BIO 256 Week 6 Middle Adulthood completed

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Nisha Mathew Lifespan Development Course Project Week 6 Middle Adulthood 1. Imagine you sit down to dinner with your long-time friend and she tells you she is having jealousy issues in her marri... age. Her husband, whom you get along with, is upset that she has gotten to be too close with a male coworker, and he is interpreting their friendly banter as flirting. What advice might you give to your friend to help her alleviate the situation? I would tell her that open communication and trust are key t having a successful and happy marriage. With that being said, I would tell my friends that she should go and have an open conversation and explain her side of the situation to him. This will allow him to have a better understanding of what is going on and hopefully help him to trust her more. I would also tell my friend to try to make more of an effort to also spend time with her husband away from the kids. 2. Do you see yourself as the kind of person who will stay in the same type of job for a long time, perhaps into retirement, or as more of a job hopper in order to climb the professional ladder? Explain why you see yourself this way and what factors would influence your decision. I see myself as a person who will stay within the same field of work, but I would like to advance in my career as much as I can. I would like to say that I am a hard worker and do everything I can to be a leader in the workplace. I would like to see this leadership role pay off as a higher-level position within my company. The pay raise will also be very beneficial in order to move into a slightly bigger home without having to cut back on what we already have in order to make ends meet. This would also help with my children’s funds as well as our new dog. 3. What are some actions that you, or someone you know, could take to create a healthy, successful marriage? As previously stated, communication and trust are key to a successful marriage. I believe that these are the foundation, because they prevent many arguments and problems, such as jealousy. Being open and honest with your partner as well as yourself about your expectations from the marriage is also important to vocalize. 4. Consider the timing of when people have children. For those who have children during Adolescence or Emerging Adulthood, how might their life outcomes differ from those who have children during Young Adulthood or even Middle Adulthood? If you could choose the age at which you have children, which age would you choose, and what sorts of variables within your control would you take into consideration? I believe that having children at an early age can be very difficult not only financially, but also mentally. I do not think that adolescents are at an age where they are mentally mature enough or ready to have children. It is hard enough for them to take care of themselves let alone a child who needs constant care and attention. I think it is also somewhat early for emerging adults who are recently out of college. They may be somewhat more prepared This study source was downloaded by 100000821273448 from CourseHero.com on 04-29-2021 16:27:49 GMT -05:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/23260384/Week-6/ This study resource was shared via CourseHero.commentally, but just as adolescents they are not prepared financially. Having a child can be a major financial ‘burden’. By this I mean that you have to consider paying for their doctors appointments, diapers, food, and eventually their education for some parents. I believe the best age to consider having children is in the late 20s or early 30s when you are mentally secure in yourself and finically secure. 5. What kinds of stress responses do you tend to display in your real life? Make a list of some of your adaptive stress responses and consider how these serve as measures of resiliency. What are some maladaptive stress responses you've noticed about yourself or others? How might these responses contribute to even more stressful experiences? When I am stressed I tend to shut myself down and distance myself from most people if not all. I also tend to eat more sweet things and fall down an unhealthy diet. 6. Based on class discussions, describe what circumstances you think leads an individual to a midlife crisis. What type of theory best explains this experience? I believe that sudden tragic situations can lead to a midlife crisis. This could be a death of someone very close to you or losing your job. I think this has a lot to do with loss of our own identity and a midlife crisis may make us feel like it is a way of finding ourselves again. 8. Describe advantages and disadvantages of experiencing divorce in midlife. You might consider factors such as income, identity, mutual friends, investments, children and other family members, and the fact that dividing households later in a marriage will require divvying up items bought as a couple. How might divorce during young adulthood or late adulthood be different in terms of such factors? How might separation be different for long-term relationships where partners have been together but not married? I believe that divorce in your midlife would be much more difficult than divorce in young or late adulthood. The advantages of a divorce at this age are personal freedom and a chance to re-identify yourself. Initially divorce could be a disadvantage regarding income but over time I think it could be an advantage. There are more disadvantages in my opinion. There is a good chance of losing some friends especially when they are mutual friends. Inevitably they are forced to choose sides as much as you might tell them not to. It is also difficult to split your family and devise a plan for your children to spend time with both of you. It is also hard to determine who gets what investment or how you will split your items. 9. Based upon the theory and research about mid-life crises discussed in your textbook and class, how might you explain a 40-something-year-old family member's sudden change towards unpredictable behaviors and emotionality? It could be from sudden changes in life events that cause them to lose their identity and need to reevaluate their lives. 