Question

Your 20 year-old son is still living at home. He has a job at a local fast-food restaurant and makes enough money to pay for his car and to provide his own spending money. He does not contribute to household expenses or buy his own clothing. He was a B student in high school and does not want to work in the restaurant as a career, but he is not sure what he wants to do. He spends most of his free time with his friends from high school. Although you do not object to your son living with you and he is helpful around the house, you are concerned that he is delaying making some important choices.

Describe issues that might be relevant in this case scenario, such as the son’s levels of cognitive and moral development (Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg), issues relevant to choosing a career or job (Marcia), and ways that as parents one can foster the development of autonomy and independence in children. You need to explain your answer in relation to the theories described in the readings. In your own opinion, do you think this young man is in a good position as he enters adulthood? Why or why not?

Answer 1

issues that might be relevant in this case scenario, such as the son’s levels of cognitive and moral development (Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg),

With development of the cognitive processes, there is proper development of the decision making process. This is the process in which the adult would be able to identify the objectives that are to be achieved and would recognise the different ways of achieving those objectives. According to Piaget’s theory, formal operational development stage where the adolescents would begin to develop the process of abstract thinking. His condition can be explained by the 6th stage of psychosocial crisis where the crisis of intimacy vs isolation surround the person. In this case, there is no love life observed , but the fear of isolation prevents the child to leave the house and this fear of isolation has not allowed him to take independent decisions. He is not confident enough that a decision that he could make would benefit him, and thus, he is still in the case where he is not able to decide his career.

issues relevant to choosing a career or job (Marcia),

Marcia explains identity development by the identity status theory. This was an extended of Erikson’s model, where, he has not yet encountered an identity crisis. He is in the stage of identity foreclosure, though it pertains to adolescents, but he has set goals. This would progress to the next stage if he would encounter an identity crisis. There does not exist a vocational direction that has been assigned to a group. His identity is not completely developed, as he is not aware of his strengths or weaknesses, which he tries to search among his friends and he doesn’t have commitment to one particular identity.

ways that as parents one can foster the development of autonomy and independence in children.

The parents have not taken any affirmative step. Even though they do not mind that this son has been living with them, they have not taken any steps to ask him about the goals that he would want to pursue, or neither have they asked him to forcibly contribute to the household. He does not have any added responsibility, and all what he earns is spent on himself. As the parents would enforce the fact that he has to contribute to the house apart from his own spending, he would develop the sense of responsibility that would make him more focused in his life.