Adult Development and Ageing - Essay Example

Running Head: ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGEING Adult Development and Ageing Name Institution Date Introduction Marriage is a legal or social union between a man and a woman or between any two identities who can form a kinship or share a genealogical origin through the cultures, biological and historical descent. In this institution interpersonal as well as sexual and intimate relationship are acknowledged in variuos ways (National Council on Family Relations, 2006). The study below considers human development from the age of young adult all through to old age and the economic and psychological benefits of marriage on women and men at all levels of their marriage. Economic benefits Any successful life either single or married status requires development of all life factors: social econoomical and psychologica. This is especially in the marriage institutionj because it helps the involved entities to have a good relationship with each other women in early adulthood. Economic benefits involve living a high standard of life whereby one is able to meet all the needs and desires in life especially where family is involved. The couple enjoying economic benefits are able to put up a good and smart home and meet the needs of their children; both basic and secondary (Cantor, 2006). Economic development of young, middle and aged couples The young adults are mostly leaving high school and joining college. This is the peak of their physical capability and they only focus on their bright future and the waves of patterns of their brain portray a mature pattern. Although they have few or no opportunities to develop their economic status, they highly focus on future ways of developing their future economic environment. This is why most of the students are heard making promises on what they do in future; for example, `when I finish school I will work very hard and buy myself a smart car’ (Kevane, 2004). The female young adults are eager to develop their economic status; they seem to emulate their senior women especially the prominent ladies. Their senses are always at their peak thus none of the projects which take place in the society they are not informed about. It is at this stage that the young adult realize their talents and capabilities because they are keen to try any activity which takes place around them. The students in colleges and universities want to be involved in the student leadership organizations and struggle to interact with the community leaders especially the politicians and the officers in the learning institutions. If these adults realize that their talents are not in the areas they specialize in they try other field until they settle in a position they feel they are comfortable in (Greene, 2003). The adults especially women are reluctant on the field to venture in but they are so specific on the people they befriend and interact with, they are selective on their economic stability as they await nature to determine their fate. The young females hope look forward to be married by men whose economic statuses are better than theirs that they can boost them. Thus the young adult females only wait to be provided by their counterparts although the recent studies are showing that they are working hard as their counterparts but they fully stabilize when they get married and be provided for. They start separating from their families and move towards their life dreams thus they are said to be living independent lives (Lamb, 2010). The middle aged adults are the most active in the society; they work under three domains so as to generate the best: productive, procreative and creative domain. All these domains work toward adding value to all the life factors. The productive domain enables them to integrate in their work, family life as well as caring for the next generation and the creative domain is concern about the contributions made to the society of large scale. At this stage the individuals are very active to improve their standards of living and they have no room to fail to achieve their specific and general goals and objectives. This is a period of higher fulfilments and greater financial stability than any other stage in life (Waite, & Bachrach, 2000). Both men and women seem to work very hard to care and support their young generation and older. They are already settled on their careers but only work hard to develop them to high levels. At this age the middle aged couple completely separates from the rest of the extended family members to concentrate on developing their own life and both parties work so hard to achieve the general goals that they had set, none depends on the other for material benefits but each ensures that they are bringing in something at least to cost share. At this stage women are very aggressive on their career, work and responsibilities thus most of them are seen to be performing more household chores than their counterparts as well as contributing in the economic development of the family. This is when they are said that they can be able to manage a home by their own and men cannot. At the stage there is no time on the intimacy but the individuals concentrate on their economic development (Sigelman, & Rider, 2008). The late adulthood stage is between the age of 65-85+, the age when one is expected to retire from everything including the economic activities. The children are expected to have stabilised hence can support their aging parents or the parents are supposed to have fully developed their economics during the middle adult age thus they enjoy the benefits of their hard work when they are aged. They serve as resources by giving advice to the young people especially if their economic activities are related to those of theirs. Marriage is assumed to have the greatest economic benefits for women across all life stages because they stabilise economically after they get married thus they become very productive when they have responsibilities to fulfil, For example, having children and a home to look after calls them to cost share in order to meet the needs and desires of the entire family. Most of the women get married when they are not financially stable hence are forced to depend on their counterparts for any need. Their husbands help them to discover their talents by enhancing many working opportunities like settling them in various business opportunities and offering any financial support. Women are automatically are so much into cost sharing even when they are financially stable, they assume that their husbands should be better productive than them hence contribute the lion share (Auerbach, 2007). Psychological benefits Companionship is one of the key functions of marriage, it is basically meant for mutual benefits of security and care for each other. The credible characters, morality and conduct of one marriage partner acts as the security of the other thus they all develop a sense of wholeness or stability in life. The two have a good opportunity to share their life experiences. The most successful marriages are made of individuals who understand each other by carefully analysing the packages of the character traits so as to be able to improve the negative characters or learning to live with them (Aneshensel, & Phelan, 2006). Some of the psychological benefits that married couples enjoy is reduced stress because they have companionship to share some of the life experiences especially in complex situations. The couple also develops a sense of well-being by having both physical and emotional feelings because of sharing of ideas, views and feelings. Marriage also enhances mood because of the comfort the individuals receive from each other thus none of the