Sample Developmental Niche Paper PDF

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Summary

Interview another person and use the developmental niche theory to analyze their childhood. The interviewee’s name should be kept confidential.
Conclude with reflections on the assignment.
Be written in APA format, including a cover page with name, course number and section, date, and a ...

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Running head: DEVELOPMENTAL NICHE INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT

Developmental Niche Interview Assignment Student Name CHDV 135 October 05, 2099 CSU Sacramento

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Developmental Niche Interview Assignment Introduction In the United States, the belief that a college education is important is instilled in us at a very young age. According to an article in the magazine Psychology Today, some of the benefits of obtaining a college degree include the possibility of a higher paying career, the ability to meet deadlines and collaborate with peers in the workplace, and to make life-long friends (Geher, 2018). Yet some people choose not to attend college after they graduate from high school—why is that? After having a conversation with one of my co-workers about the reasons for my late start into college, I decided to interview her and get her perspective about the value of higher education. Using Super and Harkness’ model of the Developmental Niche, I created some questions to help me better understand my co-worker’s beliefs about education in general, what value she places on higher education, and what messages about college she is conveying to her children. In order to fully understand and appreciate her viewpoint, I asked her questions about where she grew up, the schools she attended, what emphasis her parents put on education, and her culture’s views about college. I also used the Super and Harkness model to assess how I have come to believe what I do about higher education. Settings I grew up in Modesto, California and lived there until I moved to Sacramento last year. My household consisted of my mother, my step-father, and two sisters who were born when I was in junior high school. We did move around frequently because of my parent’s financial insecurity, however, I always remained at the same school, even if it wasn’t in our home’s school district. I attended the same elementary school for grades one through six, then moved on to junior high school and high school with my peers. I graduated high school with many of the

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same children I attended kindergarten with. I always did well and got good grades, and in high school, I graduated with a 4.0 G.P.A. Throughout high school, I worked twenty hours per week at a pizza restaurant, a job I quit just before the end of my senior year. Having a pay check was important to me (and to my parents), so I quickly took a full-time job at a restaurant immediately after graduation and remained working there for 19 years. I attempted community college but was too busy with work to put in much effort—I dropped out after one semester. My co-worker, Amber grew up in South Lake Tahoe and lived there with her mother, father, and sister until she was in the fourth grade. She attended preschool, kindergarten, and grades one through four at the same school before moving with her family to the Placerville area. Amber told me that she did well in school until the family moved and she was away from her peer group. She states that she struggled through middle and high school and barely earned her diploma. During the time Amber was in middle school, her parents opened a restaurant and she was required to work there when she was not in school. She chose not to go to college after graduation, and instead worked at her family’s restaurant until she got married at age 20. Both Amber and I were raised with two working parents in the home, and were on our own most of the time when we weren’t in school. Amber was her sister’s caregiver when her parents were working, even though the age difference between them was just two years. I didn’t have anybody but myself to look after until I was in middle school, but when my sisters were born, I became their caregiver after school and on weekends when my parents went to work. For both of us, school was something we did to occupy our time while our parents worked. Caretaker Psychology Even though my parents were not involved in my early education, they expected me to get good grades and to graduate from high school. My parents were quite authoritarian and

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issued punishments (corporal and restriction) for non-compliance. When I made good marks on my report card, I was occasionally rewarded with money or toys, though verbal praise was rarely used. My parents did not see the benefit of parent teacher conferences and rarely, if ever attended an open house or back to school night. My parents never spoke about higher education though it wasn’t exactly discouraged. When the time came for college applications, I was expected to pay for them with the wages I earned from my part time job. My parents were very strict about which colleges I could apply for—they didn’t want me to go too far from home. I received a full-tuition scholarship (obtained without my parent’s permission) and chose to use it to attend San Francisco State. My parents forbade me to go and instead told me I could attend the local community college. My parents often spoke of me being independent and believed they were guiding me in a way to promote that value, however, I never felt I was allowed to make choices about my life. I always worried about disappointing my parents and they laid the parental guilt on thick. Amber’s parents were heavily involved in her early schooling but that involvement became less frequent when they opened their restaurant. Her parents cared very little about grades, sometimes giving incentives (money) if they feared she wouldn’t pass. Amber stated that her parents were somewhat laissez-faire but expected her to work at the restaurant and take care of her sister when she had free time. They did not encourage college and told her it was a waste of money, time, and was unnecessary for future financial success. They believed the key to happiness was a job that paid enough to support a family and encouraged her to get married and move out of the house as soon as possible. Though both mine and Amber’s parents had different parenting styles, we were both responsible for taking care of our siblings at a young age. Where we differed in our upbringing

