Module 3 Reading_Theoretical Concepts_Introduction to Lifespan Stages and Self Concepts PDF

Module 3 Introduction to Lifespan Stages and Self Concepts Learning Objectives  Describe self-concept, how it develops and its relationship to health outcomes  Reflect on social influences when developing a sense of self with reference...

Module 3 Introduction to Lifespan Stages and Self Concepts Learning Objectives  Describe self-concept, how it develops and its relationship to health outcomes  Reflect on social influences when developing a sense of self with reference to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory  Understand how a person’s / woman’s biopsychosocial environment affects their worldview  Provide an overview of lifespan stages of human development  Discuss the importance of nurses and midwives understanding the challenges people face across the lifespan? Introduction Nurses and midwives interact with a diverse range of people from throughout the lifespan. Deepening our understanding of human relationships and life transitions can assist us to meet people's needs and to anticipate common patterns at various stages of life. How do we develop into the kind of person we ultimately become? How significant and long-lasting are the influences of early childhood? To what degree are we the product of our biological inheritance or our environments? How do we learn to think, reason, and create? What are the common challenges faced at different stages of the lifespan? Development theories can assist us in organising information about development that we believe we observe in people's lives. What is Human Development? The field of human development seeks to provide a coherent understanding of how and why people change and how and why they remain the same as they grow older. Human development can be defined as: “the phenomenon of continuity and change in the biopsychological characteristics of human beings over the life course as a species and as individuals” (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Because the field of human development constantly evolves in response to research findings, they can provide nurses with useful ways of understanding peoples life transitions and relationships. Why Developmental Theories Matter? Developmental theories seek to provide a coherent understanding of how and why people change and how and why they remain the same as they grow older. Developmental theories give us a wide-angle view of complex influences that effect individuals, families and communities and provide a basis for hypotheses about human behavior that can form frameworks for research, testing and growth in understanding. Because theories constantly evolve in response to research findings, they can provide useful summaries of knowledge about life transitions and relationships. Ecological Theory - Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) Urie Bronfenbrenner was one of the most influential developmental theorists of the 20 th century. Born in Russia, he emigrated to New York in North America as a child where his father worked as a neuro pathologist at a hospital for intellectually disabled children. Visits to his father’s workplace triggered a lifelong interest in human development (Bronfenbrenner, 1970). Bronfenbrenner attended Harvard University and earnt a doctorate in developmental psychology before signing up to serve in the US military as a psychologist during World War II. Following the war, he established himself as a university academic and became professor of psychology at Cornell University. Bronfenbrenner’s experiences as a child and during WWII, along with his studies in psychology, led him to develop a theory that emphasised what he called an ‘ecological approach’ to human development. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Human Development Bronfenbrenner defined human development as: “the phenomenon of continuity and change in the biopsychological characteristics of human beings over the life course as a species and as individuals”. Bronfenbrenner believed that the two primary attributes of humans are: 1. We are social. 2. We have the ability to create, manipulate/change and or destroy our environments. In return our environment then either constructs or destructs us. His study of human development therefore focused on the conditions and processes that produce continuity and change. He viewed the main environmental stimuli as being people, symbols and objects. According to this approach, human development involves interaction between sociological, family and biopsychological influences. Bronfenbrenner theorised that interactions with environmental experiences play a significant role in determining developmental outcomes, which then impact upon the development of self-esteem and self-identity (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2007) In summary Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory views human development to be a joint function of each individual and their environment.  Please Watch the Below Video https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms Bronfenbrenner’s Four Propositions  Proposition 1: A primary developmental context is one in which a child can observe and engage in ongoing patterns of progressively more complex activity, jointly with, or under the direct guidance of people who possess knowledge and skill not yet' acquired by the child and with whom the child has developed a positive emotional relationship.  Proposition 2: A secondary developmental context, is one in which the child is given opportunity, resources, and encouragement to engage in the activities he or she has learned in primary developmental contexts, but now without the active involvement or direct guidance of another person possessing knowledge and skill beyond the levels acquired by the child.  Proposition 3. The developmental potential of a setting depends on the extent to which third parties present in the setting support or undermine the activities of those engaged in interaction with the child.  Proposition 4. The developmental potential of a childrearing setting is increased as a function of the number of supportive links between that setting and other contexts involving the child or persons responsible for his or her care. Such interconnections may take the form of shared activities, two-way communication, and information provided in each setting about the others (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System  Microsystem = (people you have face to face contact with each day). The microsystem you have now may be different from the microsystem you had as a child. o Question - Who is part of your microsystem? o Note - For our patients the nursing and allied health team become a part of their microsystem during treatment.  Mesosystem = connections between two or more microsystems. o Question - Think of two of more microsystems you have and how they overlap/connect/link. o Note - A patient’s relationships with hospital staff and their own family may therefore be considered part of the mesosystem as would relationships with peer (social group) and school or activity groups.  Exosystem = consists of settings that a person does not participate in but decisions made affect them. o Example: Health systems/insurance schemes/Work attendance expectations which will determine continuing or suspending education while in hospital as a result of illness/extended family. o For students, the processes of the University service administration departments and the rules governing their enrolment, is part of their exosystem.  