Assignment: Picture of Middle Age Development
Jeff is now 50 years old. He is still overweight and has developed both high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. At the same time, Jeff has some accomplishments. He is the CEO of a midsize company that he built from the ground up. However, he works long hours and does not spend as much time with friends or vacationing as he would like. Still, he lives a comfortable life and is married, with two children. He has a daughter in college and another who is a senior in high school.
Use your module readings and the Argosy University online library resources to research the stages of adult development proposed by Erik Erikson and Daniel Levinson. Locate at least two peer-reviewed articles that examine these theories. Write a 4-5 page paper in which you compare and contrast Erikson's and Levinson's theories of development during midlife and summarize the findings and conclusions of at least two research studies examining Erikson's and Levinson's theories.
In your paper, use Erikson's and Levinson's theories to
- Describe the physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development of Jeff as he has transitioned from early adulthood into middle adulthood.
- Predict Jeff's development as he moves through middle adulthood and into late adulthood.
Be sure to incorporate how issues specific to diversity (e.g., socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, gender, etc.) have affected his transition into middle adulthood. For example, consider how Jeff's transition into middle adulthood would differ if he were Caucasian, African-American, Asian-American, or Native-American. Similarly, how would his development at midlife differ depending upon whether he lived in New York City, Tucson, or Memphis?