10. How might some unique aspects of your cohort or generation have shaped your views of gender, sexual orientation, political viewpoints, or other categories of individual differences? In my generation, there is not as much of a stigma on genders and there is more acceptance about sexual orientation. I would say that my generation is more liberal, which This study source was downloaded by 100000821273448 from CourseHero.com on 04-29-2021 16:27:49 GMT -05:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/23260384/Week-6/ This study resource was shared via CourseHero.comhas made me more of an understanding person. However, I can see that my parent’s generation is much more conservative and judgmental toward anything that is not the norm. 11. Long-term health effects are something to consider at nearly every age. What are some behaviors or choices a person could make during midlife that could be obstacles to later-life success? These may include habits, negative perceptions, unmanaged stress, or other health-related behaviors. It is important to establish a workout routine and follow a healthy diet at a young age. This makes it much easier to continue this behavior, as you get older in order to stay healthy. It is also good to keep a positive mindset in order to try to prevent yourself from being stressed as often as you can. Stress can have negative effects on the body. 12. How does your tolerance of people who are different from you compare to that of people in your parents' generation? Is there a difference at all in your own family? Qualify your answer with examples and discuss why you believe differences, if any, exist. I am much more tolerant and understanding of different people than my parent’s generation. My parents are much less tolerant of any lifestyle out of the ‘norm,’ particularly sexual orientation. For example, when same sex marriage was legalized my parents were very upset about this could not wrap their minds around this idea. This also could come from their conservative Catholic upbringing. 13. How well do you think you would cope with balancing the needs of two generations of family members in the same home if both generations were living in YOUR home? As you manage and focus on your own relationship needs, as well as work responsibilities, bills, life goals and plans how do you think you'd cope with having others living in your home who may have their own (different) needs or plans? Explain why you would or would not cope well. I believe this would be extremely difficult. You have to keep in mind not only different personalities, but also different preferences based on generations. I would cope with this by taking a few minutes to myself away from everyone in silence with no distractions and collect my thoughts. I would walk myself through everything I need to do and how to successfully do it. 14. Describe how your job(s) can shape your perceptions and assessments of your overall life satisfaction. Would the age at which you conduct a life review have any influence on how you rate your overall satisfaction? Why or why not? Your job plays a major role in your life satisfaction. It is difficult to be happy and satisfied when you are forced to go to a job every day that you do not enjoy. Also your income plays a major role in this as well. When people do not earn enough to keep up with their lifestyle, it can cause them to be dissatisfied with their lives. 15. How do you think your work history will play into your transition into and through retirement, as you forecast into the later adulthood years? Consider financial factors, such as social security, retirement-savings planning, and whether to stay employed parttime, in your response. I believe that your work history plays a role into which you associate with in the future. People tend to main associate with people of similar statuses to them exclusively. It This study source was downloaded by 100000821273448 from CourseHero.com on 04-29-2021 16:27:49 GMT -05:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/23260384/Week-6/ This study resource was shared via CourseHero.comwould also play a role into where they decide to retire based on how much of a savings their have. 16. What do you think might lead some people to experience a full-on midlife crisis, while others experience a mild crisis or simply a strong need to change just one thing to accomplish a work or life goal? A full midlife crisis could occur from a major loss in one’s life such as the loss of parents or even children. It could lead to a downward spiral that may seem like there is no hope. 17. Current national trends indicate that more middle-aged adults are caring for others than ever before. "Others" often include boomerang children, or children who move back in to their parents' home. What are some likely reasons for increases in parents having boomerang children? This could be from the fact that parents provide so much for their children at a young age that it is difficult for them to become stable on their own. College graduates now a day tend to move back home after graduating in order to save money while working. 18. Imagine that several of your peers changed companies at the same time that you were considering a change into a new career. They cited a number of reasons for making career changes in midlife, including the following: there was little challenge at their current job; the challenges became routine; their jobs changed in ways they do not like; they lost their current jobs, so they are switching careers all together; they were asked to do more with fewer resources; technological advances rendered their jobs no longer enjoyable; they were unhappy with their status and wanted a fresh start; they feel burned out; this is the last time they can make a meaningful change towards more job satisfaction before running out of time. Which of these reasons would compel YOU to change jobs in midlife? Describe your thoughts for each answer you select. Feeling burned out and a job changing a way that they do not like would compel me to change my job. It would make me evaluate and think about my own situation and determine how I feel in my own job. 19. How do you see your midlife years leading you to successful (or unsuccessful) aging in the near future? I feel my midlife leading to a successful aging because I have the support of my family and friends. I am in a good place financially and my children are growing up to be great, mature adults. This study source was downloaded by 100000821273448 from CourseHero.com on 04-29-2021 16:27:49 GMT -05:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/23260384/Week-6/ This study resource was shared via CourseHero.com Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) [Show More]

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