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
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
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)
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
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?
Cognitive stages
• Piaget: sensorimotor (0-18 months);
preoperational (18 mon. to 6 years);
concrete operations (6-12); formal
operational (abstract principles)
Psychosocial
• Freud
Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
• Erikson: eight stages
• Levinson: theory of life course
• Gould theory of transformations
Role theories
• Role: sets of norms/standards that apply to
expected behavior of categories of persons
in relationships with others
• Scripts
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
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