Unit 8 Assignment

u08a1: Psychosocial Development Case Study Analysis
COUN5004 Survey of Research in Human Development for Professional Counselors
Dr. Brenda Harms
Abstract
Here you are to summarize the contents of this paper. This summary should be one short paragraph that includes the purpose of this assignment, the name of the movie you selected, and the list of this assignment 's components in narrative (not list) form.
Introduction
In the film Little Miss Sunshine many characters have difficulty finding their true identity. Olive, a 7 year old girl wants to win the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant and is unsure of her true identity because of this. Richard, her father, is an unsuccessful motivational speaker and businessman and this effects his perception of himself. Another character, Dwayne, loses his sense of identity when he realises he is colour blind. The uncle in the film, Frank has been suicidal due to losing his love and is not happy anymore. Character #1 – Identified Life Stage
Olive is the youngest of the Hoover family, her aspiration to become Little Miss Sunshine’s beauty pageant winner takes her family on the journey. Olives faces many challenges on her way to compete in the pageant contest. Some of these challenges include the hassle her father gives her, and example of this is when the family stop at a diner to eat some food, and her father questions her choice on whether she should order the ice cream or not, as he explains to her that beauty queens won’t subjectify their bodies to the calories that ice cream contains. This makes Olive doubt her appearance and causes her insecurities. Olive also opens her eyes to the other girls that are entering the same pageant as her and she notices that these girls are what society calls ‘beautiful’, with their perfect hair and trim bodies. This again causes Olive insecurities and challenges her identity crisis in finding her true identity and where she feels she belongs in the world.
Kohlberg suggested that moral development is a constant process that happens throughout the lifespan .Kohlberg, proposed that the development of moral reasoning is characterized by a sequence of six stages grouped into three general levels of morality: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional (Newman & Newman, 2015). According to the reading Olive is in the preconventional stage of moral development. In the preconventinal stage people make decisions based on what is best for themselves, without regard for others ' needs or feelings. They obey rules only if established by more powerful individuals; they may disobey if they aren 't likely to get caught. "Wrong" behaviors are those that will be punished (McDevitt T. & Ormrod J., 2010). Children in this age group learn the skills that are specific to their own cultures. As they become more advanced in their abilities, they begin to see their own contribution within the community. Cognitive development becomes much more sophisticated. During the elementary school years, children become more skilled at processing information, and their thinking becomes more rational and logical. Piaget identifies this stage as the period of concrete operations where children are able to solve conservation problems for the first time (Newman & Newman, 2015).
Moral development also comes into focus during this time. Different theories and theorists provide unique views on how children 's moral development becomes internalized. Learning theories focus on the conditions that support behaviors or actions that are considered moral. Moral behavior is viewed as a response to the reinforcement and consequences of specific behavior. Cognitive developmental theory, on the other hand, focuses on moral reasoning (Newman & Newman, 2015).
Sonia is going through the psychosocial crisis industry versus inferiority. Industry versus inferiority is the fourth stage of Erik Erickson 's theory of psychsocial development. The stage occurs during childhood between the ages of six and eleven. During this stage of development, peer and adult social interactions greatly determine whether the child’s sense of self will develop in an industry or inferiority direction. According to Erikson’s theory, this is because a child’s overall sense of self is based on whether peer and adult social interactions positively or negatively affect specific aspects of individual development (Lancaster, 2012). Children such as Sonia who don 't develop a sense of industry will yield to inferiority and will struggle with tasks because they feel as if they can 't succeed. Receiving little encouragement from teachers and parents can lead to Sonia’s inability to develop social skills.

