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Angela Merkel Development and Outcomes

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Angela Merkel Development and Outcomes

Angela Merkel’s childhood name is Angela Dorothea Kasner. Born on July 17th, 1954 to Herlind and Horst Kasner in Hamburg, Germany, Angela was the first born to three other siblings. Her upbringing in a small town in Templin in East Germany (Germany Democratic Republic) helped in shaping her behavior (Cupp, 2014). In the 1960s, the cold War reached its climax and many refugees ran for their safety in West Germany from GDR. The condition in GDR seemed unbearable for many. Ironically, Kasner’s family moved there. The life experiences during this time influenced her growth and development.

Events in our childhood tend to significantly influence our adult lives by shaping our personality. Parenting, family and the environment we live in help shape our personality. Merkel’s parents played a role in shaping Angela’s personality. They seemed strict from their roles and responsibilities as Lutheran official and teacher. The official in Lutheran church moved his family to East Germany that was soviet-controlled from West Germany (Cupp, 2014). His move was crucial since thousands of people were fleeing from East Germany. Merkel’s East German upbringing made her disciplined and cautious in her endeavors. Her family was sympathetic towards the communist regime because of the freedom they enjoyed. Christian pastors were denied freedom compared to the Lutheran pastors.

Angela seemed to emulate her parent’s behavior. Her religion interests were influenced by her father’s role as a Lutheran official. Similarly, her political interest could be triggered by her mother’s politics as a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. She became interested in politics Additionally, living in a small rural area that was probably under-developed shaped her growth and development. The challenges in the rural areas and unfair treatment of people influenced her to fight for freedom and justice.

Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development

Child development involves intellectual functioning, physical and social-emotional development over time. Cognitive development involves intellectual functioning where mental processes influence how we think, solve problems, and gain knowledge. Social-emotional development involves interactions and building of relationships with others (Martin & Fabes, 2008). We focus on how Angela’s life was influenced by her social-emotional and cognitive development.

From her life experiences, Angela developed her ability to reason and think in concrete ways. She grew up when the Cold War was approaching climax meaning she witnessed challenges people experienced when there was political instability. She also acquired knowledge through education to university level that influenced her reasoning, problem-solving skills and thinking. She studied at University of Leipzig and Central Institute for Physical Chemistry of Academy of Sciences. She was good in physics and mathematics that enhanced her problem-solving skills (Cupp, 2014).

Angela’s interactions and relationship with her parents influenced how she developed relationships and interacted with others. We assume that her parents provided responsive caregiving support that helped her communicate and regulate her emotions to others (Martin & Fabes, 2008). They seem to have nurtured her to developing stable and consistent relationships essential to learning and healthy growth. She developed competency in negotiating complex social interactions that can be witnessed when she joined politics and in her role as a chancellor in Germany (forbes.com, 2018). She developed her thoughts to more reasoning and complexity that made her more aware of herself and others.

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

It consists of 8 stages that try to illustrate human psychosocial development from birth to old age (Catalano, 2013). We focus on the first and last two stages. The first stage involves developing mistrust or trust. During her infancy (0-1year), Angela was utterly dependent on her caregivers/parents. We tend to believe that her parents provided her with adequate warmth, love and care that led to successful development of trust. Developing trust helped her feel safe and secure (Cherry, 2019).

The seventh and eight stages are generativity vs stagnation and integrity vs despair (Catalano, 2013). Angela was successful in focusing on her career and family. She positively contributed to development of Germany. She has served her country in different positions including leading the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and being the first woman chancellor of Germany (Cupp, 2014). Additionally, she is a mother who has seen her children grow into adults. She must be proud of her important accomplishments in life. Looking back on her life events, she has done much to feel a sense of integrity. She probably has feelings of satisfaction and has attained wisdom.

Angela Merkel is one admirable female that has significantly influenced the lives of many. Her upbringing played a critical role in nurturing her into the woman she is today. The first woman chancellor in Germany has achieved much in her personal and career life. Her political career thrived making her known globally. She has played a critical role in strengthening relations between her country and others. Her confidence, integrity, and wisdom are admirable. She gives women hope on leadership to whatever position they wish to hold.

References Angela Merkel. (2018). Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/profile/angela-merkel/#2e159f4d22dd Catalano, S. (2013). Children’s Dreams in Clinical Practice. Springer Science & Business Media. Cherry, K. (2019, January 19). Child Development Theories and Examples. Retrieved from verywellmind.com: https://www.verywellmind.com/child-development-theories-2795068 Cupp, T. (2014). Angela Merkel: First Woman Chancellor of Germany. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. Retrieved from biography.com: https://www.biography.com/people/angela-merkel-9406424 Martin, C. L., & Fabes, R. (2008). Discovering Child Development. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.