place as though they happened a few hours ago. The experience of the interview was a major influence in my personal view as it demonstrated the importance of taking control of your life despite the hardships that may come along. In this case, the aging process seems like a fascinating ordeal where numerous events and factors all lead towards a common goal. The experiences of an individual are quite significant in generation of wisdom or a wealth of knowledge. In light of this, people associate meaning with the simplest forms of experiences. As seen in the case of Franklin, his decision to stop abusing drugs was a major turning point while for others drinking would be a source of joy and increased happiness. 

References 

Alisat, S., & Pratt, M. W. (2012). Characteristics of young adults' personal religious narratives and their relation with the identity status model: A longitudinal, mixed methods study. Identity , 12(1), 29-52. 

Davidov, E., & Meuleman, B. (2012). Explaining attitudes towards immigration policies in European countries: The role of human values. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies , 38(5), 757-775. 

Dionysiou, D. D., & Tsoukas, H. (2013). Understanding the (re) creation of routines from within: A symbolic interactionist perspective. Academy of Management Review , 38(2), 181-205. 

Esteban, J., Mayoral, L., & Ray, D. (2012). Ethnicity and conflict: Theory and facts. Science , 336(6083), 858-865. 

Handberg, C., Thorne, S., Midtgaard, J., Nielsen, C. V., & Lomborg, K. (2015). Revisiting symbolic interactionism as a theoretical framework beyond the grounded theory tradition. Qualitative health research , 25(8), 1023-1032. 

Lancee, B., & Pardos ‐ Prado, S. (2013). Group conflict theory in a longitudinal perspective: analyzing the dynamic side of ethnic competition. International Migration Review , 47(1), 106-131. 

Lester, D. (2013). Measuring Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Psychological Reports , 113(1), 15-17. 

McLean, K. C., Syed, M., Yoder, A., & Greenhoot, A. F. (2016). The role of domain content in understanding identity development processes. Journal of Research on Adolescence , 26(1), 60-75. 

Oliver, C. (2012). The relationship between symbolic interactionism and interpretive description. Qualitative Health Research , 22(3), 409-415. 

Syed, M. (2012). The past, present, and future of Eriksonian identity research: Introduction to the special issue. Identity , 12(1), 1-7. 

Taormina, R. J., & Gao, J. H. (2013). Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: Measuring satisfaction of the needs. The American journal of psychology , 126(2), 155-177. 

Thielke, S., Harniss, M., Thompson, H., Patel, S., Demiris, G., & Johnson, K. (2012). Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs and the adoption of health-related technologies for older adults. Ageing international , 37(4), 470-488.