Character #2 – Identified Life Stage
Richard, the father in this film is almost obsessed with the idea of winning and being successful. He too takes his family on a journey as he tries to reach his goal of becoming a successful motivational speaker. He treats people poorly due to his competitive nature and desire to be number one. He gives Frank, his brother-in-law, a hard time due to the fact he himself is quite unmotivated in his own life at the current time. “There are two kinds of people in this world, there’s . This is evident in the movie, with almost every member outgrowing a given form of behavior. Richard, Olive’s father, is first presented as a man propelled by his need to succeed as a motivational speaker and thereby according priority to this over his family. In fact, Richard has developed a self-help program and the first step to the program is that people should avoid being losers. As the trip ends and he spends more time with his family, Richard changes his perspective and develops a new attitude towards the priorities.
For the first character you have selected, identify the character and his or her role in the family unit. Identify the life stage this character is in, and provide a discussion about the psychological crisis the character is experiencing. Your psychological crisis discussion should be a minimum of 3–4 sentences and should include at least one citation from your textbook or other readings in this course.
Character #3 – Identified Life Stage
Olive’s brother, who had vowed not to speak, has some visible changes as well. This occurs after he learns that he cannot attain his dream of being a pilot since he is colorblind. Then we meet Dwayne (Paul Dano). He is Olive 's silent older bother and is the antithesis of teen angst. Dwayne is intent on getting away from his family via the Air Force on his quest to fly jets.
For the first character you have selected, identify the character and his or her role in the family unit. Identify the life stage this character is in, and provide a discussion about the psychological crisis the character is experiencing. Your psychological crisis discussion should be a minimum of 3–4 sentences and should include at least one citation from your textbook or other readings in this course.
In this paragraph, apply psychosocial developmental theory to this character in the life stage identified. Provide your ideas for the developmental tasks this character is experiencing during this life stage, using your own chosen counseling specialization as a foundation for this discussion. This discussion should be a minimum of 4–6 sentences and should include at least one citation from your textbook or other readings in this course. Next provide a discussion of this character 's life as depicted in this movie and factors that might affect behaviors, including cultural and other influences related to the life stage identified. This discussion should be a minimum of 4–6 sentences and should include at least one citation from your textbook or other readings in this course. Lastly, provide a discussion of the interrelationships that exist between work, family, and other life roles for this character at this life stage. Also, include a brief discussion of how cultural influences impact this character 's career development and vocational choices(s) at this point in his or her life; for a child character, address this discussion based upon the character 's future career or vocational potential. This discussion should be a minimum of 4–6 sentences and should include at least one citation from your textbook or other readings in this course.
Functioning as a Family Unit
At the start of the movie Little Miss Sunshine, it is clear that the Hoover family is unhappy and dysfunctional: with the drug addicted Grandpa, the dad who is blind to the real ‘successes’ in life and categorises everything and everyone into winners and losers, the nicotine addicted mum who is struggling to keep the family happy, the homosexual, suicidal and depressed uncle Frank, the teenage brother, Dwayne, who has taken a vow of silence until he reaches his goal of becoming a pilot and the main character, Olive who spends her time watching beauty pageant videos and dreams of becoming a beauty queen herself. Each of the members in the Hoover family represent some of the common issues seen in the society today… these include, bankruptcy, teenage problems, LGBT rights, drug use, depression and suicide. The family members started off by having very different unattainable goals in their personal life. Richard 's goal is to become successful by selling his "9 steps to winning plan" and work his way out of bankruptcy. As the movie goes forward, each of the family members realise that their goals are unable to be achieved. This was the case for Dwayne and Richard, as Dwayne realised he was colour blind and Richard got to know that Stan Grossman will not sell his program. Only Sheryl 's goal, of keeping the family happy, had a possibility of being achieved. Sheryl and Richard, Olive’s parents, fail to have establish a good relationship with their children and their role as parents is not completely fulfilled. The family did not give importance to Olive 's desires of becoming the "little Miss Sunshine" as they didn 't even make an effort to see her routine, which she spent most of her time practising for. If we were to think like Richard Hoover, we could say that they all start off by being losers. The Volkswagen minibus, symbolises the family structure. Although it is very old and is not ideal for travelling, the minibus still manages to get the family to California.. The family encounters various challenges during the trip such as dealing with a broken down van. Many families experience most of these challenges. They are faced with financial constraints and they have to sacrifice luxuries and comfort just like in the movie. Due to varying needs and preferences, conflicts and emotional instabilities are quite common. Families also experience tragedies necessitating effectual handling practices as noted in the film. Support within family members may mean executing extreme measures in a bid to fulfill the dreams of loved ones. Substance abuse is another issue that families, especially those with young members have to handle (Aldiabat and Navenec 1063). Movies often depict happy-endings where the protagonist becomes the hero. Little Miss Sunshine is different as it shows that a person can win through failure. The Hoover family learnt the importance of each member in terms of synergy depicted in the scene where they join Olive on stage. The rest of the family members knew that Olive would not win and they were probably humiliating themselves, but they found happiness through the challenges they had overcome as well as being supportive to each other. Therefore, families face challenges as those depicted in the film by the Hoover family in the movie and collective support and decision-making act as helpful factors. The themes of marriage and family are prevalent in the film and thereby influence people in different ways. The prevailing idea is that families are not perfect and regardless of what one does, he or she cannot entirely control what other members prefer. The Hoover family faces many diverse challenges, and in a way, some of their roles seem to be reversed. For instance, most individuals do not expect the elderly (grandfather) to abuse drugs (heroin) or use offensive words but teenagers fit the profile perfectly. The film encourages acceptance between the members. Although the family knows that Olive has no chance of winning the contest, they offer their support to the end. The family members do not discourage Olive in any way thus boosting her self-esteem to face the crowd and perform her dance at the contest. The movie is a clear illustration that marriages do not have to be perfect. Spouses should support each other and be there for each other despite the circumstances. Olive’s mother does not share her husband’s idea of being a motivational speaker. However, she does not discourage him from the aspiration. On the contrary, she supports him, as a wife should.
Wellness and Resilience
The key philosophies of the counseling profession include wellness and resilience. Wellness has been defined as "the process and state of a quest for maximum human functioning that involves the body, mind, and spirit" (Archer, Probert, & Gage, 1987, p. 311). The wellness philosophy in counseling refers to capitalizing on human potential through positive life-style choices. The wellness model contains a strong link between physical and mental health that leads to emotional benefits. More and more, “professional counselors seek to encourage wellness, a positive state of well-being, through developmental, preventive, and wellness-enhancing interventions” (Myers & Sweeney, 2008, p. 482). The focus on resilience is the hallmark of counseling for individuals, groups, couples, and families across the life span. Resilience is the ability to handle adversity, stress, difficulties and setbacks in stride and to bounce back and move forward in a positive, fulfilling and productive direction. Resiliency is the ability to overcome challenges of all kinds–(Henderson, 2012). Resiliency modeling stemmed from the ability to cope and health-related outcomes (Evans, Marsh, and Weigel, 2010). The resilience philosophy in counseling is important in mental health to be able to maintain control of situations and depict new ways to tackle problems.