Macrosystem = ideology of historical and current context o Example: For the current generation social media and its influence is the best example of a feature of this macrosystem. o In the past, the Depression years between WW1 and 2 impacted greatly on individuals historically. Landmarks of Development According to Hoffnung et al. (2019) development occurs in 3 major types of domains: 1. Physical development 2. Cognitive development 3. Psychosocial development. These domains will be explored in detail throughout the coming modules. The below image outlines the landmarks of development in each of the three domains. It also hints at some of the connections among specific developments, both between domains and within each domain (Hoffnung et al., 2019). Landmarks of Development (Hoffnung et al., 2019 p.7). Sense of Self According to Hoffnung et al. (2019, p. 3) life is a process of continuity and change which occurs in physical growth (biology), feelings (emotions/psychosocial growth) and ways of thinking (cognition). A sense of self is how an individual thinks about themselves as a person as distinct from others. This sense of self develops as a result of social interaction with others and is often referred to as “self-concept”. Think About - What physical, psychosocial and cognitive forces have contributed to your sense of self? What is Self-Identity and Self Esteem? Self-identity is the perception or recognition of one’s characteristics as an individual, especially in relation to social context. Self-esteem is a term used to describe a person’s overall sense of self-worth or personal value, more simply how much a person appreciates and likes themselves. Self- esteem is closely linked to bonding and attachment which will be discussed in later weeks. Secure attachments are instrumental in building self-esteem. At birth, the brain has developed to a point where the ‘environmental’ cues (vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch) play a major role in how the brain develops. Experiences profoundly influence the development of young children, Adverse childhood experiences shape the brain’s organisation, which in turn, influences the emotional, social, cognitive, and physiological activities which all impact on a person’s self-esteem and self-identity (Bruce Perry, 2014). Self-esteem is a term used to describe a person’s feeling of self-worth or personal value, more simply how much a person appreciates and likes themselves. For many people development of self-esteem is closely linked to bonding and attachment, which will be discussed in later weeks. Secure attachments are instrumental in building self-esteem. The development of self-concept is a lifelong process that for many people may largely be unconscious. Self Esteem and Identity Bronfenbrenner theorised that interactions with environmental experiences play a significant role in determining developmental outcomes, which then impact upon the development of self-esteem and self-identity (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2007). Self- esteem is a term used to describe a person’s feeling of self-worth or personal value, more simply how much a person appreciates and likes themselves. For many people development of self-esteem is closely linked to bonding and attachment, which will be discussed in later modules. Secure attachments are instrumental in building self-esteem. Self-identity is the perception or recognition of one’s characteristics as an individual, especially in relation to social context. According to Bronfenbrenner’s theory, development of self-esteem and identity are constructed as we interact with our physical, psychological and social environments. A useful tool for conversations about notions of self: The Johari Window Created in 1955 by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, the model is used to help individuals better understand themselves and how they are perceived by others. The window consists of four segments (or panes) of human interaction: open, hidden, blind and unknown. Each four window panes signifies personal information, feelings, motivation and whether that information is known or unknown to oneself or others in four viewpoints. Windows Explained Open/self-area or arena – Here the information about the person his/her attitudes, behaviour, emotions, feelings, skills and views will be known by the person as well as by others. This is mainly the area where all the communications occur and the larger the arena becomes the more effectual and dynamic the relationship will be. Blind self or blind spot – Information about yourselves that others know in a group, but you will be unaware of it. Others may interpret yourselves differently than you expect. The blind spot is reduced for an efficient communication through seeking feedback from others. Hidden area or façade – Information that is known to you but will be kept unknown from others. This can be any personal information which you feel reluctant to reveal. This includes feelings, past experiences, fears, secrets etc. we keep some of our feelings and information as private as it affects the relationships and thus the hidden area must be reduced by moving the information to the open areas. Unknown area – The Information which are unaware to yourselves as well as others. This includes the information, feelings, capabilities, talents etc. This can be due to traumatic past experiences or events which can be unknown for a lifetime. The person will be unaware till he discovers his hidden qualities and capabilities or through observation of others. Open communication is also an effective way to decrease the unknown area and thus to communicate effectively. So What! Nursing and Midwifery Implications Nurses and midwives get involved in assisting people with healthcare across every dimension of Bronfenbrenner's theory. A useful way to conceptualise different types of nursing is downstream, midstream and upstream (you would have learnt about this in Primary Health Care: Downstream interventions refer to micro level practice at point of care between practitioners and individual patients. This includes treatments focused on individual prevention, early intervention, treatment of illness. Midstream programs refer to intermediate level healthcare one step removed from individuals, such as lifestyle or behavioural groups (physical exercise or diabetes education groups etc), or projects targeting specific populations such as older age women or teenage parents. Upstream approaches focus on the macro population level and may include nursing input in developing government policy, whole of population educational programs or laws designed to improve health such as drink driving laws etc. The End References Brendtro, L. K. (2006). The vision of Urie Bronfenbrenner: Adults who are crazy about kids. Reclaiming children and youth, 15(3), 162. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1970). Two worlds of childhood: US & USSR. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). Contexts of child rearing: Problems and prospects. American Psychologist, 34 (10), 844 Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2007). The bioecological model of human development. Handbook of child psychology, 1. Hambrick, E. P., Brawner, T. W., Perry, B. D., Brandt, K., Hofmeister, C., & Collins, J. O. (2019). Beyond the ACE score: Examining relationships between timing of developmental adversity, relational health and developmental outcomes in children. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 33(3), 238-247. Hoffnung, M., Hoffnung, R. J., Seifert, K. L., Hine, A., Pausé, C., Ward, L., Signal, T., Swabey, K., Yates, K., & Burton Smith, R. (2019). Lifespan development: A chronological approach (4th Australasian ed.) Milton, Australia: John Wiley and Sons Australia. Luft, J., & Ingham, H. (1961). The johari window. Human Relations Training News, 5(1), 6-7.