SOCW-220: Final Exam
Identify the typical physical changes that take place during adolescence, beginning in early adolescence and continuing through to late adolescence. Be specific about the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics, as well as how this physical experience differs for males and females.
-11-14: hormonal changes, puberty starts -15-17: completion of puberty and physical appearance changes, increased autonomy, increased abstract thinking, identity development -18-22: slowing of physical changes, formal operational thought, moral reasoning -Growth of reproductive organs, sweat gland changes for males and females -Breast development, menstruation starts (females) -Facial hair, deeper voice (males)
In our study of the interaction between biological elements of the person and behavior we discussed the importance of teaching children and adolescence about the reproductive system. Describe what this chapter tells us about sexual activity in adolescence and discuss what this tells us about why sex education is so critical.
-About half of U.S. high school students have had sex at least once -Rates of teen pregnancy higher in the U.S. than other developed countries STIs -Educating young people about the reproductive system can help reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and getting an STI by encouraging the use of contraceptives and their benefits
While the majority of adolescents adjust to the physical and psychological changes of adolescence, some develop problematic body images. Discuss what the text presents about different types of eating disorders.
-Anorexia nervosa: increase in 15-19 year-old girls, having a distorted body image and excessive weight loss, fear of becoming fat -Bulimia nervosa: episodes of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other similar behaviors at least once a week to avoid weight gain -Binge eating disorder: episodes of excessive eating in a short period of time, feelings of lack of control
You are a social worker with a 19-year-old client living in subsidized housing. She just discovered she is pregnant and asks you point blank about what she should do (adoption, abortion, keeping the baby). How would you advise her? How would you respond if she chooses a course of action that was against your personal beliefs?
-Ask her if she thinks she can handle being a mother at this time in her life -How did your family respond? -How did the father respond? -How do you feel about the pregnancy? -If she took a course of action against my personal beliefs, I would accept her decision because, ultimately, this is her life and she knows what is best for herself.
Understanding parenting styles offers a lens by which to understand elements of human behavior. Describe the style(s) used by the individuals who parented you and describe at least one way in which this may still influence your behavior.
-Authoritative I get along really well with my parents and they were never overly strict (or overly lenient) when my brother and I were little
How does Erikson's theory of psychosocial development help you to understand the social development of toddlers and young children? Describe an example of a time you have either experienced or observed evidence of a toddler or young child's stage of psychosocial development.
-Autonomy vs. shame and doubt -A child with autonomy has a growing sense of self-awareness and begins to strive for independence and self-control -A child with shame and doubt have a fear of loss of love and overly concerned about parental approval -I used to work in the nursery at my church and watched babies to 4-year-olds and I saw the autonomy stage in toddlers. Usually, if I tried to help them with something they would say things like "I can do it all by myself" or "look what I can do!". They wanted to be very independent and were proud of themselves for accomplishing things
Imagine you are working with Chris Johnson. Discuss how you would assist him. Be sure you discuss what information you would share with him about how he can assist in his infant's physical, cognitive, and emotional development
-Be sure to ask doctors how much she should be eating and make sure she does -Have time to play with her so she can form a bond with you and her emotions will develop more quickly -Read to her to help with cognitive development -If possible, try to find a little time for yourself, even if it is just a few minutes a day
Cite examples from Shelia's case study. How would you, in your role as social worker, assist her?
-Being away from her family, particularly her child, would have been very difficult for her -Her head injury and adjustment back to life in the U.S. would be a challenge -As a social worker, I would encourage her to have doctors reexamine her and see if they can do anything to improve how she has been feeling and try to ease back into life in the U.S. at a reasonable pace
Synapses in the toddler and early childhood brain are in a near constant state of development. Discuss what happens in the brain physically during the processes of blooming and pruning. Why are these processes so important?