entity is overwhelmed by any kind of tension or anxiety. The senses of the young adults (18 to 35 years) are always at the peak and are keen to develop their all round life. They struggle hard to be perfect on any project that they strategize on. These adults especially the females seek for one or more companionship and love since they experience intimacy of the highest level. This is opposite of their counterparts because men at this stage do not seek for intimacy but are keen to establish their lives with women who can understand them and share efforts in improving their life standards. They struggle hard to be at highest social classes by owing the biggest cars and houses in the society (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2009). As these adults try to hunt for the mutually fulfilling relationships, mostly through marriage and friends they eventually starts families. This stage has however been pushed behind by changes in the lifestyles thus there are many activities which are to be undertaken as one builds the foundation of his or her life. The young people are concentrating on their studies and other economic activities like business and think of settling into marriage when they are certain that they have accomplished their set short term goals and objectives thus they start their families at their late thirties. If not successful in their mission recognisable distances and isolation from the others in the family and society may occur. The worst occurs if they are not able to settle into satisfying relationships, their world begins to shrink and to defence their feelings of feeling superior to others they develop some psychological instability as they struggle hard to prove to others that they still have the capabilities of achieving something in life (Nolan & Wardle, 2005). The middle aged adults are between the ages of 35 to 60s the age when work is most crucial. The married couple is fully settled on their careers and both concentrate on contributing to the economic development of their families and instilling some good characters to their children. It is at this stage that marriage, divorce and remarriage takes place although the two are attached by the care and concern of their children. Either of the parties is suspected to be involved in infidelity leading to divorce or separation. The middle aged men remarry the young females but their counterparts mostly settle as single parents (Ross, & Sawhill, 2005). At the late adulthood (65 to 85+) is the age of retirement when the concerns are free from all responsibilities. Those who had separated with their first wives get back to them and relax to benefit from the fruits of the hard work. The elderly women are viewed in unflattering terms and not involved in any development projects but are best left with their grandchildren to care for. Their counterparts are viewed on the opposite; they are assumed to be displaying maturity that enhances status. This is why the white hairs of the elderly men are associated with wisdom. The psychological status of these people is determined by their past especially the failures and achievements, the aged couple analysis their past experiences and are filled with the feelings of well-being or failure (Sigelman & Rider, 2008). Psychological benefits Marriage benefits on the psychology of both men and women. It enhances the moods of the individuals involved as a life achievement and a way of combining efforts hence it is easier to achieve things. The procreation as a purpose of marriage is the best part of it. Both parties are so feel satisfied when they see their happy and health children and feel complete when they have someone by their side to always share their joy and happiness (Hull, 2006). Both parties develop a sense of well-being because of finding companionship with each other. The security is improved by the trust they have for each other that they can share everything including the most confidential. Any good and successful marriage institution is made by entities who do not have secrets but share all the views such that they are able to fully understand each other at when they are young adults and easily discover their talents during the development stages of middle adulthood. The couple is reduced from stress because they are able to share all the life experiences. Most of the reports of the studies based on psychological development of middle aged adults shows that middle aged couples are likely to achieve a sense of generativity than the young adults but generally the adults who have achieved some sense of identity and intimacy by having well established families are likely to achieve generativity than the ordinary ones. The elderly adults confronts the psychological issues of despair and integrity as they struggle to find identify the meaning in their lives which will sustain their strength as they set their minds to face the inevitability of death (Hawkins, & Coolidge, 2002). Conclusion According to the above study, marriage has greater economic and psychological benefits for women than men all through the stages of life. Most of the women settle into marriage before they economically stabilise thus they fulfil their dreams with the combined efforts of their counterparts. They work very hard when they get families to care for thus they can cost share with their husbands. During their middle aged stage, their feelings of intimacy ends and concentrate on developing their living standards. Marriage also contributes to psychological development of the individuals. The two parties develop their reasoning and are able to handle all life experiences in a mature way. It is expected that both should take time to learn the strengths and weakness of each other and first concentrate on improving the negative characteristics of each other. All the women feel unstable with good companionship, relationship and love thus their feelings of intimacy are so strong when they are young and reduces as they grow old. References Kevane, M. (2004). Women and development in Africa: how gender works. Guatemala: Lynne Rienner Publishers. Cantor, D. (2006). Same-sex marriage: the legal and psychological evolution in America. Cabanatuan: Wesleyan University Press. National Council on Family Relations, (2006). Journal of marriage and family. California: Council on Family Relations. Lamb, M. (2010). The Role of the Father in Child Development. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Sigelman, C. & Rider, E. (2008). Life-Span Human Development. New York: Cengage Learning. Waite, L. & Bachrach, C. (2000). The ties that bind: perspectives on marriage and Cohabitation. Vatican: Transaction Publishers. Aneshensel, C. & Phelan, J. (2006). Handbook of the sociology of mental health. New York: Springer. Hull, K. (2006). Same-sex marriage: the cultural politics of love and law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ross, H. & Sawhill, H. (2005). Time of transition: the growth of families headed by women. Los Angeles: The Urban Insitute. Nolan, L. & Wardle, L. (2005). Fundamental principles of family law. New York: Wm. S. Hein Publishing. Auerbach, A. (2007). Fiscal policy: lessons from economic research. New York: MIT Press. Hawkins, A. & Coolidge, D. (2002). Revitalizing the institution of marriage for the twenty- first century: an agenda for strengthening marriage. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. Greene, S. (2003). The psychological development of girls and women: rethinking change in time. New York: Routledge. Sigelman, C. & Rider, E. (2008). Life-Span Human Development. New York: Cengage Learning, Zastrow, C. & Kirst-Ashman, K. (2009). Understanding Human Behaviour and the Social Environment. New York: Cengage Learning Read More