During the first half of this term, we explored several essential social work and social theory concepts, including Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological perspective, life course theory, and Erik Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development. This course aims to cover human development across the lifespan while emphasizing the interaction between individuals and their social environments.
The purpose of this assignment is to apply what we have been learning this semester through the experience of another individual. You are required to conduct a 45-minute to an hour interview with a young adult between the ages of 17 – 25, either via phone, Zoom, or face-to-face meeting (face-to-face being strongly preferred). The goal is to create a paper that explores these interactions, theory, and your experience with the interview and how all of this relates to the course material.
Step 1: Summarize how all the interlocking systems have shaped and influenced who this person is today. Reflect on what you have learned from listening to this individual and whether it has changed your perspective on other people. Finally, note if you have noticed any biases emerging while conducting this process.
Step 2: Investigate the literature on the theories we’ve covered in class and consider whether your subject aligns with or deviates from what would be expected developmentally and why that may be the case. Using citations from literature, bring the theories to life by exploring the topic through the lens of your subject.
Your paper should not be a verbatim transcript of the interviews but rather an opportunity to process the course material by conceptualizing different systems that we have studied throughout the semester through the lens of another person.
This paper should be presented in a scholarly fashion using APA-7 style citations and references. The recommended length for this paper is 7-8 pages (NO MORE). Page count does NOT include Cover or References page. Include scholarly citations from 3-5 sources. Make sure to include an introduction and a conclusion. You may use headings to organize your paper if it helps. Number your pages. Proofread your paper before submission.
What did you find most challenging during your teenage years?
Dealing with sexual drive and being lonely about it, and dealing with the fact that it is not allowed. I had ADHD and was a kid full of energy. It bothered me that I didn’t have control over it. I was very chilled about it and that why i couldn’t control myself and this very hard to deal with. Also because it was over a very long period.
What is your vision for your life as you enter adulthood?
Work on the weaknesses that I attribute to the environment I grew up in, build my family, be there for my wife and kids, and be a good Jew. I still help a lot my mother with technical and money and with whatever i can.
How do you see marriage in the context of your life?
Marriage is technical. It does keep me in place. I love my wife, she helps me a lot, and i help her a lot. I do not
How do you view yourself compared to your family of origin?
I am a part of them. Both for the good things and the bad things. And i keep on realizing this more and more as I progress into life. I am very tense and very wild and a lot of times cant control myself
What influence do you feel your environment has had on your development?
Another challenge was how my father was. He was very strict and was expecting a lot from us. He would demand that we follow Halachos, and we always had to sit by the dinner table and learn. He was also very demanding that we follow his rules, and when we were done doing what he told us, he would expect us to come back to see if he would want us to do something else. The discipline at home was much worse then in the classroom in school. He clearly didnt mean his own ego, he just wanted to us to conduct according to Halacha at age 6, the same as a 40 year old. He used to give us jobs. And this bothered me the most. He used to hold us accountable why we wouldnt always be ready form him. This was from age 6-7The financial situation was very stressful. But he never wanted us to feel it. There was always food and clothes but I think that this was a very big part on why he became that way. I still remember him from when I was 5 years old and he was a lot of fun. He used to take us to the park and play, but it all stopped around when i was 7-8. I think that by not being allowed a lot of usual things in those stages, it caused me to be rebellious to some extent and to learn how to figure out how to get my way without being given a chance the normal way. I also, as a result, am much more lose to my kids and surroundings. But also very tense at times, something i hope to get better with
What has been your most significant relationship so far in life?
While i dont really have a close relationhip, I do remember as a child having a good neighbor which we felt for each other and we used to play and learn a lot and we were close friends on personal levels.
Is there any event that has had a significant impact on who you are today?
How do you feel that culture, in general, is influencing you as an individual?
I am a wild person and very active. This brings me to feel at times that i overdue it by the way i conduct myself which isnt aligned with the culture i am at. I do have the tendency of doing whatever i feel is right and not per the cultural norms. I wouldnt obey by all the rules, and i can even understand that it is not good to be this way, however coming from where i come, i have the urge to let lose.
What was something in your life that you found particularly challenging, and how did you overcome those challenges?
Leaving to Israel to learn. Losing friends. Being away from home was very hard. Was the first time i cried. Was very hard. I felt I lost my family. Was very emotional about it. Though i functioned normally. I shared a lot with my mother, and she taught me to do self-talk. Something I still do today whenever I have hardships.
Were those challenges worth it?
Was surely worth it. I will even advocate for sending kids away. It builds a lot the person. And the self talk i developed, is something priceless.
What were some elements of risk you have experienced in life?
Becoming a rebbi at age 19, becoming head counselor at age 22 for 650 kids. Having to figure out what to do and how to do it is very hard. Coming up with new ideas is very hard and a very big risk.
Can you identify resources or resilience that have helped you overcome risk factors?
I do have a lot of energy, and I am aware of my talents and flaws. It might be that it also comes from the perspective that I dont want to be a loser. And want to achieve in life as oppose to my fathers situation. I also have family geans that helps me be energized and active
How do you see the impact of religion, culture, family, friends, and organizational systems on who you are today?
No doubt about religion, but I understand the challenges. There are elements of the culture that I despise. I am anti-extreme. My father was that way, and i can’t take it. Extremism did not do good for me and I hate it. I pick and choose and filter through what i understand is good and is important versus elements that are just extreme.
