Developmental Theories And Family Work Models

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

Discuss about the Developmental Theories and Family Work Models.

It is worth noting that social interaction is crucial to the society as there is mutual understanding and commendable benefits reaped from the process. The social work as a subject goes further to elaborate various element of interaction and their purpose in the community. In an art shell, analyzing developmental theories and collaborative family work model is critical.

Piaget theory on cognitive development focuses on the observable feature that is evident during the growing of a child. To assist in the comprehension of development in children and young people, Piaget narrowed the subject by providing terms that described several processes of growth. Schemata are generally the concepts that are mental based (Bjorklund & Causey, 2017). That is, as children are exposed to areas where they can receive new information, they are efficiently molding and organizing their mental capabilities. Adaptation is a term basically used to explain the organization of minds by the children as they go on with perceptions in their environmental settings. Information arising from their invention is properly absorbed and helps them deepen their cognitive abilities (Johnson, McWilliams, Goodman, Shelley & Piper, 2016). If new information is provided to children, there is a possibility that imbalance will be experienced, and they are bound to get confused as they as they approach several lanes of growth. To ensure that balance is maintained adaptation is acknowledged through either accommodation or assimilation (Bjorklund & Causey, 2017). By assimilation is to mean, adding new information to what the child already knows. Accommodation is the ladder on which intellectual capacity is developed. It entails the adjustment of what the person already knows to fit the new information.

Piaget’s theory encompasses four stages of development that are significant to the understanding of children progressive life that is gradual in nature. Sensor motor stage occurs in between birth and the age of two years (Demetriou, Shayer & Efklides, 2016). At this stage, there is the utilization of explorations thus leading to strengthened motor and sensory developments, which paves way for mental development. At this stage, they attempt to practice their abilities through physical actions such as grasping and sucking. Furthermore, movements are seen to be random but as the time goes, they become intentional. The preoperational stage takes place between the age of two and seven (Demetriouet al., 2016). At this time, the children are egocentric. This means that they seem to assume that people value and see the nature the same way as they do. In addition, they do not have time to accommodate the ideas of others. On the other hand, skills based on presentation are learned. They are also able to learn new; languages, drawing, and symbolic play. Moreover, children are able to differentiate between shape and size.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Concrete operations stage begins between the ages of seven to eleven years. While at this stage children are become more informed and begin to think critically when referring to the particular objects. They are not dependent on what was seen in the past because their level of internalizing things has developed. Formal operations stage is attained from the age of eleven years to adulthood (Demetriou et al., 2016). At such a stage individuals are capable of thinking critically and purely and reasoning and problem-solving skills are evident at this stage.

This theory suggests that development takes place throughout the life of an individual. The interaction, personality, and skills of the children are developed depending on the social setting (Syed, 2015). The theory has led to the emergence of Erikson’s eight stages of development. Due to the fact that each of these stages is faced with conflicts that can be solved, teachers and parents are supposed to provide support to the children if need be to prevents the conflict from worsening. Trust versus mistrust stage occurs during the first one and half years of life (Syed, 2015). At this juncture, the children need to be loved, kept clean, and provided with attentive care. Mistrust comes in when the environment is harsh and unpredictable.

 Freedom versus doubt and shame stage happens between the age of eighteen months and three years. At this stage, the children learn to walk and exercise their mental skills. They demand the freedom to feed, clothe and move by them. If the supportive environment is provided, their autonomy is exercised, failure to which shame and self-doubt arise (Syed, 2015).Initiative versus guilt stage comes in between three and five years. The children develop new skills and proper ways of dealing with different people in the society taking caution not to hurt anyone. Industry and inferiority stage is experienced between six and twelve years. The children are hardworking following the motivation is given by the members of the community. Poor treatment by teachers and other stakeholders impacts negatively on the children yielding frustrations, incompetence, and state of insecurity.

 Identity versus role confusion is the teenage stage whereby the teenagers are faced with adolescence and in an effort to identify themselves. If offered with the freedom to explore different social avenues, these individuals can realize themselves. Intimacy and isolation stage entails engaging in a serious relationship that is believed to be worthwhile (Hart, 2013). Failure to form intimate relationship leads to isolation and broken hearts. Generativist versus stagnation stage is experienced when the individual attempts to gauge the success and failures. At such a time the person is willing to help the society which collectively leads to generativists. For the self-centered people, a sense of stagnation is created due to low and poor productivity. Ego integrity versus despair stage occurs as people tend toward the end of life (Hart, 2013). Those who achieved a lot of success and supported others are full of a sense of ego integrity while those who wasted their time doing nothing end up with a feeling of despair. 

Application of Piaget and Erikson theory to Social Work Practice with Young People, Families and Children

The society strictly observes all the above-mentioned stages of development and ensures balance is maintained at all levels. Children growing at the infancy and toddler stage develop their cognitive skills, by the way of touch and taste (Bornstein & Bradley, 2014). Therefore, it is not logic for the community to offer enough space for exploration due to the harsh consequences that might arise. The children end up eating and drinking anything they come across thereby proper control is upheld to ensure a healthy and safe society. The children and the young people are exposed to a free environment for talents exposure that enables them to pursue in life (Bornstein & Bradley, 2014). On the other hand, there is the provision of cultural education to the children so that as they grow, they should be able to have self-respect.