-Blooming: overproduction of synapses -Pruning: reduction of the synapses to improve the efficiency of brain functioning -These processes allow rapid development of motor and cognitive abilities
Piaget says that children in middle childhood are in the concrete operations stage. At the end of middle childhood, children enter the formal operations stage. Describe the problem-solving strategies normally employed by someone in the concrete operations stage. Give an example of a problem and how a child in this age group might solve it- if you remember your own problem solving strategies at this age, use a real-life example.
-Can use logical problem-solving strategies -A child in this stage would understand that one quarter is more than 10 pennies, unlike children in the preoperational stage
What does it mean when Erikson says that the children in middle childhood must struggle to resolve the conflict between industry and inferiority? What might happen to a child who does not successfully resolve this struggle? Thinking back to your own middle childhood, describe the ways in which you did or did not manage to resolve this conflict.
-Capacity to cooperate and create develops; result is sense of either mastery or incompetence -They might feel inferior to peers and develop insecurities -I always just felt out of place at this age
Rites of passage can be an important part of adolescent life. Discuss why these events can be particularly significant during this time of life.
-Ceremonies that demarcate the transition from childhood to adulthood -Many adolescents in the U.S. devise their own rituals -Biological, psychological, social, and spiritual changes
Describe and discuss the major themes of typical infant development. Why is it important for social workers to know this information?
-Conception -First trimester: embryonic development -8th week: fetal period begins -Second trimester: 16th week; rapid period of brain development -Third trimester: critical for fetal development -Labor and delivery: 3 stages: labor, delivery, removal of placenta -After birth: infant learns to self-regulate -Senses become more developed -Cognitive skills develop quickly -Pre-language -Emotional development
What are the stages of accepting death? Why is it this conceptualization useful both for everyday life and for professional use?
-Denial -Anger -Bargaining -Depression -Acceptance -Everyone goes through it at some point, so it is important to know about the stages early on and maybe learn to accept death earlier on
The segment of the aging population that is fastest growing is those who are 85 and older. What are the ramifications of this change? Discuss the dependency ratio.
-Dependency ratio: a demographic indicator that expresses the degree of demand placed on society by the young and the aged combined, the ratio of d-dependent age groups to the working-age population -Overpopulation -People may have to work longer if they live longer
Discuss the risk and protective factors for mental health problems in middle childhood.
-Developing depression -Developing anxiety -Increased chance of eating disorders -Being more self-conscious
Choose three theoretical perspectives discussed in this chapter and discuss how each one conceptualizes old age.
-Disengagement theory -As age increases, social interactions decrease -Society disengages itself from older people -Activity theory -Higher levels of activity, higher levels of satisfaction -Try to carry out the things one did in middle adulthood -Activity can postpone physical limitation -Life course perspective -Aging is dynamic -People accumulate human capital which has impact on a person's aging
Describe variations in the transition to adulthood. How would the various theorists described in the chapter explain these variations?
-Finding a career -Moving out -Marriage -Having a child -Jung: focused on breaking away from parents and meeting responsibilities to family, work and community -Erikson: finding identity; try out new relationships and attempt to find a way to connect with others in new ways; generativity vs. stagnation -Levinson: novice phase of adulthood; making decisions in relationships, career, and beliefs -Arnett: emerging adulthood; 18-25 years of age; prolonged exploration of social and economic roles; working toward occupation
A great deal has been learned in recent years about decision making and problem-solving in adolescence. Describe what the chapter tells us about decision making and problem solving in adolescence and how that information has changed the way we think about adolescents.
-Formal operational stage, think in terms of what is best for society -Able to consider future when making decisions -Think of hypothetical outcomes to possible decisions
Describe the different types of resources that are used to meet the needs of older adults?
-Formal resources: provided by formal service providers -Informal resources: provided through families, friends, churches, etc.
We've talked quite a bit about stage theories of development over the course of this semester. Identify the stage theories discussed in this chapter. Describe the particular focus of each theory (i.e., cognition, morals, etc.) and what each theory tells us is important about adolescence.