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was the focus on education. Amber’s parents only cared if she passed and didn’t encourage any higher education. My parents expected me to get impeccable grades and I was punished if I did not comply. Both of our parents expected us to work and college was not an idea to entertain— Amber’s parents outright discouraged her to make the choice to go and mine discouraged me by controlling every aspect. It seemed as though Amber’s parents wanted her to succeed, but that success was measured by her ability to keep a house and raise a family. My parents measured my success by my ability to conform to what they wanted regardless of my belief of success. Customs In my family it was the custom to reward educational success with money and gifts. Verbal praise and recognition was uncommon, though sometimes my grandparents would call to ask about how I was doing in school. In high school, I was responsible for purchasing any memorabilia (yearbook, portraits, and trips) with my own money, and if I wanted to attend any dances or parties, it required extreme negotiation with my parents. There was not a celebration of my high school graduation though most of my peers’ parents threw them parties or sent them on trips, things that seemed foreign to me. In my interview with Amber, she spoke of the celebrations in her family around graduations and other rites of passage. Even though her family didn’t always have a lot of money, they made sure to celebrate when members of the family graduated—it was a big deal. She also talked about how her mom, dad, and grandparents would all drop her off on the first day of school each year. Amber spoke fondly of the tradition of taking school pictures and reminisced about her senior trip. She said that her parents believed it was important to show up, even if they didn’t always have the time to show up to everything she did. Other members of her family were there to celebrate her successes in school right alongside her.

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After hearing Amber speak about her family’s customs regarding education, I reflected about my own. I found that there were not many customs in my family regarding education that were truly celebrated or even talked about. Amber said she felt important and successful when her family attended events to celebrate her achievements in school, and that it was an important aspect of her upbringing. Aspects of the Larger Culture In our American, capitalist society, success is measured by how much money a person makes and how much “stuff” they have. There is a belief that the only path to a successful career is a college education. When children attend school, the teachers speak about college, there are posters promoting higher education, and some schools even display pennants and flags of their faculty’s Alma Maters. The expectation from society is that when a child graduates from high school, they will begin college shortly thereafter. Today, it is uncommon to hear that a child has chosen to forego college in search of some other pathway to success. Conclusion After interviewing Amber and reflecting on my own Developmental Niche, I have determined that it greatly impacts the choices a person makes in adulthood. I believed I couldn’t go to college so I didn’t. When I wanted to change careers, I realized I needed higher education in order to achieve my goals and I was resentful that I hadn’t done it sooner. It was for that very reason that I began speaking about college with my daughter when she was very young. The expectation in our family was that she would do well in school, and after high school graduation, she would attend the University of her choice (even if it was far away). Though I miss her dearly while she is away at school, I am glad that my beliefs about higher education turned into a custom for our family. My hope is that she encourages her children to follow in her footsteps. On

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the other hand, Amber has not pushed the idea of college on her children. She told me that she wants them to make choices that are best for them and if that means they choose not to go to college like she did, then she is okay with that. For now, she is encouraging her children to make good choices and to follow their dreams—whatever they may be.

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References

Geher, G., Ph.D. (2018, January 10). Why Go to College? Psychology Today. Retrieved October 8, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/darwins-subterraneanworld/201801/why-go-college...