Developing self-respect enables someone to respect others hence those demanding stages of development are cautiously exercised. For instance, the puberty stage leaves many young adults distressed as a result of unwanted pregnancy and drug abuse (Lantolf, Thorne, & Poehner, 2015). The society maintains that with right education on norms and cultures, right behavior is adopted. The Families are equipped with the knowledge of handling the young with the father and mother dictating the direction of their children. Due to different rates of growth, there is the need for close monitoring of the children to prevent them from moral decay and atrocities in the community (Lantolf et al., 2015. Since the child is capable of learning from observation family members should exercise positive thinking and the right approach to doing things to ensure the correct actions are copied and pasted into the children’s minds. In short, by exhaustively practicing the fore mentioned theories and integrating them with traditions and cultures of the society, healthy living will be highly appreciated.

Every social set up must recognize the observance of social standards crucial to guide the behavior of the individuals. Sigmund Freud’s theory of morality principle pinpoints the internalized social values that allow people to differentiate between wrong and good (Nelson, & Goodfriend, 2014). Therefore, morality is a key factor towards a healthy living in the society. Social work appreciates the controlled behavior of the infants to contain vices that might arise as a result of the oral stage by Freud. Sucking and eating may lead to oral fixation by the children thereby exposing them to overeating, thumb-sucking, and smoking (Nelson, & Goodfriend, 2014). Since the moral values of social work heavily oppose such vices, it becomes critical induce control over the issue. Social work operates in a clean environment.

Group Theories of Development, Important Factors to Social Work and their Applicability

Anal stage by Freud indicates that too much pressure to toilet training brings a sense of cleanliness in future while little pressure may result in destructive behaviors. Jean Piaget view on cognitive development brings in the attention towards an understanding society (Ramakrishnan, Barker, Vervoordt, & Zhang, 2017). In several instances, teachers and parents have been involved in beat to death cases with their children due to the misunderstanding growing between them. By comprehending that children’s reasoning grows with age, it is a remedy to chaos and quarrels arising in the families today. Industrious society can be achieved if at all children are granted the care they need during growth (Parkay, Anctil, & Hass, 2014). Erikson noted that at the age of six to eleven years, children tend to portray hard work and at the same time inferiority may be experienced. There is the essence of following the requirements of this stage to avoid mental imbalances by motivating and appreciating the children (Crain, 2015). The family can teach the young adults how to engage in an intimate relationship through civil education. Alerting them to the importance of an upright intimacy will enable them to be selective and make the right choices of partners, hence building their lives positively. In short, all the developmental theories are important and should be exercised to enhance productivity and growth of the society.

Collaborative family work model is basically a developmental forum focusing on the importance of cooperation in enabling families to formulate strategies and acquire skills necessary to improve their lives. Understanding the elements of collaborative family work model is critical to social work (Madsen, 2014). To begin, implementation of programs and policies that offer financial and emotional support to the family’s needs are essential. Not all the families have the potential to sustain themselves irrespective of the wealth and their backgrounds (Cohn & White, 2012). Therefore, the program ensures coming together of all the stakeholders to assist one another to keep the society going. Encouraging family to family networking entails harmony between family members to create a mutual benefit in the long run.

Sharing of unbiased information with the parents on a continuous basis is important. This implies that young adults and children are bound to get support to cope with life issues if they are open to not only their parents but also other family members. Comprehending the developmental needs of the teenagers, children, and infants also ensure proper growth of these individuals (Regina, 2011). Respecting various methods of coping and recognition of individualism and family strengths is essential. Acknowledging the ethnic, cultural and racial aspects of the families also becomes a key concern.

The contribution of Collaborative family work model in guiding social work interventions with families.

To begin, the discrimination of families on ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds needs to be avoided. The model appreciates all the families and that they are equal hence by combining effort, the society can propel forward. The aspect respecting capabilities and strengths of different members of the family is critical (Jung, 1991). For instance, car washing, welding, and plumbing might be assumed to be jobs for the poorly educated but the fact remains that those individuals are earning out of their hard work. Therefore, there is no need to neglect such members of the society. The model appreciation of the development of the infants and the young adults becomes a primary issue in the families.

Provision of sanitary towels to girls speaks more of a healthy environment than a situation where these ladies are left on their own. Insisting on the family networking still, has positive impacts that are experienced up to date (Hartman & Laid, 1983). Social work also encourages members of the community to uphold togetherness to help curb problems of insufficiency. On the basis of financial support, the social work intervenes to ensure families engage in sharing more so during the time of need (Madsen, 2014). There exist externalities such as diseases and deaths of family members that leave families financially unstable. Therefore, there is the need for coming together and support one another for a fruitful living.

Conclusion

Conclusively, the developmental theories are crucial to the understanding of the children and their levels of growth. In addition, the caregivers are equipped with the knowledge necessary to allow them to provide extra support to the future generation. The collaborative family work model highlights the entire significant elements be practiced by any given family to ensure reaping of the benefits at the personal level and the community at large.

References

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