-Freud: genital stage: develop libido capable of reproduction and sexual intimacy -Erikson: identity vs. identity confusion: find one's place in the world through self-certainty vs. apathy, role experimentation vs. negative identity, and anticipation of achievement vs. work paralysis -Kegan: affiliation vs. abandonment: to search for membership, acceptance, and group identity, vs. a sense of being left behind, rejected, and abandoned -Marcia: ego identity statuses: to develop of of these identity statuses: diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, or identity achievement -Piaget: formal operational thought: develop the capacity for abstract problem formulation, hypothesis development, and solution testing -Kohlberg: postconventional morality: develop moral principles that transcend one's own society, individual ethics, societal rights, and universal principles of right and wrong
Nutrition plays an important role in toddler and early childhood development. Describe the specific areas of development that are impacted by nutrition and provide three examples of its possible effects.
-Growth -Mortality rate -Motor skill development -Brain development Examples: -Undernutrition -Obesity -Rate of diseases
Describe what is going on biologically during the period of middle childhood.
-Growth in height and weight continues steadily -Fine motor skills advance -Puberty starts
Using the case of Viktor Spiro, discuss how his prior life experiences would explain his transition to adulthood. What would you do as a social worker to assist him?
-His head injury at 13 and the loss of his brother at 20 made the transition into adulthood particularly difficult -As a social worker I would want to make sure that things are doing well at home and with family, see that he is doing some things out of the home and making friends, keeping up with therapy and medication, and, when things are not going well, to try to think of the positives
Choose one special challenge of middle childhood discussed in the chapter. A child in third- grade has recently been diagnosed with that challenge. As an expert in Human Behavior & the Social Environment, you have been asked to explain this challenge to the rest of the child's third grade class. Write a paragraph or two that you would read to the class to explain this special challenge.
-I think that many children may not want someone to go into detail about their personal struggles (such as the death of a loved one) in front of their entire class, but telling the class something like this could be helpful: (let's say the child's name is Billy) -You all may have noticed that Billy has been absent these past few days. He has been having some personal troubles and it is hard for him. When he comes back to school, don't ask him a lot of questions about it because it may be upsetting, but please be nice and patient with him. He is sad about what is going on and needs extra support during this time. So, if he is alone at recess or looks like he needs a friend, go up to him and make him know he has people that care about him.
Compare and contrast the various infertility treatments described in this chapter. (Infancy)
-IVF -CSI -Egg donors and gestational carriers -IUI -See exhibit 11.3 page 343
Critical elements of social and gender identity develop during adolescence. Define identity and discuss the ways that these two types of identity develop during adolescence.
-Identity: a sense of self that distinguishes "who I am" from other people and that is enduring over time -Gender identity: understanding one's gender, elaborated and revised in adolescence -Social identity: part of the self-concept that comes from knowledge of one's membership in a social group and the emotional significance of that membership
Adolescence is a time when people typically begin moving away from family to meet toward their peers to meet their social needs. Describe what this process might look like in a typical adolescent.
-Individuation: development of self or identity that is unique and separate -Conflict with parents increases -Wanting independence
Discuss the types of memory and the function of each type.
-Intentional memory: relates to events that you plan to remember -Incidental memory: relates to facts you have learned without the intention to retain and recall; declines with old age -Sensory memory: new information initially recorded in sensory memory, lost in less than a second if the person is not paying attention to it -Primary memory: information retained from sensory memory, limited capacity, organize and temporarily hold information -Working memory: actively reorganizing and manipulating information that is still in primary memory -Secondary memory: information is permanently stored, use daily to remember events or facts -Tertiary memory: information is stored for extended periods
Imagine you are the hospital social worker assigned to the Thompson family. How would you assist them in making decisions and caring for their newborn?
-Is a doctor close to home if there is an emergency? -Is there certain food the baby should have because he is premature? -Because of his small size, will he need additional clothing to keep him warm? -Will Felicia need to take extra time off work to care for her baby?
