Category: Personality Development

Introduction

Personality refers to the characteristics of an individual that sets him/her apart from other individuals when subjected to varying circumstances. The development of personality is as a result of the interaction between an individual’s genetic composition and the surrounding. Personality development begins even before birth and is influenced by many external factors.

Many theories have been invented to explain the concept of personality development. This discussion explores the stages of personality development developed by Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson. The psychoanalytic theory was developed by Sigmund Freud and dealt with the emotional development from a sexual perspective. This theory was later modified by Erik Erikson who focused on the role of social interactions in personality development.

Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory

According to Sigmund Freud’s theory, a developing child has a particular “erogenous zones” like the anus, mouth and genitals that are sensitive at each stage. Therefore, a child focuses on what stimulates his “erogenous zones” at each stage. The needs of a child at each stage need to be met, otherwise he/she will end up getting stuck in that stage and this will affect him in adulthood. Freud came up with five stages of development which include the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages (Engler, 2008).

The oral stage commences when a child is born. This stage lasts for about one and half years. At this stage, the mouth is the main point of focus for the child and the child spends most of the time sucking and trying to put everything in the mouth. At this stage, the ego and superego are not yet fully developed and, therefore, the child uses the id.

With time, the baby realizes that satisfaction of its needs might not occur immediately and, therefore, he/she must behave in a certain way in order to speed it up. For instance, a baby cries when he/she wants the needs to be satisfied. When a baby is weaned, he/she experiences a sense of loss and the baby realizes that he/she must not always get what he/she wants. A child whose demands are not met at this stage develops a personality of sarcasm, envy, pessimism, and suspicion.

Too much or too little oral satisfaction has a negative impact. A person who gets stuck in this stage may develop habits like biting nails and chewing things like pens as an adult. Someone who does not get enough oral satisfaction at this stage may also develop habits of eating and drinking excessively. However, a child whose needs are met at this stage ends up being optimistic and admires the surrounding environment (Engler, 2008).

The anal stage begins when the child is about one and half years; when he/she starts getting trained on how to use the toilet. At this stage, the child’s focus is on expelling body wastes. A child may choose either to expel or retain the waste. The way in which the parents handle this conflict determines its resolution.

This crisis gets resolved when the child manages to adjust to the demands of the parents and the parents handle the child reasonably. Thus, with time the child will understand the importance of being orderly and clean, and will, therefore, end up being an adult with self control. If the parents are very harsh when training the child to use the toilet, the child may choose to comply and develop a personality of orderliness.

However, a child who refuses to comply with the demands of the parents ends up being disorderly in future. A child who enjoys excreting irresponsibly will end up being careless, reckless, messy, defiant, and disorganized. On the other hand, a child who enjoys prolonging the retention of body wastes ends up being orderly, miserly, stubborn, precise, and neat. This stage lasts for around two years (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

Next is the phallic stage in which the child’s attention is on the genital area. The children become aware of the differences in their bodies and that of other children of the opposite sex. At this stage the child is obsessed with the parent of the opposite sex and desires to get rid of the other one. A male child will desire to possess the mother but sees his father as a hindrance. He starts getting envious of the father who he sees as his rival in the competition for the mother’s love.

However, the boy is afraid that the father might castrate him. When the boy realizes that he cannot possess the mother, he tries to be like his father so that he can win her. Therefore, he tries to acquire the characteristics of his father. Thus, he learns his male sexual role, and this marks the resolution of the crisis. On the other hand, the female child realizes that she does not have a penis and starts longing to have one. She blames her mother for her lack of a penis and develops “penis envy”.

She feels that she cannot own the mother since she does not have a penis. When she realizes that she cannot get the mother, she gets attracted to the father. The girl learns her sexual role by trying to become like the mother so as to possess the father. Thus, the conflict is resolved.

Failure to resolve this conflict may lead to women having very low self esteem, a desire to prove that they are superior to men or developing habits of flirting with men. For the men, failure to overcome this stage leads to them having high aspirations and arrogance. Failure to resolve the conflicts in this stage and identify with the parent of the same sex leads to recklessness, pride, fear of close love, and conditions like homosexuality (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

The next stage is the latency period in which the child’s sexual desires remain inactive. At this stage, children focus on other activities like games, schooling, and making friendships of the same sex. This stage occurs just before puberty. Failure to overcome the conflicts in the phallic stage might affect an individual in this stage and prevent him/her from engaging in the expected activities (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

The next stage is the genital stage. At this stage, a child’s attention shifts back to the genitals and he/she starts making friendships with people from the opposite sex. At this stage, individuals try to detach themselves from parents and deal with the conflicts that were not resolved in the earlier stages.

A child who resolved all the conflicts in the phallic stage will have healthy and proper relationships with the members of the opposite sex. However, a child who did not overcome the conflicts at that stage will end up having troubled relationships with the opposite sex (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

Sigmund Freud’s theory has several weaknesses. Firstly, personality cannot be developed only on the basis of sexuality. Erik Erikson also does not agree on the concept of basing personality development on sexual drive alone. Moreover, the stages of development are not supported by any scientific data but on case studies. Contrary to Freud’s theory that an individual cannot have the ego and superego from an early age, studies show that these entities are evident in children earlier than at the ages he suggested (Ewen, 1998).

Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Erikson also believes that personality development occurs in stages. However, he does not agree with Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages. He believes that personality development occurs as a result of social interaction with the environment. Through interaction with the environment, human beings develop an ego.

At each stage of development, an individual is concerned with getting competent. If one manages to go through a stage successfully, their ego will be boosted and they will develop a sense of competence. However, failure to manage the stage properly will result in a feeling of insufficiency. At each stage, an individual goes through a conflict that can either build or destroy their personality (Engler, 2008).

The first stage of personality development is that of trust or mistrust and occurs since a child is born up to when he/she attains the age of one year. At this stage the child is helpless and depends entirely on others to take care of him/her. The infant will develop feelings of either trust or mistrust depending on the care that he/she receives from the parents.

If the people taking care of the child are able to efficiently take care of the child, he/she will develop trust and will always feel secure and safe. However, if the parents of the child show rejection and neglect to the child, he/she will develop mistrust and will have feelings of insecurity. This child might develop depression as a child and this may go on even in adulthood (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

The next stage is when the children develop as sense to control the functions of the body and a sense of autonomy. This occurs between the ages of one and three. Children begin to make choices between food, clothes and toys. During this stage, a child can either develop a personality of autonomy or that of doubt or shame.

A child who exercises autonomy is always exploring the surrounding environment and trying to make new discoveries on his/her own. A child who develops feelings of doubt or shame is less confident and is less interested in exploring new surroundings. If a child successfully goes through this stage, he/she will develop feelings of security and confidence in future. Those who do not manage this stage well end up with feelings of insufficiency and doubt all their lives (Newman and Newman, 2007).

Before children begin going to school, they go through another stage where they can develop feelings of either initiative or guilt. This is usually between ages three and six. At this stage the children develop their personality by interacting with others through playing and other activities.

Those who develop feelings of initiative will tend to perform tasks to completion. However, children who develop a sense of guilt will be reluctant to express themselves and their interests and unwilling to try out challenging tasks. If a child manages through this stage, they will develop feelings of capability and a sense of leadership. Those who do not successfully go through this stage will end up feeling guilty, doubtful of their abilities, and devoid of inventiveness (Loevinger, 1997).

Between the age of five to eleven years, children go through a stage of industry or inferiority. Through interacting with others, children begin to take pride in their achievements and talents. Children who develop feelings of industry like taking responsibilities because they believe in their abilities. On the other hand, children who develop feelings of inferiority at this stage hate responsibilities because they doubt their ability in completing those assignments satisfactorily.

The parents, teachers, and other people can contribute to the development of feelings of either inferiority or industry. If children receive encouragement from their teachers and parents because of their abilities and achievements, they will develop feelings of proficiency and confidence in their abilities. However, those who do not receive any support from teachers or parents end up doubting their capability to succeed in life (Loevinger, 1997).

The next stage occurs during adolescence and individuals can either develop a sense of identity or confusion. This happens between ages 12 to 18. Individuals who feel a sense of identity will have a sense of direction in life and will be very sure about what they would like to become in life.

For this reason, they go through this stage with their minds focused on achieving that purpose and their self esteem will be high. However, individuals who feel a sense of confusion will lead a life devoid of purpose or direction and will not be sure about what they want to become in life.

Such individuals will not be aiming to achieve any goals in life and will be leading a life without any future plans. These individuals’ self esteem is likely to be low. At this stage, individuals discover themselves and if they get sufficient support, they develop a good sense of independence, self consciousness, and control. Those who do not successfully go through this stage will end up being unsure about their lives and will remain confused and insecure in future (Loevinger, 1997).

The next stage is early adulthood, between 18 to 35 years, where individuals start developing personal relationships. At this stage, people can either develop a sense of intimacy or that of isolation. People who manage to develop healthy relationships at this stage end up having secure and committed relationships in future.

These individuals will be able to form stable relationships that can end up in marriage. However, those who fail at this stage end up having poor relationships and feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation. Such people will have very few friends and will find it difficult to be involved in serious relationships that could lead to marriage (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

When an individual enters adulthood, he/she can either develop a personality of generativity or stagnation. During this stage, people build their families and careers. A person who develops feelings of generativity will tend to be involved in some sort of productive work and will have an attitude of helping others.

An individual who experiences stagnation will not be engaged in productive work and will be reluctant to help others. People who are successful in their careers and family life will end up feeling productive since they are contributing to the society. However, those who do not succeed in their careers and family life will end up feeling fruitless and unproductive in life (Larsen and Buss, 2009).

The final stage of personality development according to Erikson occurs in old age. In this stage, individuals look back at how they have lived through their lives and may develop feelings of either despair or integrity. Individuals who look at their life and feel that they have accomplished their purpose develop feelings of honor and satisfaction and will have few or no regrets.