Conclusion
Provide a concluding paragraph for this paper, summarizing key components of your paper for the reader. Your Psychosocial Development Case Study Analysis paper should be 7–10 pages. Review the Psychosocial Development Case Study Analysis Scoring Guide to ensure you have met the grading criteria for this assignment.
References

Archer, J., Probert, B. S., & Gage, L. (1987). College students ' attitudes toward wellness. Journal of College Student Personnel, 28(4), 311-317

Evans, Marsh, and Weigel 's 2010 article "Promoting Adolescent Sense of Coherence: Testing Models of Risk, Protection, and Resiliency" in the Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, volume 20, issue 1, pages 30–43

Henderson N. (2012) What is resiliency and why is it so important? Retrieved from http://www.resiliency.com/what-is-resiliency/

Myers and Sweeney 's 2008 article "Wellness Counseling: The Evidence Base for Practice" from the Journal of Counseling and Development, volume 86, issue 4, pages 482–493. Retrieved from https://librarysso.capella.edu/librarysso/default.jsp?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/219029297?accountid=27965

Jones, S. A. (2015). Psychosocial textbook (4th ed.). Any Town, NY: Publisher.
Lancaster S. (2012) Psychology at glance. Retrieved from http://psychologyataglance.blogspot.com/2012/05/eriksons-psychosocial-theory-stage-4.html

McDevitt T. & Ormrod J. (2010) Kohlberg’s three levels and six stages of moral reasoning. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/kohlbergs-moral-reasoning/

Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2015). Development through life: A psychosocial approach (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Smith, T. J., & Yang, L. W. (2009). Wellness and resilience. Counseling Quarterly, 15(4), 300–310.
Study everywhere (2015) HDFS Ch 10: Psychological development in middle childhood. Retrieved from http://quizlet.com/30284812/hdfs-ch-10-psychological-development-in-middle-childhood-flash-cards

References: Archer, J., Probert, B. S., & Gage, L. (1987). College students ' attitudes toward wellness. Journal of College Student Personnel, 28(4), 311-317 Evans, Marsh, and Weigel 's 2010 article "Promoting Adolescent Sense of Coherence: Testing Models of Risk, Protection, and Resiliency" in the Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, volume 20, issue 1, pages 30–43 Henderson N. (2012) What is resiliency and why is it so important? Retrieved from http://www.resiliency.com/what-is-resiliency/ Myers and Sweeney 's 2008 article "Wellness Counseling: The Evidence Base for Practice" from the Journal of Counseling and Development, volume 86, issue 4, pages 482–493. Retrieved from https://librarysso.capella.edu/librarysso/default.jsp?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/219029297?accountid=27965 Jones, S. A. (2015). Psychosocial textbook (4th ed.). Any Town, NY: Publisher. Lancaster S. (2012) Psychology at glance.  Retrieved from http://psychologyataglance.blogspot.com/2012/05/eriksons-psychosocial-theory-stage-4.html McDevitt T. & Ormrod J. (2010) Kohlberg’s three levels and six stages of moral reasoning. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/kohlbergs-moral-reasoning/ Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2015). Development through life: A psychosocial approach (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Smith, T. J., & Yang, L. W. (2009). Wellness and resilience. Counseling Quarterly, 15(4), 300–310. Study everywhere (2015) HDFS Ch 10:  Psychological development in middle childhood.  Retrieved from http://quizlet.com/30284812/hdfs-ch-10-psychological-development-in-middle-childhood-flash-cards