If forced to choose between the theories of self or identity in young and middle adulthood, which one do you think is most useful for understanding this period of human development? Why?
-Life narrative -Every person's story is different, but looking at the similarities between people of similar ages can give an idea of what that stage of life is like for people
Social relationships are critical during adolescence. Describe some of the positive ways that social relationships can influence an adolescent. One of the most salient negative ways that social relationships manifest is through bullying. Identify the different types of bullying described in the text and provide an example of each from your own experience, your observations of other people you know, or from books, television, or movies.
-Positives: help with identity development by finding people who are like oneself -Bullying: verbal, social/relational, physical -Example of verbal: one of my friends at this age was overweight and other people at school teased her nonstop about it -Example of social/relational: I had "friends" at the time that would always leave me out of things and say things behind my back -Example of physical: I didn't see this too often because my school was very strict about any type of physical violence but I saw a few fights
Describe the typical psychological changes experienced during the period of adolescence and discuss how these changes impact typical adolescent behavior. Provide an example of a time that you can now see that your own behavior was influenced by these typical psychological changes or that you've observed this in someone else.
-Reactions to biological changes, changes in cognition, identity development -Body dissatisfaction and self-consciousness peaks for girls between the ages of 13 and 15 -Improved reasoning skills, abstract thinking, meta-cognition -Psychological and social identity development
Describe the preconventional stage of moral development. How might a child in this stage of moral development resolve a dispute with classmates over a toy? What would stop a child in the preconventional stage from shoplifting a candy bar from a convenience store?
-Reasoning based on punishment and reward -A child arguing over a toy at school may share when told to avoid being punished or being rewarded for doing so -A child in this stage would not shoplift because of the fear of being punished
According to Freud, children in middle childhood have entered the latency phase. Describe typical characteristics of a person in the latency phase and discuss why it might be important for a parent or teacher to understand this phase of development.
-Sexual instincts become less dominant and superego develops further -Most Freudian theories are not really used today but, if this theory is used, adults should know that children have a better understanding of morals
Describe and discuss typical development in young and middle adulthood. Why is it important for social workers to know this information?
-Social workers need to know the differences among age groups so they can find the best ways to help people of all ages -They need to know that those in a different stage of life may think differently
Describe what research tells us about criminal behavior in adolescence. Be sure to include a definition and discussion of status offenses
-Status offences: running away from home, skipping school, violating curfew, and possessing tobacco or alcohol--not considered crimes for adults -Most juvenile delinquency never meets up with law enforcement -The more times a young person offends, the more likely they are to be in contact with the juvenile justice system -More males than females are delinquent
According to Piaget, in what stages of development are toddlers and young children? What does this mean for the ways that they see the world? Offer an example of how a toddler might perceive the world differently than an adult. Do not use an example from the book or any class discussion.
-Toddlers in sensorimotor stage -Substages: tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months), mental representation (18-24 months), preconceptual state (2-3), intuitive stage (4-7) - A toddler might see something with wheels and say "car" even if this object is something else, like a bike or a truck
With increasing diversity in the United States, it is critical to consider issues specific to the culture of the people with whom we interact. Identify three issues related to culture that are important in middle childhood.
-Understanding discrimination and inequality -Understanding segregation based on ethnicity/race and social class -Finding a sense of belonging among peers
Middle childhood is a time of identity development. Discuss two different elements of identity that are relevant during this time in life and are discussed in this chapter.
-Understanding of heritage -Develop self-awareness
Describe the development of physical skills during toddler and early childhood, i.e., when and how do skills such as walking and talking develop. Be detailed in your descriptions.
-Walking: 12-18 months; gross motor skills (require use of large muscle groups) -Talking: starts at ages 18-24 months; 2-word sentences by the end of toddlerhood; by age 4, 8-10 word sentences
Summarize biological, psychological, social, and spiritual development during young and middle adulthood.