As they near their death, they feel at peace and feel that they have accomplished everything that they ever wanted to. Therefore, they do not fear to die as there is nothing that they would wish to change if they were given another chance. They are absolutely contented with the way they lived their lives. On the other hand, people who at this stage look back and feel that they have wasted their lives and have not accomplished their dreams will have regrets.

They will wish that they had lived their lives differently. Consequently, they will end up feeling bitter and desperate. They may develop a feeling that life is worthless. These people also fear death as they wish for another chance or more time to live so that they can do things differently and correct the mistakes that they made in the past (Loevinger, 1997).

Even though Erikson’s theory of personality development has enhanced people’s understanding of social development, it has some weaknesses. The theory is unclear and does not state the real causes of personality development. It does not give a clear explanation about the factors that make individuals to develop in various ways and the impact of each stage on an individual’s personality.

The theory also does not clearly explain the method of overcoming the crises at each stage and moving on to the next. It also does not state what an individual is supposed to do in order to successfully go through the problems experienced at each stage (Newman and Newman, 2007).

Moreover, all the stages do not match with the stages that all individuals go through in life. In some cultures, there is very little time between childhood and adulthood to discover one’s identity since the individuals are married off at an early age. In other communities, an individual has no freedom to make choices as most of them are made by the parents, for instance, choice of career or marriage partner (Newman and Newman, 2007).

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is clear that many theories have been invented to explain the stages that individuals go through in developing their personalities. Sigmund Freud felt that an individual goes through five stages that are influenced by the sexual drive. On the other hand, Erik Erikson differed with Freud’s theory and invented eight stages of personality development that are influenced by the interaction of an individual with the surrounding.

However, both theories have their shortcomings and have been criticized by other people. Both theories of personality development might differ but at least the two agree on some things; like the fact that personality does not develop at once but over time and in distinct stages.

Reference List

Engler, B. (2008). Personality Theories: An Introduction (8th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Ewen, R. B. (1998). Personality, a Topical Approach: Theories, Research, Major Controversies, and Emerging Findings. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Larsen, R.J., and Buss, D. M. (2009). Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge about Human Nature (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Loevinger, J. (1997). Stages of personality development. Handbook of personality psychology, (pp. 199-208).

Newman, B.M., and Newman, P.R. (2007). Theories of Human Development. USA: Routledge.

Plato

Plato sees personality development as a way to happiness; judging by his Myth of the Cave where he reveals the pursuit of knowledge, seeking wisdom, and having a passion for truth as the forms of people’s self-perfection. This is how he understands the passion for truth and seeking wisdom in the context of personality development. For instance, He compares the reality of the world to a grim cave, where people live in an underworld cave deprived of sunlight. One’s destiny is at the top of this cave and as one reaches it, the glaring sun takes away one’s sight and reality becomes elusive for he or she cannot see; this is an allegory of one’s personal development.

Critics like William Turner have dismissed Plato’s argument as ‘world ideas’, it is evident that one should strive to acquire a true understanding of reality, so he can see what really exists in the world but not what he wishes to see. However, Plato’s allegory insinuates that a person cannot be happy while the people surrounding him are unhappy and personality development cannot be viewed as a notion separate from ethical thinking and moral values.

Malcolm X

In Coming to the Awareness of Language, Malcolm X feels desperate in prison because he cannot read and understand books. However, one can come out of this prison by learning how to read thus developing a personality as Malcolm X who developed his by reading a dictionary. The desire to write letters to the acquaintances who live immorally drives Malcolm X for he wants them to develop their moral values by converting to Islam religion.

Robert Lake

Robert Lake Medicine Grizzly Bear, in his Indian Father’s Plea, raises the problem of personality development contemplating on education process in American public schools. He calls for values-based education and practical learning opportunities for Indian children, as well as ways to deepen cultural, social, and historical awareness as a way of personal development. Robert’s son cannot succeed in his personality development unless his teacher changes his outlook and this can be reached by promoting values-based education and a cooperative approach, whose ground is cultural, social, and historical awareness of those who teach.

Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King in his I have a Dream address, encourages his black brothers and sisters to move to the moral heights while peacefully struggling for equality with peace and respect as absolute good; hence, strengthening ethical thinking of an individual, as well a values-based approach to life.

George Orwell

George Orwell, in Shooting an Elephant, describes the moral pain of the hero who fails to pursue the path of self-perfection; that is, ‘doing good’ to other people, as a personality development even if it means death to the hero. Moreover, Orwell raises the problem of a person’s seeking wisdom where he looks at personality as contemplation on the thing someone did contrary to his wish or as pains of remorse; in this case, Orwell’s mistakes brought a seed of wisdom to his personality.

Conclusion

Personality development theme is common for all five primary sources being researched. The term ‘personality development’ consists of a number of notions, which are committed to seeking wisdom and finding the truth, values-based approach to life, aesthetic development, deepening cultural, global, social and historical awareness, developing effective communication skills, solving problems in a creative way, along with ethical and logical thinking development.

One of the most important conflicts that have ever been raised throughout the history is the problem of personal development. Even now it is still on the agenda of the modern world. Like any other person, the character of the memoir by McBride is changing together with the world around him. In the midst of finding his racial identity, James realized that in order to reach his identity as jazz musician and a writer, he had to ignore his racial issues.

It is clear from the very beginning that there is certain link between James and his mother, but it is obviously different from the one that intertwines a child and his mother. As the story unwinds, it becomes evident that James and his mother are interrelated in much more subtle way.

They both possess certain secret within them, the secret of their origin and their life. It is quite peculiar though that, in contrast to his mother, who is trying to keep her secret deep inside, James is eagerly trying to find the answer to his secret: “Sometimes it seemed like the truth was a bandy-legged soul who dashed from one side of the world to the other and I could never find him” (McBride 145).

What is peculiar about James as a child is that he wanted to know the truth, no matter what it might turn for him. Such attitude is strikingly contrasting to the adult James, a confident and self-assured man with few or no doubts.

His eager attempt to unveil the mystery of their family is dominating over him, possessing his entire self and calling back to his ancestors. Perhaps, this is the “call of the wild” that has been spoken so much of. Anyway, the novel starts with a story of quite happy family.

Growing increasingly interested in his origin and his real story, James is slowly becoming aware of the fact that he is different from the some of the people in the city. It must be admitted that the process is not harsh and quick – on the contrary, it takes James much time to realize that certain people take him wrong and have the wrong ideas about James and his family. Consequently, the character of the book starts searching for the truth that he has been protected from for such long time:

I felt like a Tinkertoy kid building my own self out of one of those toy building sets; for as she laid her life before me, I reassembled the tableau of her words like a picture puzzle, and as I did, so my own life was rebuilt. (McBride 211)

Can his mother’s attempt to conceal the truth be considered as a wise decision? On the one hand, James would have suffered from the idea that he is considered an outcast by the adults. Such knowledge can be quiet dangerous, which his mother, Ruth, understood well enough. Also, shielding her beloved child from the harsh reality, she proved that she can be considered a real mother.

However, James’s personal development does not stop at this point. Together with the realization of the fact that there is “something wrong” with people’s attitude towards him, he understands that the relations within his family will never be the same.

Such turn in his personal development means that James has grown enough to overcome another stage of his life and become an adult – a person who takes full account of his actions and deeds. “There’s such a big difference between being dead and alive, I told myself” (178), McBride confessed, and it seems that the author has decided to live the full life despite all that happened to him.

It is quite logical that this results in his split with the family. Unless James had started to search fro the truth on his own, he would have stayed under the shield of illusions forever. This means that he would have never gained an opportunity to live his own life – what he would have to take would have been the life of an average man, but not the journey of James, the adult person, “a bird who flies” (165).

It is also quite peculiar that James denies the belief of his family: “It’s a real workout, which is maybe why I’m not a Jew now. There were too many rules to follow, too many forbidden and “you cant’s” and “you musnt’s,” but does anybody say they love you?” Despite the controversy of this statement, it cannot be considered as an attempt to betray the faith – this is rather a step of a grown-up man who is certain about his wishes and needs.

Compared to him, his mother could be depicted as the person with rather weak will and the one tending to bow to the others’ judgement. However, such judgement seems rather half-baked as one takes a closer look at the woman’s biography. Considered a “great woman” by her son’s new friend, she is a specimen of the people who are able to endure numerous problems only to grow stronger.

Though her and her son’s characters are strikingly different, a certain trait brings them together. Each of them a rebel in their own way, these people lead the lives that could be described as a rebellion – the one that has to struggles themselves for a way out of misery. That is why these characters are quite close to each other.

Mommy’s tears seemed to come from somewhere else, a place far away, a place inside her that she never let any of us children visit, and even as a boy I felt there was pain behind them (McBride 39).

Strong, reserved and yet loving and devoted, Ruth McBride was depicted like a woman warrior. She would never let her children suffer. She would never give up. This influenced James’s temper, making him more vulnerable and unable to handle sudden sorrow or pain.

It must be admitted though that the mother and her son’s ideas of what a comfortable life is did not match. In contrast to Ruth, who was trying to forget the haunting memories of the past, James was trying to find out as much about his own descent as he could. This brought certain conflict into the family and led to the discord between the mother and her child.

It is only several years after the conflict that James realizes what an extraordinary person his mother was. However, in McBride’s story, it is his friend who helps him to pay the tribute to the mother, because by comparing her to the friend’s mother, the author realizes Ruth’s strength and her sufferings:

Only then I revealed to him that my mother was the daughter of an Orthodox Jewish rabbi did his Jewish background emerge, because he understood the true depth of mother’s experience immediately. “What a woman,” he said (McBride 172).

However, these are rather James’s own words. Although they have been spoken by another man, they belong to James. The time has come for him to pay tribute to his mother, and James knows it well.

It must be mentioned though that James started realizing that his origin is a secret despite his mother’s attempts to conceal the truth. Even with his friends’ loyal attitude and their innocent childhood when James was sure that he was just like the rest of children, he finally started feeling that there was something wrong. Looking at his white-skinned mother and comparing himself to her and the other people, the author came to the conclusion that there was something that Ruth did not want to tell him.

