Western Civ Continuous or Discontinuous

Is Human Development Continuous or Discontinuous? Human Development is lifelong, continuous and discontinuous and goes in so many polar directions throughout a lifespan. It is plastic, multidisciplinary and is embedded in a changing socio-historical context. I truly hope I live in a continuous outgrowth pattern, as I believe the rest of us hope our fryren to follow in our footsteps of perseverance. Sigmund Freud addresses continuous versus discontinuous in the understanding of mental illness. We tend to admiration if a mental illness if just an ordinary person taking something to an extreme, or if it is just a matter of degree.I have in mind thither is a difference in the way someone with a mental illness experiences reality. There are so many different kinds of mental illnesses so it is off the beaten track(predicate) more complicated than a single entity. There is even debate out there as to what exactly is considered a mental illness versus what is not. I guess to some it is exclusively in the eyes of the beholder. What do we know about Sigmund Freuds theory? His Psychoanalytic Theory is an intrinsic struggle betwixt ego, id and superego. In fryren, it focuses mostly on the manifestation of disorders as seen from individual case studies.This theory has psychosexual stages which include oral (birth-1year), anal (1-3yr), Phallic (3-6yr), Latency (6-11yr) and venereal (Adolescence). This theory is unique in that it is a kind of lifespan and states that demeanoral manifestations are a result of internal struggles. This theory emphasizes on the role of azoic experiences on child developing and the mediating role of parents. Sigmund Freud proposed that if the child experienced anxiety, thwarting his or her sexual appetite during any libidinal (psychosexual) development stage, said anxiety would persist into adulthood as a neurosis, a functional mental disorder.The biggest problem with this theory is that it is hard to verify. A continuity life is o ne that essentially believes of having stages of development. From infancy and learning to walk and talk to adolescence and making ends on your own a person living a continuity life accepts life as it changes and adapts to it. Whether it be first day of kindergarten and learning to read to becoming a first time parent we accept that something new is about to happen in our lives and adjust for the change. I dont know how often people would not accept the stages of life and move forward with the stages/changes but o regain its important to do so. Another theory from the text I install interesting with respect to continuity was in the sensorimotor period (behavior reflecting on actions) to the formal operations period (perfection of development) are part of Jean Piagets theory of cognitive development. The cognitive development theory is one that I found to be quite interesting. This theory provokes that a child could adjust to the surroundings based on what was happening at the t ime that the stage of a childs life and growth is a continuous process.The stages, according to Cleverley & Phillips Piagets theory suggest that whenever a difficulty was encountered, it threw the child out of mental equilibrium, and the child was and then forced to make some addition to its mental apparatus cognitive accommodation occurred. (pg. 87). In other words, what I think this means is that whenever an upshot would occur in a childs life that was of a difficult nature, it would force the child to adjust to the situation and then move forward.Ultimately, any decision that is made (whether these decisions are made during infancy, adolescent or adult) these decisions impact the next stage of life. Its clear that the cognitive theory of Piaget is one that the stages of development occur in the cognitive state of mind. Discontinuity on the other hand appears to me to be more a religious theory and a basis that there are not necessarily stages to life but events and that the e vents occurring dont necessarily predict how the future outcome of that individual might be.The idea can buoy a discontinuity life is that the events or obstacles that a person is faced with are the pre mapped out plan of god. According to Augustines theory that all children are natural in sin and act of free will it is my understanding that Augustines theory is a theory of discontinuity. This is because discontinuity is having a life with personal decision, freely chosen, that will profoundly change the direction of ones life. (Module Commentary Historical Antecedents II) From what Im understanding Augustines theory on discontinuity is that a decision has the ability to significantly impact the outcome of ones life.According to module commentary research suggests that the past of an individual doesnt necessarily suggest what the outcome of that person may be. When looking at my life and trying to determine whether my life would be of continuity or discontinuity I have to invol ve I struggled with the differences. I think that I my life could be either actually. However, after reading the text I would have to say that I would think the majority of my life is continuous in that my life has been full of stages.From infancy to adolescence and then into adult hood these were characteristic stages to which I lived through and made distinctive decisions. I recall events during my childhood such as my parents divorcing that helped me to comprehend and realize that life isnt perfect. Instead of favoring on the fact that my parents were no drawn-out together and revert back to being an infant (i. e. inability to cope with life and depend on others to make decisions for me and becoming depressed) I opted for the continuity snuggle and accept the event and move forward.I will say Im one of five siblings and I can tell you that my youngest brother reverted and knock down in a life full of bad decisions with severe impacts and he struggles with moving forward and accepting life as it is. I graduated mellowed school and went off to college. My first child was born while I was in my associates program in college but I kept plugging along with my studies unconquerable and focused to get what I was working so hard for. I had many relationships that ended badly, however, I didnt revert to a life of pity but rather felt the pain, dealt with the impacts of my decisions and moved forward.Every stage in my life whether it be when I was a child and care free to being a mother of two beautiful children and full of responsibility Ive realized that my life is continuous. I will keep moving forward with all the events and stages that take place in my life. I do believe these events have the ability to mold a person just by the decisions that were made. I believe that people can have an event happen in their life that in turns has a drastic impact. Take the death of Ivan Ilych for example. He struggled with an illness and then was given the opportunity to reflect on his life and to see things differently.This man had an incredible transformation. In essence what Im suggesting is that while my life is continuity I am married to a man whose life to me appears to be of discontinuity. The more I learn of what his faith and beliefs are the more easily it is to hap complications between the two. According to Cleverley & Phillips descriptions of typical behavior can only be made in the context of a theory, because what is to count as typical behavior very much depends upon the point of view of the observer, and furthermore, the language that is used to describe the behavior is usually orrowed from theory, or may have political or ideologic connotations. Thus, what the observer sees in children depends upon what model he or she brings along. (pg. 96). Therefore, I take this to mean that how a person views either their life or the life of someone else is a matter of opinion by the basis of what their foundation of knowledge is based on a nd what they bring into your life with. References Cleverly, John & Phillips, D. C. (1986) Visions of Childhood. Influential Models from Locke to Spock