-Young: physical function at peak -Middle: changes in vision, endurance, metabolism, and strength, graying hair -Young: ability to apply abstract principles to enhance problem-solving and reflect on thought processes, greater self-awareness -Middle: increase in cognitive functioning, better reasoning, spatial orientation, vocabulary, and verbal memory -Young: new relationships, marriage, children, moving out of parents' home -Middle: typically more stable relationships -Young: solidifying beliefs, but religiosity tends to be relatively constant throughout the lifespan -Middle: increased spirituality
Discuss the different types of aggression that are displayed by toddlers and young children.
2 types: instrumental (fighting over toys and space) and hostile aggression (attack is meant to hurt another person) Aggression usually peaks in early childhood and then decreases
Discuss the elements of gender as related to toddlers and young children.
4 components to gender identity during this time: -Make correct use of the gender label -Understanding gender as stable -Understanding gender constancy -Understanding the genital basis of gender
Outline the stages of Alzheimer's disease. What are common symptoms of each stage?
Early stage: -Memory loss -Confusion -Taking longer to do daily tasks -Trouble handling money and paying bills -Loss of spontaneity -Repeating questions -Losing things -Mood and personality changes -Increased anxiety and aggression Moderate stage: - increased memory loss and confusion -problems recognizing people -inability to learn -inability to cope with new or unexpected situations -hallucinations, delusions, suspiciousness, paranoia -loss of impulse control -inability to carry out complex tasks requiring multiple steps Late stage: - weight loss -seizures -skin infections -difficulty swallowing -groaning -increased sleeping -lack of bladder and bowel control -inability to communicate
Along with physical and cognitive development, toddlers and young children also experience moral development. What do Kohlberg and Freud tell us about the development of morality during this time of life?
Kohlberg: -Toddlerhood: Preconventional level of moral reasoning (what gets them rewarded or punished) Freud: -Superego guides moral development and this is formed between ages 4 and 7 -Believed that children with strict parents developed more advanced superegos but research shows otherwise
Discuss the importance of social interactions in older adults.
Loneliness is high among older people, so social interactions are important to reducing the rate of loneliness
Define primary, secondary, and tertiary aging. Give an example of each that is not directly addressed in the text.
Primary -experienced by all -changes that are a normal part of aging -Graying hair Secondary - Caused by health-compromising behaviors -Cancer as a result of years of smoking Tertiary -incidence of disease increases -Parkinson's disease
Compare and contrast different theories of self or identity in young and middle adulthood.
Trait approach: -Big 5 personality traits: neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness to experience -Personality traits rooted in early temperament and influenced by genetic and organic factors -Gender differences Human agency: -Focus on change in midlife personality -Coping mechanisms -Middle adulthood Life narrative: -See person as a storyteller of their life -Story becomes more complex with age -Story is shaped by many factors
Summarize the risk and protective factors in young and middle adulthood. What can you do as a social worker to ameliorate these risks?
Young: -Risks: low income during infancy, poor reading achievement by age 10, problematic school behavior during adolescence, adolescent health problems, stressful life events, living with an alcoholic or mentally ill parent, substance abuse, sibling death in early childhood -Protective: successful early social, language, and physical development, stable maternal employment when child was 2-10 years old, access to nurturing, caring adults, good problem-solving skills in middle childhood, access to social support sources and a sense of belonging with the family at 18, educational and work plans by 18, social maturity and a sense of mastery and control Middle: -Risks: severe prenatal trauma, low birth weight, early childhood poverty, serious health problems in early childhood, problems in early schooling, parental alcoholism and/or substance abuse, health problems in adolescence, health problems in 30s -Protective: competent, nurturing caregiver during infancy, emotional support of extended family, peers, and caring adults outside the family, continuing education at community college, military service, marriage to a stable partner, religious conversion, survival despite a life-threatening illness or accident