It is also quite important that, as James grows into a man, he still had the loyalty of his friends and the possibility of rebuilding the relationships with his family. As the author himself confessed, his friends created the atmosphere where the origin, of skin color, or anything else of that kind had any significance.

Since the environment that the boy from the story was growing in was rather friendly towards him, he grew into the self-respecting, mature adult. With help of his little friends, James managed to forget about the problems that his skin color triggered and the gossips that it caused. “My black friends never asked me how much money I made, or what school my children went to, or anything like that.

They just said, “Come as you are,”” (McBride 110) the author recollected. These were the first and the most important lessons of tolerance and peace making that played such important part in the author’s personal development and his ideas concerning the issues of racial discrimination. What is the most tragic about the lead character’s fate is that he learned to fear not only the power of the white people, but also the power of the Black:

But there was a part of me that feared black power very deeply for the obvious reason. I thought black power would be the end of my mother. I had swallowed the white man’s fear of the Negro, as we were called back then, whole. (McBride 15)

It is obvious that, despised by the white peers and afraid of the Black, James cannot reconcile with his own feelings. That is why James comes to conflicting with the entire world – he merely cannot find the place where he belongs. It is peculiar that the change that brought him to the deplorable state was caused by the social rejection, whereas his spiritual renaissance was the result of his family’s support. It must have been a shock for James to find out that what he had been searching for was within his reach all the time.

Summary

People admire living a healthy and happy life despite the challenges that experience. They work hard to achieve their dreams, even though sometimes it becomes difficult to meet some targets. The desire to accomplish personal and professional goals pushes people to invest their time and money in various issues like education, training, health and research (Driessen and Tartwijk 196). This paper outlines my personal and professional development plan.

Strengths and Weaknesses

I am hardworking and believe in the possibility of achieving my dreams. I aspire to be a nurse leader and invest my time, money, body and skills to benefit all nursing stakeholders. Moreover, I plan my schedule properly to avoid lateness and ensure work is delivered before the deadline expiry. I do not postpone my responsibilities and believe that all work should be done at the correct time and place. My team leading skills, teamwork and cooperation enables me to work in diverse environments with partners from different backgrounds. I believe that research and additional training are necessary to expand my knowledge regarding leadership in nursing and that is why online and physical libraries have become my companions. However, I am very impatient and like things being done as soon as possible. I do not believe any person can outdo me in anything. Corrections and reprimands discourage me from doing my work properly. It is not easy to persuade me to change my mind once I am set to achieve a goal. Sometimes I overwork and this reduces my efficiency.

Identification and explanation of Resources to Be Used to Achieve My Plans

I have registered for personality development part-time classes to learn how to work with others without feeling offended when reprimanded. These classes are planned to help me manage organizational conflicts that occur when leaders have conflicting opinions. Part-time classes are scheduled to meet the specific needs of individuals and this means that I will learn how to develop my personality by knowing how to work with others (Hadar and Brody 154). Moreover, it will shape my perception towards corrections and reprimands and this will make me a better administrator. I am doing a lot of online research (journals and websites) on personality development to identify ways of correcting my weaknesses. The research includes reading testimonies of people who have successfully achieved personal and professional growth. There are numerous testimonies on the internet about people and how they managed personality weaknesses within a short time (Stone 44). Some of their weaknesses like being impatient and ignoring corrections from others are common in many people including me. I learn how they manage and avoid them in the future and that is why these testimonies are useful resources for my personality and professional growth. The people around me play important roles in shaping my personality by evaluating my behavior as an aspiring leader. Friends, family members and colleagues can monitor and advise me on my performance and this helps me to identify areas that require attention. They represent the whole society and the work environment and thus their expectations are similar to those of my future publics (Sonnino 37). Moreover, I use self-evaluation skills that include preparing a worksheet that shows my accomplishments in meeting my personal and professional development goals. It is easy to measure my performance using a daily checklist that shows the progress in developing my personality and professional development (Calderhead 15). Sometimes it is not easy to know whether an individual is changing without comparing behavioral statistics. Lastly, I benchmark my performance with that of other successful people around me to determine what I need to do to be like them. An administrator is supposed to possess excellent leadership and management skills (Moon 79). I spend a lot of time monitoring the performance of successful administrators and studying what they did to be where they are. In addition, they will be my role models and align my objective with theirs to ensure our paths are similar. The similarities between their aspirations and mine are likely to make me a good administrator in the future.

How I Will Be a World Changer in the Next Five Years

I aspire to change the world by becoming a better administrator. My objective is to introduce new energy to youths in administration and challenge the existing administrators to realize that their positions are not only reserved for the elderly. I would like to prove to them that age does not matter in offering quality services as an administrator. Secondly, I wish to challenge youths who want to be administrators when they are 40 years or older to know that this is their time to become leaders. I will motivate them to seek leadership positions in organizations and this will induce competition in managerial positions. Moreover, I will implement effective leadership that involves identifying the responsibilities of this position and how to combine various resources to maximize production and profits. I hope to become a personality and professional development speaker and guide people on how to become good managers in their organizations. This will involve helping them to identify their strengths and weaknesses and working on them to become better people. Lastly, I will transform the perception of managers by other employees and ensure they perceive each other as useful resources for achieving the objectives of an organization.

Works cited

Calderhead, James. “The contribution of research on teachers’ thinking to the professional development of teachers.” Research on Teacher Thinking: Understanding Professional Development 13.2 (2012): 11-18. Print.

Driessen, Erik and Jan van Tartwijk. “Portfolios in personal and professional development.” Understanding Medical Education: Evidence, Theory and Practice 16.4 (2013): 193-200. Print.

Hadar, Linor L. and David L. Brody. “The interaction between group processes and personal professional trajectories in a professional development community for teacher educators.” Journal of Teacher Education 64.2 (2013): 145-161. Print.

Moon, Jennifer A. Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.

Sonnino, Roberta E. “Professional development and leadership training opportunities for healthcare professionals.” The American Journal of Surgery 206.5 (2013): 727-731. Print.

Stone, Ashley. NASPA’s New Professionals Institute: Exploring the Personal and Professional Impact of a Two-Day, Intensive Professional Development Experience. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print.

Introduction

Personal development entails diverse activities that aim at improving one’s awareness, talent, potential, identity, health, self-knowledge, and building one’s human capital. Additionally, personal development also contributes towards the realisation of an individual’s dreams and aspirations.

Chambers, Schwartz, and Boath (2003) emphasise the importance of incorporating a personal development plan in one’s quest to continue his or her professional development. A personal development plan outlines the actions that one intends to concentrate on in order to attain the intended level of development (Armstrong 2008).

Consequently, it provides individuals with an opportunity to think in a structured manner the issues to address. Findings of previous studies conducted emphasise the importance of students thinking about and planning their future.

Personal development is only effective if a number of elements such as thinking deeply and in a structured manner about one’s life and ambitions, have access to the necessary information, people to trust on and share one’s reflections with, have an opportunity to test oneself in new areas, and develop the acquired skills and knowledge.

This paper illustrates a personal development plan by taking into account a number of issues. Firstly, the paper realises the existence of culture shock in learning institution and workplaces and hence the importance of ensuring effective acculturation during the induction process.

Secondly, the paper has illustrated the importance of developing effective teamwork and presentation skills in individuals’ personal development efforts coupled with developing a comparison of the report and academic journals.

The personal development plan is illustrated by outlining the personal development objectives intended to be attained and the actions that will be undertaken in order to accomplish the stated objectives. Finally, the paper gives a conclusion and reflection on the course.

Acculturation and Culture Shock

Culture is more than an asset of norms and customs. It is also composed of how individuals interact and relate (Rathje 2009). Culture is an important aspect in one’s personal development.

In the contemporary society, interacting with individuals of diverse cultural background in individuals’ effort to develop their personal or professional portfolios through academics is inevitable (Mercer 2006).

This aspect has emanated from the high rate of globalisation, which has made it easy for individuals to move across cultures (Rathje 2009).

Existence of cultural differences presents a major challenge due to possible conflicts that might emanate due to cultural differences such as meanings, values, and rules. Consequently, developing intercultural competencies is paramount.

The high rate of cultural diversity being experienced in the society has made is paramount for individuals to undergo through a comprehensive acculturation process. Ward, Bochner, and Furnham (2001) define acculturation to include the changes that occur due to continuous contact between individuals of diverse cultural background.

The first phase towards the attainment of acculturation is culture shock. Rathje (2009) defines culture shock to include “a number of emotional reactions that emanate from loss of perceptual reinforcement associated with one’s culture to new cultural stimuli which have minimal or no meaning” (p.45).

According to Yeomans and Sampson (2005), induction is a critical aspect in the student’s performance, which arises from the fact that it contributes towards students understanding the institutions practices, processes, and procedures. Induction and acculturation are closely related.

Induction is concerned with ensuring that an individual fits in a particular organisation. Therefore, it is broadly concerned with acculturation. Through induction and acculturation, students can develop effective and sustained contact with their colleagues (Marx 2001).

Ultimately, their performance is not adversely affected by the existence of cultural shock that might lead to anxiety and psychological discomfort (Passmore & Cantore 2012). During the induction into the university, cultural diversity is one of the issues that were evident.

On my part, I valued cultural diversity in a number of ways such as recognising the existence of a ‘mix of students’, ‘mix of cultures and a wide variety of people from different background.

Secondly, I appreciated the importance of cultural diversity in my learning process. Consequently, I was in a position to deal with cultural shock. Despite my ability to deal with cultural shock, one of the major challenges that I was faced with was how to become acculturated into the university.

In a bid to become acculturated effectively, I was required to internalise other student’s values, beliefs, meanings, and norms. Due to effective acculturation, I would be in a position to develop a positive perception regarding the institution’s cultural diversity.

The cultural diversity characterising the student population presented an opportunity for gaining new knowledge and ideas regarding other cultures (Gilbert 2004).

Additionally, the cultural diversity in the school would provide me with a chance to expand my horizons and meet with individuals that I would not have met in my life, which is an important aspect towards my personal development and hence future success.

