Child X is a nine years old African American. She is female and has three other siblings. She has an elder brother aged thirteen, another brother aged eleven, and her little sister aged six. The parents of child X are in their early forties. Her father is forty-one while her mother is forty years old. They live in a two bedroomed house in East of Chicago and sleep in shared rooms. Her father is a self-established mechanic, and her mother is a florist who works in a small shop in town. She does not own the place, but works for a white woman and hopes to have her shop once she has saved enough. The financial situation of the family is that of the middle-class one but on the lower side. They have all their basic needs even though they cannot afford anything outside of that. They work under a strict budget of $150 a week and manage to save a little for the future of their children. They are not educated. They did not get an opportunity to study in college because of the expenses it presented. They only have high school diplomas, and their jobs are as a result of basic training and continuous practice. Because of their backgrounds education wise, the parents of child X save towards the further of education. As a result, they have to stretch a little budget to cover for all the expenses around the house and leave a little in the savings. Additionally, they are also struggling with medical insurance and other benefits that they need to have. They both have employment that have no benefits of any kind and, therefore, need to struggle for their children.
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development was represented in the above research. The theory mainly suggests that a child’s mental processing goes through stages that determine her cognitive ability in processing the information around her. A child is seen to have mentally developed when they can properly have a model of the world around them and cautiously interpreted it in any way, with reference to their cognitive abilities. Having a model of the world around them was a big mental development for the children. Based on the above, child X showcased she had a model of the world based on the answers she could give about general questions. Her understanding of her school structure, her friend’s lives and her solving of problems are associated with Piaget’s theory of mental development. She could have a conversation with a certain degree of reasonability, which indicates stable mental development according to the theory of cognitive development.
Regarding personality development, Erikson’s theory of ego development in different stages of life applies. He stated that the personality is built upon through different stages that have an effect on a child’s character when they are fully developed. The stage that is most applicable here is the Industry vs. Inferiority stage. In this stage, children are shaped by their peer groups and people around them (Vasta, Ross, 20). The issues of ego and self-esteem come into play and will determine the personality of the children later. Child X experienced esteem problems because of the environment at her home and identified herself better with her friends (peers) where she felt in control of her ego. Lev Vygotsky’s theory of social development relates to the case of child X because he based social development upon social interactions. Child X socially interacted well with her friends and teachers. The physical development in this case relates to the motor skills development theory where children at that age are expected to be fast and quick in the movement of their limbs. Activities such as hopping, jumping and throwing are perfect ways to determine proper development in this theory.
In the next one year, Child X will be in the prime of activeness and will exhibit very intelligent traits based on her understanding of the world around her. Additionally, she will begin to identify herself with particular groups of people, and be able to tell the difference between individual traits and characters of people. In the next five years, the child will grow in her sexuality, where she will be able to identify herself with her sexual nature and that of the opposite sex. She will also develop more outgoing with her peers. In the next promising ten years, she will be a full grown woman who has control over what she thinks and feels. She will be able to confidently speak about her feelings and will have more control of her family and siblings. The child’s strengths include a quick understanding of concepts, an outgoing nature, assertiveness and the ability to hold a good conversation. The family has the strength of instilling discipline in her that is important in how she will turn out. The community around her is a supportive community that looks after their flock, shares and endeavors to provide a safe neighborhood. However, a potential problem lies in the aggressive behavior she will pick up from her family. Also, even though the parents are striving to save for her future, money might be a challenge in her educational pursuits because of the presence of other siblings that also require financial attention.
Work cited
Vasta, Ross. Six Theories of Child Development: Revised Formulations and Current Issues. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1997. Print.
