Aging Process: Developmental, Psychological, and Social Issues

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Introduction

My interviewee was Mr. Specter, a 65-year-old African American man. He is a recently retired college lecturer and an African American culture advocate. His childhood was filled with happiness and he grew up in both a nuclear and extended family. His parents gave their best to put him through college where he worked very hard and became a lecturer. He loved his career and made sure his knowledge impacted young people positively. He is a family man, married to one wife, and has three daughters, one son, and six grandchildren. He is a healthy person and has not struggled with any illness. He hopes to live a healthy, fulfilled life surrounded by family.

From my interview, I have learned that aging is inevitable. However, not many people critically think about aging or what they intend to do with their later years, especially after retirement. Many people spent their midlives socializing, working, and raising children. On the other hand, aging comes with various life changes and it is mostly characterized by fear of the unknown future, illnesses, alterations in social circles, and mental health. This work intends to highlight the developmental, psychological, professional, and social alterations that come with aging.

Discussion

From the interview and my understanding of Vygotskys sociocultural theory, I have learned that both nature and nurture play an important role in a persons growth and development. My interviewees culture greatly influences his career choice and lifestyle. Growing up as an African American young man impacted his zeal to teach his community about their culture. He has mentored many young men and women from his community. He intends to ensure that disseminating and imparting knowledge of African America heritage continues. Though many African American communities during his time as a young man were associated with drugs and crime, he beat all odds to become a successful man who only wants what is best for society.

According to the stages of development by Erik Erikson, my interviewee is in the Late-adulthood stage characterized by either integrity or despair. It is the phase of development where people have time to reflect on their lives. Adults, who feel fulfilled, either through success in the family or a meaningful career, reach ego integrity. On the contrary, those who feel like they failed in life risk falling into despair. My interviewee has achieved integrity, he has successfully raised a family and effectively worked in a field that he was passionate about, and retired honorably. He is happy with what he had done so far and looks forward to a good life.

I have also learned that aging comes with reduced social ties. Most people who are lucky to have families around them spend most of their later years around family. My interviewee worked as a college lecturer where he interacted with many people and visited various states on official duty. However, these interactions have reduced since he retired, and he currently spends most of his time around family. His social status has changed, and his number of interactions with people has reduced tremendously now compared to his midlife.

Further, aging comes with retirement, at this stage; many people completely stop working while others like business owners transfer their responsibilities to other people and should be enjoying after-work benefits. My client has retired, and this gives him plenty of free time. Failure to plan for retirement results in confusion and stress because people get bored with free time, as many do not know how to keep themselves occupied. My interviewee wants to live a healthy life in his retirement. He intends to keep physically fit and enjoy his old age.

Moreover, aging involves changes in physical, social, and professional spheres. The inability to emotionally handle these alterations results in poor mental health. Cognitive behavioral theorist helps in understanding emotional and cognitive changes that happen during the aging stage resulting in adopting certain behaviors. The alterations occurring between midlife and late adulthood require cognitive restructuring for proper adaptation. However, many people are not able to adapt well to the changes hence becoming stressed and in severe cases depressed. My interviewee is happy with his achievements, his aging does not bother him as he plans to enjoy his retirement and spend more time with family.

Conclusion

I have understood that the quality of later life is linked with lifestyles and financial decisions made in young adulthood and mid-lives. People who work hard, invest or save while young have a high probability of successively transitioning to late adulthood as compared to people who have little or nothing at this stage. The latter is so because they can invest in family and save or have insurance for later life. For instance, a financially and family-stable person will transition better to aging than a financially and family wise unstable person.

My interviewee is aging successively, he has taken care of a family, had a fulfilled career, lived a healthy life, and intends to enjoy his retirement together with his family. From conducting this interview, I have learned that I have to begin preparing for my later years as early as possible. Secondly, I have also understood the importance of investing in the community and family because they are people who will be there for me in my old age. How people live their current lives today reflects on how they will live in old age.

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Aging Process: Developmental, Psychological, and Social Issues

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