The induction process was also effective due to the lecturers’ responsiveness. Over the years, the institution has adopted an ‘open door policy’, which enables students to interact with lecturers freely. The lecturers’ responsiveness has made the institution very effective in making the students to become acculturated.

Despite the effective induction and the lecturers’ responsiveness, one of the key improvement areas that I should focus on in my personal development relates to acculturation. From appendix 2, it is evident that I have been capable of nurturing a number of personal skills and knowledge.

Some of the skills that I have developed relate to teamwork skills, flexibility/adaptability, and ability to understand statistics.

Teamwork and Presentation Skills

Over the years, scholars have been defining teamwork with reference to the classical systems theory. The theory asserts that outputs, processes, and inputs develop over time. Team inputs refer to the individuality of tasks to be undertaken, and the team members’ attitude.

Team process entails the coordination and interaction required between team members in order to achieve the desired goals (Kanki, Helmreich & Anca 2010). On the other hand, team outputs entail the outcome of the team performance.

Alternatively, teamwork entails a set of interpersonal, communication, and problem solving skills required by individuals in the course of executing a particular task whose objective is to achieve a common goal.

Teamwork is one of the elements that employers are increasingly valuing in the course of hiring new graduate employees. The increment in its relevance has emanated from increased shift to projects teams in organisations’ operational process (Gilbert 2004).

Development of teamwork skills enables individuals to put their teams’ objectives first. Griffith Graduate Project members assert, “The ability to work in cross-disciplinary team is the most prised workplace attribute” (Griffith University 2012, p.2).

Most institutions of higher learning organise their study practices as an individual process. However, the employers value people skills. Due to this transformation, learning institutions are increasingly adjusting their practices by incorporating group and team projects in their study programs.

Irrespective of learning institutions incorporating or not incorporating such programmes, it is vital for individuals to be concerned with how to develop their inter-personal skills.

One of the most important aspects in becoming an effective team member is effective communication. Communication enables one to express himself or herself orally, by writing, or using other visual aids.

There are diverse people skills that an individual should focus on in their effort to attain personal development. Some of these skills include listening skills, leadership skills, speaking skills, being a team member and negotiation skills (Avery, Walker & Murphy 2001).

Additionally, individuals can incorporate a number of elements in a bid to nurture effective presentation skills. Currently, governments, community groups, and businesses are increasingly shifting to teams in an effort to enhance participation, streamline processes, and improve performance (Carayon 2011).

Considering the changes in the workplace, development of teamwork skills competencies and presentation skills is paramount in my personal development. In a bid to become an effective team player, I will focus on a number of aspects. As a postgraduate student, I appreciate the existence of diverse roles in a team.

As a result, I will integrate a number of determinants in accordance with Dr. Meredith Belbin’s team roles. Some of the aspects that I will focus on include being a problem solver, cognisant of team members’ feelings, and being an implementer.

Additionally, I will be in a position to be an effective coordinator, implementer, sharper, finisher, a planter, teamwork, specialist, investigator, and a monitor. This aspect will enhance my ability to develop a balanced team.

In the course of undertaking their tasks, team members face situations that may adversely affect their effectiveness. In a bid to deal with such situation, I will focus on nurturing effective situation monitoring competencies, which will enhance my ability to evaluate the performance of fellow team members.

Ultimately, I will be in a position to ensure that the team is operating in accordance with the expected procedures. Moreover, I will also ensure the provision of effective mutual support to team members, which will be achieved by ensuring effective coaching and feedback.

In a bid to enhance a positive outcome of team projects, I will ensure that sufficient assistance is provided to team members in the course of performing the assigned tasks.

In addition to the above teamwork skill competencies, I will also focus on development of effective leadership and communication. Upon attending the residential, I gained a number of skills on leadership.

Some of the leadership skills that I gained relate to how to coordinate and direct team members, task allocation, organising and developing a positive working environment. Additionally, I gained a number of skills on how to deal with conflict that might arise amongst team members.

In a bid to ensure that I become an effective team leader, effective communication will be ensured. One of the aspects that I will ensure entails effective initiation of the intended message, its acknowledgement, and verification before sending to the intended sender.

Additionally, I will also ensure that effective communication in the team is nurtured. This aspect will contribute towards the team members developing sufficient understanding of their colleagues’ abilities and roles (Kanki, Helmreich & Anca2010).

Report and Academic Journal Comparisons

Numerous issues can contribute towards personal development. Some of the issues that other scholars have focused on entail appreciating the existence of cultural diversity in the society.

Cultural diversity has come out as one of the most important aspects individuals’ effort to attain a high level of personal development, which arises from the fact that it enables individuals to appreciate and respect the diversity that exists in our society.

The authors have emphasised on the importance of utilising the cultural differences across individuals for their personal development. One of the ways through which this goal is achievable is by gaining new knowledge and skills from the diverse culture.

Consequently, the authors have concurred that cultural differences is an important asset in learning institutions, workplaces and the society.

Another key driver that stands out in individuals’ effort to attain personal development relates to ensuring that an optimal social learning environment is developed. This element will improve the effectiveness with which individuals interact and share ideas.

Effective interaction stands out as an important aspect in teaching and learning. Considering the high rate of technological development, technology comes out as one of the most important elements that should be incorporated in individuals’ development process.

Personal Planning and Action Plan

To achieve the desired level of personal development, effective action planning is necessary (Everard & Morris 2004). The first step towards personal development entails identifying the goals that one intends to focus on in order to succeed in life.

In my quest to achieve personal development, I intend to attain a number of goals, which include educational attainment, development of my strengths, improving interpersonal relationships, developing a high level of self-awareness and improving my health.

Attainment of the above personal development goals will be dependent on how effective they will be implemented. Consequently, an action plan will be incorporated.

The action plan will outline the personal development objectives, the priority associated with the identified objective, activities that will enable achievement of the objective, the necessary resources, the target date for attainment of the objective and evidence that the milestone has been achieved.

The chart below illustrates the action plan that will be utilised in attaining personal development.

Conclusion and Reflection

Personal development planning is an important aspect in individuals’ quest to achieve their professional and career goals, which arises from the fact that the planning contributes towards effort improvement in individuals to attain the personal development goals.

A number of issues might hinder individuals’ ability to attain the desired level of personal development. One such issue relates to the existence of cultural shock. The high rate of globalisation has led to increased cultural movement.

Consequently, it is paramount for individuals to be effectively acculturated. This aspect will aid in dealing with the cultural differences prevailing amongst individuals.

Personal development planning enables effective identification of the personal development goals and formulation of an action plan to be followed in the quest to achieve the goals. This move increases the probability of attaining a high level of personal development.

The module has been of great importance in my quest to achieve personal development. Firstly, it has provided me with an opportunity to interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds. As a result, I have appreciated the importance of being an effective team player and developing sufficient communication skills.

Reference List

Armstrong, M 2008, How to be an even better manager; a complete A-Z techniques and essential skills, Kogan Page, Philadelphia.

Avery, C, Walker, M & Murphy, E 2001, Teamwork is an individual skill: getting your work done when sharing responsibility, Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco.

Carayon, P 2011, Handbook of human factors and ergonomics inn healthcare and patient safety, CRC Press, California.

Chambers, R, Schwartz, A & Boath, E 2003, Beating stress in the NHS, Radcliffe Medical, Abingdon.

Everard, K & Morris, G 2004, Effective school management, Paul Chapman, London.

Gilbert, N 2004, The best 143 business schools, Princeton Review Publishers, New York.

Griffith University: Teamwork skills toolkit 2012. Web.

Kanki, B, Helmreich, R & Anca, J 2010, Crew resource management, Academic Press Elsevier, Boston.

Marx, E 2001, Breaking through culture shock: What you need to succeed in international business, Nicholas Braeley, London.

Passmore, J & Cantore, S 2012, Top business psychology models: 50 transforming ideas for leaders, consultants, and coaches, Kogan, London.

Rathje, S 2009, ‘The definition of culture: an application-oriented overhaul’, Inter-culture Journal, vol. 8 no.1, pp. 1-25.

Ward, C, Bochner, S & Furnham, A 2001, Culture shock, Routledge, New York.

Yeomans, R & Sampson, J 2005, Mentorship in the primary school: Mentorship in action, Routledge, New York.

Appendices

Appendix 1: SWOT Analysis

The chart below illustrates an evaluation of my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Appendix 2: Skills, Knowledge Audit

Appendix 3: Personal Development Statement

The course has helped me to appreciate the importance of developing a number of personal skills as a student of business and economics. Some of the key important skills that I have appreciated relate to teamwork, self-awareness, presentation skills, and the need to appreciate cultural diversity.

Considering the changes in the workplace, the course has contributed towards a greater appreciation of the importance of developing teamwork and presentation skills. In a bid to be an effective team leader, my personal development strategy will focus on becoming an all-round team leader.

This goal will be achievable by appreciating the various team roles. Considering the increased incorporation of teamwork, there is a high probability of being a member of a team that is characterised by diverse team roles.

By being an effective team leader, I will be in a position to deal with the differences and challenges associated with these roles. Ultimately, I will be in a position to contribute to attainment of team project goals and objectives in the future. One of the requirements for being an effective team leader entails being analytical.

This element will improve the probability of identifying possible deviations and gaps that might arise in the course of executing team projects. Additionally, effective presentation skills will ensure that team members share intelligence necessary for attainment of the goals. By being an effective team leader, I will be proactive in making decisions that will mitigate and eliminate negative effects that might arise.

In addition to being an effective team leader, the personal development strategy adopted will also contribute towards improvement in my problem solving skills. Problem solving skills is one of the most important personal development elements.

This assertion arises from the fact that the ability to resolve issues that arise increases the probability of achieving the desired goals. In the course of team operation, conflicts are inevitable. However, the effectiveness with which team leaders solve team issues determines the success of the team. In my personal development, I intend to be an effective problem-solver and implementer.

In a bid to achieve this goal, it is necessary that I incorporate a high level of creativity. One of the issues that I will focus on in ensuring harmony within the team is brainstorming. This aspect will aid in identifying possible alternative courses of action. By taking into account these issues, I will become an effective team player.

In my course of personal development, communication will play a very significant role. This arises from the fact that it will enhance my presentation skills. In a bid to deal with this issue, I will incorporate diverse communication methods and tools.

Some of the aspects that will be considered in developing effective communication include being a good listener, being confident, effective handling of the audience, and being audible. Additionally, I will incorporate various communication aids such as visual aids such as PowerPoint, storytelling, and writing.

By incorporating the above communication and presentation skills, a high degree of assertiveness will be developed. Ultimately, I will become an effective communicator, which is a key requirement in succeeding in the complex work environment.

Introduction

Every student needs to take charge of his or her professional growth and development. Many times, students fall into the trap of assuming that the academic institution they attend is responsible for their professional development. A personal development plan (PDP) is useful in the process of taking charge of an individual’s professional development. This reflection paper looks at various facets of professional development. This paper aims to develop a well-reasoned set of professional and social goals based on insight from literature, and insights developed from participating in academic exercises.

Acculturation

New students suffer from culture shock. Foreign students suffer from culture shock more severely than local ones (UKCISA 2012). Culture shock arises from two situations. First, when someone goes to settle into a new culture, he deals with the lost people, places, and their entire cultural construct (Arthur 2004). The relationships people form over time are an important part of their cultural experience. The second aspect of culture shock is the need to adapt to a new place, with its people, language, and social norms (Griffin 1997). The extent of culture shock depends on how well someone is ready and capable to cope with the new cultural situation.

Two models used to describe culture shock include the U-model and the W-model. The U-model looks at culture shock as a three-stage process. One arm of the U represents contact with the host culture (Arthur 2004). The trough represents a conflict with the host culture, while the other arm represents adaptation with the host culture (Arthur 2004). During contact with the host culture, a new person reacts with short-lived excitement caused by the fascination that new ideals and norms bring. This stage gives way to a loss of morale and feelings of being lost in a world away from everything familiar. An individual becomes depressed and tries to find ways of clinging to the familiar things from their home culture. This stage gives way to adaptation as the need to be productive becomes apparent. The W-model is more elaborate and looks at culture shock as a series of difficulties. It models the changes in the morale of the person as he tries to adapt to the new culture (UKCISA 2012). It covers periods of relapses and periods of stability. The W-model adopted by the UK council for international Student affairs includes the cultural changes a student experiences as he goes to a new culture and as he returns home.

The UKCISA model, prepared for students assumes that all students go back to their home cultures after their education. It also assumes that the cultural shift experienced during the time spent in the UK leads to some permanent changes in the person. The final level of equilibrium is not the same as the original level.

Personal experience seems to suggest that the first part of the model is accurate. I am going through the honeymoon phase. However, rather than a steep decline into depression, and experiencing acculturation related stress, I am going through a series of bumps. While I miss my native culture, I have identified people and activities that are helping me to cope.

The induction program introduced the stresses I may go through as a new student. This gave me crucial insights into what I can do to cope. The program can improve its value if it helps in the identification of people, outside the academic community such as the Diaspora community in the country to allow me to have authentic cultural expression.

Reports and Academic Journal Comparisons

The report on “what works for students” developed after researching the aspects of student life that make the University of Wolverhampton ideal for learning brought up several issues relevant to the objectives of this review. The study aimed at identifying aspects of student experiences that contribute to learning and retention at the university. The research question was, “what were the positive factors that made a difference for the students during their journey and hence encouraged them to remain and persist in their studies at University” (ILO 2012, p. 1). The report presented six major themes from the survey showing the factors contributing to student retention in the institution. The six issues were “interactive pedagogies, responsive lecturers, sense of belonging, social learning environment, and technology in learning and cultural diversity” (ILO 2012, p. 5).

Interactive pedagogies refer to teaching methods that maximize contact and use diverse approaches such as films, PowerPoint presentations, seminars, and group activities to enhance learning (Horton 2012). My experience with interactive pedagogy is that it led to greater enjoyment of the lessons and greater appreciation of concepts taught in class. I strongly agree that the use of interactive pedagogy makes my experience in the institution more meaningful.

Responsive lecturers, according to the report, refer to aspects such as availability, support, and approachability of the faculty members. The report further states that lecturers contribute a large portion of the satisfaction students derive from the institution (ILO 2012). The importance of this aspect comes from the fact that lecturers are the primary service providers in a university. The absolute measure of the success of a student is his or her academic performance (Johnson & Johnson 2009). Therefore, supportive lecturers contribute to this objective.

Having a sense of belonging is also very important for students in a learning institution. When a student joins a university, they need to feel welcome to the new place. More importantly, they need to identify their place in the new environment. This situation becomes even more important if the student comes from a different culture. My experience is that sufficient measures went into play to ensure that I identified my place in the university community. It is ongoing.

The fourth finding was that a social learning environment contributes a lot towards making student enjoy their experience on campus. A social learning environment is one where students have the opportunity to interact among themselves in and out of class (Laster 2001). Also, it includes an environment that supports the social lives of students to enhance learning.

The use of technology in learning is also an important aspect of student life. In particular, students enjoy the use of online learning frameworks for use in their work (Horton 2012). I find it very helpful that I can access course materials, lecture notes, and university announcements online. Besides, the use of computer-based learning in the classrooms gives learning materials a better appearance, making learning more pleasant.

The final aspect presented in the report is cultural diversity. Cultural diversity refers to the rich interaction students have in the university between them and students from other parts of the world. Students learn a lot from each other because of the unique cultural mix of each cohort. I am making friends from all over the world. This is shaping my attitudes towards other people and making me a better global citizen.

Residential Program

I did not participate in the residential program because of the time constraints associated with residential programs. The strict diary for residential programs made it very difficult for me to find time to participate. Rather I found it more convenient to work based on my schedule because of the opportunity to maximize my most productive time to carry out my studies. Flexibility in the timetabling will make it easier for me to participate in residential programs.

SWOT Analysis

My SWOT analysis of the PDP is as follows.

Personal Planning and Action Plan

This personal development plan (PDP) has three sets of goals. The first set is PDP opportunities open to me through the curriculum. The second one is the PDP goals open to me through program staff and support services, while the third set is the goals open to me from other general areas.

Table 1: Opportunities open through the curriculum.

Table 2: PDP opportunities provided by program staff and support services.

Table 3: Action plan.

Teamwork and Presentation Skills

Teamwork refers to the process in which several individuals come together to accomplish a common goal (Forsyth 2009). One of the two important theories in teamwork includes the five-stage group dynamics model developed by Tuckman (Holmes 2005). Tuckman proposed that every team goes through four stages namely, forming, storming, norming, and performing (Forsyth 2009). The forming stage of a group covers all activities that initiate the life of a team. Group formation is not always deliberate. However, effective participation in a group stems from a deliberate effort on the part of team members. During the storming stage, group members go through an identity crisis where they try to identify their roles in the groups (Kaplan & Norton 1996).

During the forming stage, the group members usually take on specific functional roles. However, during the storming stage, other factors such as personality differences come into play. After all the members fully understand their roles and their responsibilities, the group progresses to the norming stage (Forsyth 2009). It is an equilibrium-of-sorts characterized by clear professional and personal boundaries. It gives way to the performing stage. The performing stage is the actual execution of the group’s mandate. The time it takes a group to reach the performing stage depends on the mandate of a given group and the duration the team members will spend together. Short-lived group activities tend to promote faster cycles.

Another theory that deals with group dynamics is the Meredith Belbin model model that identifies roles that team members need to play for a team to have coherence. The model presents roles, and not personality typologies (Cantore & Passmore 2012). In this sense, people choose which roles to play according to their personality types. The first role is that of an “implementer” (Cantore & Passmore 2012, p. 110). An implementer turns ideas into reality using disciplined approaches. Implementers tend to be rigid. The second role needed in a team is one of a “finisher”, who focuses on the completion of the task (Cantore & Passmore 2012, p. 110). Finishers can be anxious and usually find it difficult to delegate because of the fear that someone else cannot do what they should. Third team role according to Belbin is the coordinator’s role. Coordinators come across as natural leaders because they support and encourage other team members (Cantore & Passmore 2012). However, coordinators can also be manipulative. Fourth, a team needs a “team worker”, who is someone good at negotiating within and outside the team (Cantore & Passmore 2012, p. 110). Team workers help the work process along but can show indecisiveness.

The other roles needed for a balanced team includes a “resource instigator”, “a plant”, “an evaluator”, and “a specialist” (Cantore & Passmore 2012, p. 110). A resource instigator displays a high level of innovation and initiative when it comes to accessing resources for use by the team. However, this calls for a highly optimistic disposition, which can lead to unrealistic targets arising from planning based on resources not in the team’s control. A plant is someone keen to explore new ideas and to develop them. Such a role requires a broody person who can work on an idea until it is mature for application. However, people who fill this role well tend to be poor communicators. Finally, the team needs a specialist who can focus on specific technical aspects of the task. Specialists tend to lose the big picture quickly. A team member can play any number of roles specified by the model.

The main conclusions from this review are that every team will pass through a number of stages before it becomes effective. As this happens, the team also needs to take into account the roles that the team members play. If some of the roles in the Meredith Bilbin model remain open, then the team will lack vital components of success.

Conclusions and Reflection

The process of developing personal goals is important because of allows for reflection of the current state of affairs in line with future aspirations (Johns 2009). Based on the reviews carried out in the sections above, I have developed five main PDP goals. These goals include academic goals, professional development goals, and social goals. These goals will help me in participating effectively as a student in a new culture. At the same time, I will grow as a professional, ready to reengage with the industry based on the experiences garnered in my time as a student.

The process has made it easy for me to identify these goals in a systematic and balanced way. I believe that at the end of my student experience, I will have gone through a very enriching experience in the institution. A number of minor goals also showed up in the process of developing the main areas of focus. These goals such as seeking opportunities to lead discussion groups will be easier to meet since group work is an essential part of the learning process in the institution. It will take a commitment to meet all these goals. Setting them is only the first step in a long journey.

Reference List

Arthur, N 2004, Counseling International Students: Clients from Around the World, Springer, New York.

Cantore, S & Passmore, J 2012, Top Business Psychology Models: 50 Transforming Ideas for Leaders, Consultants and Coaches, Kogan Page Publishers, New Yok, NY.

Coon, D & Mitterer, JO 2008, Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior, Cengage Learning, New York.

Forsyth, DR 2009, Group Dynamics, Cengage Learning, New York.

Griffin, E 1997, A First Look at Communication Theory, 8th edn, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, New York, NY.

Holmes, D 2005, Communication Theory: Media, Technology, and Society, SAGE, London, UK.

Horton, W 2012, E-Learning by design (2nd ed.), Wiley, San Francisco, CA.

ILO 2012, ‘What Works for Students?’, Research Report, Institute for Learning Enhancement, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton.

Johns, C 2009, Becoming a Reflective Practioner, Blackwell-Wiley, Oxford.

Johnson, WD & Johnson, TR 2009, ‘An Educational Psychology Success Story: Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning’, Educational Researcher, vol 38, no. 5, pp. 365-379.

Kaplan, RS & Norton, DP 1996, The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action, Havard Business Press, Boston OH.

Kerzner, H 2009, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling, 10th edn, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ.

Laster, K 2001, The Law as Culture, Federation Press, Perth.

PM4DEV 2008, Fundamentals of Project Management, Lulu.com, Raleigh, NC.

UKCISA 2012, International Students and Culture Shock, UKCISA, London.

Preparing for the dissertation has provided a plethora of learning opportunities, most of which were extraordinarily useful both for academic progress and future practice. Namely, the development of the dissertation and the identification of the key milestones in its completion have assisted me in understanding the basics of strategic planning and project management. The latter is expected to bear especially vast significance for my career development since it will provide a chance at improving the management of projects in the workplace. Specifically, the time taken to complete key tasks, the process of setting SMART goals and essential milestones, and the evaluation of results will allow for rapid personal and professional progress (Mazzotti et al., 2018). To approach the retrospect into writing the dissertation and the lessons learned in the process, a reflective framework will be applied. The specified model allows examining the overall experience, as well as scrutinizing its particular aspects, in order to gain insight into the information acquired in the process.

Strengths

Among the primary strengths observed when writing the dissertation, the ability to apply statistical analysis properly to examine the essential trends in the target environment deserves a mention. The selection of research methods and the application of the respective tools for the assessment of the target setting can be seen as the main advantage of the study since it has allowed producing accurate results. Moreover, the outcomes of the research have led to rather accurate forecasts, which can be considered an important

Weaknesses

In the course of implementing the project, several weaknesses were identified as well. Specifically, the ability to utilize the available metric in order to gauge the extent of companies’ compliance with the ISO 9001 standards was quite complicated, which suggested that the ability to transition smoothly from theoretical frameworks to practical analysis could use an improvement. Indeed, although the connection between theory and practice has been established, the struggle to align the main theoretical premises with the observed reality suggests that the specified skill needs to be trained further.

In addition, the problem of time management became an evident concern when focusing on achieving the main milestone of the dissertation. Despite the creation of a clear and elaborate strategy for implementing the main objectives, I struggled to stay on schedule due to the vast amount of information that had to be processed. Therefore, the described experience suggests that a more coherent framework for managing time along with a more accurate delineation of essential objectives and the criteria for their completion are needed (Aeon & Aguinis, 2017). Thus, training the specified skills should be seen as an important academic priority.

Development Plan

The necessity to transition from theory to management of practical concerns is one of the marks of an expert, which is why developing the described ability should be regarded as the top priority for me currently. For this reason, a closer analysis of the connection between the premises of specific economic and financial theories and the management of key risks observed in the target market setting will have to be included in the list of goals. Moreover, a better management of the project goals and planning, in general, should be viewed as a vital step in my professional growth (Nagorny-Koring & Nochta, 2018). As the experience with the project in question has shown, ensuring that every task is completed in a timely manner is instrumental to the implementation of further steps.

Finally, it will be instrumental for me to gain greater agency in building skills and learning new information. Due to the increasing role of flexibility and adaptability in the contemporary business and academic context, one has to learn quickly and apply newly developed skills and innovative tools to solve multifaceted problems, which is why active learning is vital. Therefore, I will have to understand how to integrate multiple sources of information in order to build a profoundly developed skillset.

Resources

In order to develop the skills outlined above, one will require quite a number of respective resources. Namely, the development of the ability to perform financial analysis and develop forecasts based on the available range of information will demand the presence of the necessary software. Moreover, due to the need to embrace an immensely large amount of factors, one will need the information resources that will supply the specified data to provide the needed context. Thus, the key risks and opportunities will be identified precisely, and the chance to comply with the set ISO 9001 standards will be delineated accurately. Similarly to the equipment mentioned above, the specified type of tools will need to be purchased and integrated into the evaluation and forecasting accordingly.

Needless to say, the skills for operating the equipment described above are also instrumental in conducting a thorough assessment of the financial risks and the related concerns. Therefore, manuals and other types of resources providing the necessary knowledge will be required. Likewise, the integration of the resources needed for more impressive time management will entail learning to use digital software for projects and planning. Specifically, online calendars, frameworks for building work and resource breakdown structures, and similar tools will be needed to address the issues observed in the course of writing the dissertation (Gomes & Romão, 2016). In general, the development of digital skills for managing is deemed as the essential step in the improvement of the current range of competencies and skills.

Furthermore, writing this dissertation has demonstrated the rapid development of every aspect of business and economy, including both theory and industry. Therefore, the project has shown me the significance of continuous education and the focus on self-directed learning as the main premise for effective performance and professional growth. The ability to define one’s weak spots and locate learning opportunities independently has gained increasingly high value in the current business setting since it helps one to build one’s competitive advantage in the selected market (Nagorny-Koring & Nochta, 2018). As a result, the role of the skills needed for establishing SMART goals for professional development and completing them respectively has been amplified in the modern economic context. For this reason, the development of skills needed for an accurate analysis of the chosen market and the identification of the gaps that one may fill by introducing a corresponding product should be regarded as paramount to the successful career development.

Therefore, the personal development plan currently consists of five primary steps. First and most important, the identification of key development criteria, including the areas of financial analysis and the software skills needed for productive analysis will have to be identified. Simultaneously, essential goals, including the acquisition of the said skills and the ability to apply them to solve specific business situations, will be charted. Afterward, the main resources providing vital information will be located (Rubens et al., 2018). These may involve the available courses for increasing the range of business-related competencies, as well as the vast array of academic resources, including multiple scholarly journals and the related sources on the subject matter. Moreover, consulting the reports issued by trustworthy organizations concerning changes in the contemporary global business setting and the trends in marketing, the current financial environment, and the risks that organizations may face will be instrumental to my development as an expert.

Overall, completing the dissertation has helped me to understand the extent of my skills and their limitations, as well as chart the plan for the future professional and academic growth. Namely, the necessity to frame the analysis of the existing risk factors and opportunities in the context of the target economic and financial setting has become an important discovery that will guide me further in my academic and professional endeavors. Writing this dissertation was an incredibly challenging and often overwhelming experience, yet, by planning it carefully and applying a combination of creativity and analytical skills, it became possible. This experience has shown that there are multiple areas on which I will have to improve in the future, while also demonstrating my strengths and the areas that currently constitute my main advantage (Rubens et al., 2018). Furthermore, writing this dissertation has caused me to gain impressive confidence and an array of positive emotions, developing self-sufficiency as a researcher and an expert in business and economy.

Delineating the further areas of exploration, namely, delving into the financial analysis and a study of the management of economic risks should be seen as the foundational advantages of this experience. Due to the focus on the analytical nature of the research, the experience of writing the dissertation has served as a vital step in improving my assessment skills and the overall ability to analyze the key issues related to a specific problem. Thus, I will be able to develop as a learner and an expert.

References

Aeon, B., & Aguinis, H. (2017). It’s about time: New perspectives and insights on time management.Academy of Management Perspectives, 31(4), 309-330. Web.

Gomes, J., & Romão, M. (2016). Improving project success: A case study using benefits and project management.Procedia Computer Science, 100, 489-497. Web.

Mazzotti, V. L., Rowe, D. A., Simonsen, M., Boaz, B., & VanAvery, C. (2018). Steps for implementing a state-level professional development plan for secondary transition.Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 41(1), 56-62. Web.

Nagorny-Koring, N. C., & Nochta, T. (2018). Managing urban transitions in theory and practice-The case of the Pioneer Cities and Transition Cities projects.Journal of Cleaner Production, 175, 60-69. Web.

Rubens, A., Schoenfeld, G. A., Schaffer, B. S., & Leah, J. S. (2018). Self-awareness and leadership: Developing an individual strategic professional development plan in an MBA leadership course.The International Journal of Management Education, 16(1), 1-13. Web.

Introduction

The personal development of each person is based on several significant phases that play an essential role in personality formation. For instance, when babies are born, they are unable to use the skills of social reasoning, as these skills develop later. In turn, this period can be characterized by the intention to focus the vision, explore, and learn about surrounding things. At the same time, preschooling is the period when a person starts to develop crucial physical, emotional, and language skills. It is important to take appropriate measures to help the child adapt to the environment and transition into the phase of early childhood successfully. To achieve this goal, healthcare providers recommend using developmental milestones that can be used to determine whether the child develops accurately. In general, the preschool child is required to have gross motor skills, fine motor skills, early mathematical understanding, and problem-solving.

A Brief Overview of Child Developmental Characteristics

As children grow into the phase of preschooling, numerous parents do not have an appropriate understanding of what their children should know and understand. First, it is significant to note that each child develops uniquely, which is why there is no need to compare all children with one another. However, psychologists and medical workers treat children of this age group according to specific milestones that have been developed several decades ago. In general, the person transitioning into the phase of preschooling becomes more independent and begins to focus more on adults and children outside of the family. This way of perceiving the world helps children get acquainted with the environment and develop appropriate physical, emotional, and language skills. Simultaneously, this stage of development is considered one of the most difficult periods for both parents and children.

Parents frequently fail to help the preschooler adapt to the world in the appropriate manner. Therefore, the majority of highly qualified specialists recommend parents follow basic recommendations. For instance, it is usually recommended to continue to read to the child, as this process is beneficial for developing early literacy skills, sparking the child’s imagination, and developing the ability to focus (Weinert et al., 2016). Moreover, it is essential to encourage the child to play with other children, as it helps children of this age group learn the value of sharing and friendship. Also, numerous psychologists highlight that it is vital to speak to the child in complete sentences and use “grown-up” words. As a result, the child is expected to use correct words and phrases at an early age, which is essential for overall brain development.

Even though 3-5 years is a tremendously young age when children are unable to take responsibility for personal actions, it is frequently recommended to give the child a limited number of simple choices. These choices may be related to the clothes to wear, when to play, and what to eat for breakfast. In this way, preschoolers will be adapted to the world and other social creatures better. Nevertheless, child safety should always come first, which is why high-quality personality development is strongly associated with these measures. For example, it is extremely important to tell the child why it is essential to avoid traffic, as well as be safe in the water. If the preschooler has a high level of understanding of safety measures that should be taken, their overall quality of life will be significantly increased.

In terms of the general preschool-aged children’s style of thinking and learning, it can be described as tremendously chaotic. They usually live according to the rule that says “what you see is what you get” (Weinert et al., 2016). Therefore, they heavily rely on the literal appearance of things that surround them. Hence, it is the responsibility of parents to teach the child that the world should not be perceived only from the perspective of its appearance. In general, adults play an essential role in the process of helping their children explore environments. Accordingly, to make the development of preschoolers easier and offer them the opportunity to improve language skills, it is recommended to include them in conversations. In case parents follow the main recommendations provided by psychologists and healthcare workers in terms of preschoolers’ development, children are expected to adapt to the world in the appropriate manner.

A Brief Overview of the Developmental Milestones

To determine whether the child develops accurately, it is crucial to take into consideration a combination of several developmental milestones. In case the current level of a child’s development significantly differs from the norms, it is crucial to make an appointment with a doctor. In terms of language, preschoolers are required to have a deep understanding of the concepts of “same” and “different,” and speak in sentences of five to six words clearly so the stranger can understand the message (Scharf et al., 2016). This goal can be achieved if parents regularly talk with the child, enjoy music together, and watch educational TV shows. When it comes to the emotional/social development of preschoolers, the child should use words to describe complex feelings and take appropriate measures to avoid getting in trouble. In addition, the preschooler should develop a strong feeling of empathy towards others.

Furthermore, all preschoolers, regardless of their gender, should have a high level of awareness of moral reasoning and develop friendships. In case the child is not interested in playing with other children by the age of five, parents should contact a child psychologist. Moreover, preschoolers are expected to demonstrate a brief understanding of right and wrong. In turn, if children of this age group have extreme fears that interfere with daily activities, it is essential to contact a child psychologist as well (Scharf et al., 2016). In other words, the emotional development of preschoolers should be based on the principles of empathy, social activity, and moral reasoning.

Review of the Empirical Research Study Regarding Language

The development of speech and language skills can be considered an integral part of any preschooler’s development. In fact, by the age of five, children are expected to be able to develop the ability to listen, reflect, and express their views. Also, children of this age group should be interested in written language and different shades of meaning in concepts. However, numerous children are unable to achieve these goals before school. As a result, poor communications, as well as speech and language disorders, are likely to affect the lives of both children and parents. Taking into account that the strategies of reading aloud and storytelling have been rumored to affect preschoolers’ language skills positively, they were tested in numerous research studies. The research study conducted by Brodin and Renblad (2019) aims to identify whether these strategies could be used to enhance children’s communication development.

To receive accurate findings, researchers of this study used the interactionistic approach. This method is based on the idea to analyze specific features of the process of interaction between preschoolers in a natural setting. When it comes to the target group, a total of 573 preschoolers were included in the study (Brodin & Renblad, 2019). In turn, information was collected with the help of a web-based questionnaire. As a result, analysis of questionnaire responses demonstrates that reading aloud and storytelling can be used as a tremendously effective pedagogical tool to improve language skills. However, these strategies should be used in combination with other tools to enhance children’s communication development.

Review of the Empirical Research Study Regarding Emotional Development

The development of children’s social and emotional competencies has always had a significant impact on the quality of life in adulthood. Therefore, a variety of different interventions were implemented with the purpose to support kindergarten children’s social and emotional development regularly. For instance, teachers are assumed to have a vast influence on the overall personal development of preschoolers. Thus, one of the latest research studies examined the relationships between educators and the level of emotional development among children under school age (Kirk & Jay, 2018). This goal was achieved with the help of the case study format. Simultaneously, qualitative methodology was selected as the main method of collecting and analyzing non-numerical data. Researchers mainly relied on participant observations, as well as informal and semistructured interviews.

The process of emotional and social development of preschoolers was analyzed from the perspectives of environment, play, and relationships. Findings demonstrate that teachers should develop synergy between these elements. Additionally, researchers of this study highlight that educators should regularly circulate the room to offer preschoolers the opportunity to communicate with each other without the help of older individuals. At the same time, teachers would be able to evaluate the effectiveness of children’s social and emotional development. Furthermore, teachers are advised to participate in child-guided activities, give effective praise, model appropriate behaviors, and provide cues (Kirk & Jay, 2018). In case the teacher notices that a certain preschooler experiences issues communicating with peers, it is essential to support this child by arranging playdates. Once this child demonstrates improvement in social and emotional development, it is advised to give positive feedback.

Conclusion

The personal development of preschoolers frequently determines the quality of life in the future, which is why it is tremendously important to take appropriate measures to enhance this process. In terms of language, children of this age group are required to be able to develop the ability to listen, reflect, and express their views in sentences of five to six words. Moreover, the child should be interested in written language as well. When it comes to emotional and social development, children are expected to make new friendships, develop a feeling of empathy, and develop a positive self-image. In turn, it is difficult to achieve this goal without additional help from the perspective of parents and teachers. Therefore, analysis of evidence-based research studies demonstrates that it is crucial to talk with the child on the regular basis, enjoy music together, as well as watch educational TV shows and play educational games.

References

Brodin, J., & Renblad, K. (2019). Improvement of preschool children’s speech and language skills.Early Child Development and Care, 190(14), 2205-2213. Web.

Kirk, G., & Jay, J. (2018). Supporting kindergarten children’s social and emotional development: Examining the synergetic role of environments, play, and relationships.Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 32(4), 472-485. Web.

Scharf, R., Scharf, G., & Stroustrup, A. (2016). Developmental milestones. Pediatrics in Review, 37(1), 25-38. Web.

Weinert, S., Linberg, A., Attig, M., Freund, J., & Linberg, T. (2016). Analyzing early child development, influential conditions, and future impacts: Prospects of a German newborn cohort study.International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 10(1), 1-15. Web.

Introduction

In today’s environment, hospitality students who finish pursuing education often face difficulties in finding suitable jobs due to the competition in the job market. Hospitality students are expected to meet the challenges imposed by the prospective employers in the context of their education being relevant to the industry. Most of the academic programs in the hospitality sector are designed to teach students the techniques and skills that will keep them in high stead while performing their hospitality jobs. The main aim of these programs is to enable students to be able to manage the fast-changing expectations of such jobs in the highly competitive hospitality sector, which entails the management of employer demands and fast-changing consumer attitudes.

Main body

According to Johnstone (1994), there is a big gap in terms of employer expectations and formal education and training in the hospitality industry. He has stressed the need for academic institutions to address the skills, which are a necessity for such students to incorporate, and which are presently being left for employers to handle. Most employers in the hospitality sector feel that several skills in the sector should have been taught in the academic institutions at undergraduate levels and that there is an immediate need for hospitality education to incorporate such changing demands of the industry. The hospitality sector works in a very challenging environment, which requires catering to a continuous and swift change of consumer patterns. Hence hospitality education programs must be flexible in adapting within their curriculum such changes in the educational content as also in enabling the students to imbibe the required skills and knowledge to meet up to the job expectations.

Research by Goodman and Sprague (1991) has shown that those students of hospitality who have a strong base understanding and knowledge of the industry will fare much better in the long term and prove to be of advantage to employers also. The present education levels do not fully meet the expectations of the hospitality industry and if the education can be modified in a calculated manner it would surely result in bringing about solutions in terms of the content and skills matching the industry needs. The ultimate goal of the education programs in the hospitality sector should be to equip students with the abilities to meet contemporary knowledge and skill as required by a quickly changing and competitive hospitality sector. It is quite evident that the need for hospitality education arose given the requirement of competent professionals in the hospitality sector, which was driven by high industry standards. According to Nelson and Dobson (2001), the success of hospitality education programs is determined by the quality of graduates from these institutions as also their retention rate within the industry. Unfortunately, most of the hospitality programs today lack the generality of business perspectives (Pavesic 1991), and there have been several curriculum issues debated regarding hospitality literature mainly due to the field of study being new in comparison to other areas of education. Consequently, there have been constant attempts in reconstructing the curriculum in this regard to meet the needs of the industry. Reigal (1991) has researched that there are three key elements to hospitality education, which are skills, values, and substantive knowledge. According to him, substantive knowledge is the most important in enabling the practice of the profession, skills provide the student with competency to use the knowledge in practice and the value component equips the student to adapt values essential for success in this industry.

Some theorists believe that hospitality education is not up to the mark and is in danger of losing its importance just as education in other fields such as banking, insurance, and transport, which have over time been absorbed as being part of the general business programs. It is in this context that Michael Haywood (1989) has said that, “Education must adapt itself and its role to retain its effectiveness. Educators must now explore the prospects for an educational design that enable students to prepare for continuing learning and participation in the transformation of their personal lives, their careers, and their society.” According to Pavesic (1993), some hospitality education programs are faulty in being extra theoretical or are like advocating too much industry focus in the curriculum with too much technical orientation. In consequence, the industry expectation of there being a standard foundation in students is not fulfilled.

An academic requirement of hospitality students is the inclusion of a course in principles of management whereby students will be required to create a real-life plan for business and to implement it along with lab studies which will require them to do research, planning, and implementation of business plans to give students a real-world experience regarding the expectations from them. The stress needs to be more on experiential learning which will give students the real-world environment and the opportunity to put their skills to test, as also to learn from their mistakes and feel good about their achievements in this regard (Crockett 2002). Breiter and Clements (1998) concluded in a study that there are three basic skills required by recruiters in the hospitality industry, which pertain to skills in leadership, employee relations, and managerial communication. In this context, it is clear that more than academic pursuits, the hospitality student needs to imbibe expertise in these three areas so that he can prove himself as effective hospitality professional. The curriculum in hospitality institutions must encourage the development of such traits by using a combination of relevant techniques. Educators must keep the expectation of the hospitality industry in mind so that students become innovators of the future in enabling the provision of the demands of the industry. Essentially excellent conceptual and human skills are the key components required to be made as an integral part of the education process.

The hospitality industry seeks talent that is skilled in enabling the productive activities entailed in the different elements of the tourism and hospitality sector and there is a strong need to change the present content of hospitality education so that new entrants can keep pace with the industry trends. Hence there has to be more emphasis on education to keep pace with the changing requirements. There is presently a big difference between what the hospitality education system offers and the expectations of the hospitality industry. Employers have indicated that most of the skills required of a hospitality professional are learned at the workplace and the formal education at best gives theoretical insight about hospitality and its percentage of the total learning process is very less, and despite this fact hospitality education institutions are still giving more emphasis on carrying this process to higher levels. Hence the pattern is now emerging that the hospitality sector is assuming higher responsibility in educating employees by offering a curriculum agenda in keeping with the demands of the industry. The vital aspects of a hospitality job cannot be fully integrated with the student by academic studies alone, hence the change in industry patterns of involving the workplace as a learning ground for students. Most of the hospitality requirements that can be mastered at the workplace are employee relations, problem resolution, leadership, employee training, internship, food and beverage management, operational controls, guest services, and managerial communications. Indeed, all these skills are much better learned on the job than as an academic area of study. Academic studies in hospitality pertain to different levels of research activities, the law relating to hospitality, tourism promotion, strategic and development planning. The academic curriculum has to be amended to accommodate the use of laptops to enhance the ability of the student to use technologies and educational deliveries of the concepts of the industry from the technological viewpoints.

Conclusion

There are limitations in corporate budgets and so is the case with educational institutions that are facing financial pressures and budget constraints in fulfilling the flow of extra demands on their curriculum. Hence there is a need for educational institutions in hospitality to review, refine and focus on the specific use of the present systems as also on each course, which is being offered in the context of educational settings and expectations. Especially in the hospitality sector, there is a strong need for the industry and educational institutions to partner in providing competent professionals to meet the rising demand for them in the competitive environment. This is all the more necessary now given cuts in budgetary expansions while the demand keeps growing for qualified and competent staff.

References

Breiter, Deborah, Clements, Christine J., (1996). Hospitality curricula for the 21st century. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 8. N(1).

Crockett, Lori L. (2002). Real-World Training to Meet a Growing Demand Techniques, vol 77, Issue 4.

Goodman, R. J., & Sprague, L. G.(1991). The future of hospitality education; meeting the industry’s needs. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly.

Johnstone, D. (1994). College at work: partnerships and rebuilding of American competence. Journal of Higher Education.

Nelson, A.A. & Dopson, L.R. (2001). Future of hotel education: required skills and knowledge for graduates of U.S. hospitality programs beyond the year 2000 Part I. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education Pavesic.

D. V. (1991). Another view of the future of hospitality education, The Cornell H.R.A. Quarterly, 8-9.

Pavesic, D. V. (1993). Hospitality education 2005: curricular and programmatic trends. Hospitality Research Journal.

Reigel, C. D. An introduction to career opportunities in hospitality and tourism. A guide to College Programs in Hospitality and Tourism, 1991- 1992. Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education.

Introduction

There is a strong belief among cultural anthropologists that personality is developed when a person gets assimilated with certain cultural practices within his/her society. As a person grows from an infant to an adult, he or she learns formal and informal elements of his/her culture. Consequently, such a person is shaped gradually to conform to the culture in question, both in personality and identity. This is the reason why people with different cultural backgrounds tend to exhibit varying personal identities. In most of the cases, a change in the cultural context results in changing the personality of a person (Miller, 2007). This not only affects this person’s identity, but his/her well-being over the life cycle as well. This paper illustrates how cultural beliefs and traditions that Chinese and Japanese people observe through their lifecycles (infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and senior years) shape these people’s personalities and identities.

The Infancy Stage

The treatment of a child at the infancy stage largely affects the formation of this child’s identity. This is why cultural traditions connected with this period of child’s development often have an influence on what the child grows up to be. An interesting feature of the Chinese society is gender discrimination present already at this stage. The Chinese do not significantly value the baby girls for the latter are regarded as a liability to the family. In the past, there were cases when the girls were sold to work as servants in China. Poor socialization among the girl child at the infant age led to the society not being conscious of its needs. This eventually leads to girls developing low personal esteem (Knapp, 2006).

What else should be mentioned is that sleeping traditions are also important for the development of the child’s personality. Miller (2007) asserts that “where and with whom the infant sleeps may also be related to the development of connected or autonomous personalities” (p. 152). Strong ego is formatted when the mother does not co-sleep with her child, whereas little sense of interpersonal connectedness (weak ego) is observed in those children who co-sleep with their parents for long.

As far as the Chinese infants are concerned, there are no special beliefs as for co-sleeping with a child. However, the studies show that more than a half of Chinese women sleep with their infants in the marital bed considering them too little to sleep alone (McKenna, 2002). While Chinese mothers are uncertain as for the necessity of co-sleeping with the child, the Japanese ones “co-sleep for several years longer, on average, than other world cultures” (Miller, 2007, p. 152). A high degree of social connectedness of the Japanese serves as a bright example of how co-sleeping affects the ego formation and interpersonal connectedness.

The Childhood Stage

The childhood experiences are no less important for the formation of a person’s identity. Here, the mother and her treatment of a child play the major role. In China, for instance, mothers spend most of time with their children. They educate and discipline them; at this, however, they do not conceal from children that rearing them is hard. This all results in the mother of the Chinese man becoming “the emotional center of his life” (Knapp. 2006, p. 165).

In Japan, however, the children adopt the role of a “helper” from their childhood. They often share household jobs with their mothers, which makes them learn to be responsible and concerned for the others. According to Miller (2007), such childhood experiences lead to the development of nurturant-responsible personality, which means that Japanese children are caring.

Adolescence

Adolescence is also an important stage in the identity formation. Owing to certain cultural peculiarities, Chinese people have submissive personalities. They have a great respect for those who are older, as well as for the traditions of their nation. The Chinese adolescents grow up on the folktales “about dragons, love, magic, the supernatural, history, and legend” (Howard & Walsh, 2001, p. 328). Of these, the romantic stories often prepare the adolescents for what expects them in the future, namely the suppression of individual choice in case with their marriage. Most of the Chinese marriages are prearranged and this is hardly ever disputed in the families. Chinese adolescents agree to the parents’ choice of their future spouse. The same goes for the most of other choices, such as those of future profession, education, and sometimes even friends. This submission to their parents makes most of the Chinese adolescents agreeable, quite often not only with their parents. Thus, Chinese traditions develop an important personality trait in the adolescents, namely, agreeableness.

In case with the Japanese, the stage of adolescence is characterized by vivid gender distinction. This is when the boys get prepared for their role as a head of the family and become industrious. Such a separation of roles (working for men and being a housewife for women) fosters submissiveness in Japanese females, as well as conscientiousness in males. The adolescence stage at which decisions regarding marriages (usually prearranged) are made is crucial for the formation of Japanese people’s identity.

Adulthood, Middle Age, and Senior Years

The development of a person’s identity at these stages largely depends on how properly he/she was developed at the previous ones. Chinese and Japanese cultures are similar in their traditions in the adulthood (starting from entering the marriage), middle age, and senior years. Both the cultures value family relations in which the father is the head. The women adopt the role of the caregivers, while the men ensure financial welfare of the family. The Chinese, as well as the Japanese, families can be characterized by harmony, which accounts for the lack of neuroticism in most of the family members. In harmonic families, the parents rarely argue and the children are less exposed to stress. Consequently, Chinese people are less neurotic, and they rarely experience anger, depressed mood, or anxiety. Finally, in both China and Japan, people in their late middle age and senior years are highly revered and respected. This frees the elderly Chinese and Japanese people from seeking for new ways to gain personal satisfaction and self-esteem (Miller, 2007).

Conclusion

Therefore, it has been shown that cultural beliefs and traditions have a great affect on personality formation and development. For instance, gender discrimination at the infancy stage in China leads to the females’ gaining low self-esteem, while the mothers’ co-sleeping with their infants results in Japanese people’s high degree of social connectedness. Additionally, Chinese traditional folktales make adolescents who grow up on them agreeable, whereas the separation of roles in the Japanese families breeds conscientiousness in males and submissiveness in the females. Lastly, in case with both the cultures, faithfulness to the traditions and respect for the elderly people accounts for the latter’s sufficient level of personal satisfaction and self-esteem.

Reference

Howard, G. & Walsh, B. (2001). An Introduction to Chinese Culture through the Family. New York: State University of New York Press.

Knapp, K. (2006). A Tender Voyage: Children and Childhood in Late Imperial China. The Journal of Asian Studies, 65(1), 165-166. Web.

McKenna, J. (2002). Breastfeeding & Bedsharing Still Useful (and Important) after All These Years. Mothering 114, 4-9.

Miller, B. D. (2007). Cultural anthropology (Custom 4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.