NEED RESPONSE IN 10 HOURS or LESS

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would

in a face-to face class by stating why you agree and asking

questions pertaining to the discussion.

Discussion 1 ( Roger) I enjoyed and appreciated the material in this module, especially because this is the developmental stage that I am in currently. One aspect of this material that I found interesting was the discussion about the cultural variations surrounding the outlook on the transition to adulthood. For many cultures, the transition from childhood to adulthood is marked by specific rituals. This is particularly true in eastern cultures than in western cultures. In western cultures, the line between childhood/adolescence and adulthood is blurred. There is no specific marker that indicates that a person is now an adult, however, there are a number of developmental tasks that mark the path to adulthood such as financial independence, establishing intimate relationships or getting married, having children, and starting a career. Society often imposes expectations as to when these milestones should be reached. People are considered "on-time" when they reach these milestones, usually within their 20s and "off-time” when they reach these milestones later on. I feel that these societal expectations can have unfortunate consequences. From my experience, many young adults define their worth by whether they have met these milestones and can struggle a great deal with self-esteem if they have not reached these milestones within the expected timeframe. I believe it is important to be open to different timeframes for reaching these milestones. Some people may get married and have children in their early 20s, others may focus on building a financial foundation, getting an education, and starting a career in their 20s and waiting until their 30s or 40s to get married and have children. Others may have no interest in starting a family and focus on work and career. It is important to consider that everyone's life journey is unique, and we should be more open as a society to people who do not "check all the boxes".

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would

in a face-to face class by stating why you agree and asking

questions pertaining to the discussion.

Discussion 2 (Step)

The quiz questions this week and chapter 13 were interesting to me. We've talked about cognitive development in this class before and the fact that our brains undergo synaptic pruning. I remember this mostly because it made me sad about getting older and not keeping up with certain activities from when I was younger, ha. I have felt a huge shift as I near my mid-30s, particularly synaptic pruning and the loss of fluid intelligence. I know this is just a theory, but it resonated with me. I've noticed that some activities, like playing musical instruments for example, are a bit more difficult for me than they were before. When I was a kid, I could learn an instrument and make creative connections

quickly, but, now as I grow older and don't have time to keep up with playing instruments like I used to, I have a harder time going back to playing and often find myself getting frustrated. The creative connections just aren't there like they used to be. I know there are benefits to getting older and at some point, it's probably a wash. It just makes me wish I had known this information sooner. I may have made some changes in my younger years. Either way, it was fascinating to read about the development that occurs in early adulthood, whether cognitively or morally, and all the supporting theories. I feel similarly towards young adults as I do children in their developmental processes - I'm finding compassion for them as they undergo the nuances of life that drastically change for them currently. Going from completely dependent on their caregivers to branching out on their own and having to navigate through life making independent decisions in all areas of their lives, having to take responsibility for themselves, being somewhat unstable and influenced by societal constructs and gender roles, all while their bodies continue to change as well as their cognitions and morals, and they're able to start thinking more for themselves. What a confusing time of someone's life! It makes me feel more compassionate towards myself and the decisions I made during that stage of life.

Reference

Erford, B.T. (2017). An advanced lifespan odyssey for counseling professionals (1st ed.). Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning