Essay Sample on Human Development and Evolution

Introduction

Going by Eric Erickson's human developmental stages, old age presents a phase of integrity versus despair. This is the age where an individual looks back at the life they had lived during their early and productive periods, and either feel proud of what they had accomplished and hence attain a status of being a scale against which the actions and decisions of the younger generation can be gauged against, or be ashamed of the much they wasted while they are confident that their lives cannot be re-lived. For this reason, many working individuals strive to ensure that they approach their retirement with pride and social vigour, and hence plan for it like it is a bridge between a productive and inactive life. However, retirement is an entirely different life that only commences from the retirement day. It is an ongoing process, rather than a destination that they looked forward to, or dreaded. There also feature the work terms of these individuals, ranging from their places of work to the duration and nature of work as in part-time, full-time or voluntary. These modifications and situations prove hazardous to the older working individuals who encounter the challenges economically, socially and personally. Some, if not many of the older [people also have to face the issue of being widowed, judging from the world health organization's statistics placing the life expectancy of human beings at 72 years in 2016 (world health organization, WHO, 2016). It is, therefore, logical to take an in-depth analysis and scrutiny at the retirement processes, the working modules and models and the effect of the death of a spouse to the personal, social and economic well-being of the ageing population, and attempt to find a way out of the issue once and for all.

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The American retirement age ranges between the ages of sixty-five and seventy, an age gap that precisely converges with Eric Erickson's integrity versus despair phase. While this phase is often viewed as the third most significant phase in an individual's life, apart from schooling and working, it is the most confusing one, as it integrates both the social, personal and economic dimensions of a person's life. To ensure that the retirement era is worth living, many working individuals start planning for it years before it 'arrives". Such plans include social security, savings, and medical insurance as well as familiarizing with those already aboard to arm up appropriately (Cussen, 2018). Major steps in life, among them marriage, divorce, childbearing and so on, involve an emotional adjustment, and so does retirement. Even with a stipulated widely-known retirement age, no one is ever ready for the bumpy ride that is retirement. The sudden change from being a busy individual, struggling to meet deadlines, accompanied with other responsibilities and accountabilities, to being a free and non-working person attracts so much of excitement and joy, but sooner, proves not as attractive. Just like the sudden cooling of a newlywed's anxiety towards marriage, so does the anxiety of retirement shut down, paving the way for boredom, loneliness and feelings of uselessness and disillusionment. Adapting to these shifts, therefore, calls for an adjustment in emotions and expectations, and hence the viewing of retirement as a process rather than a destination.

Retirement hence doesn't just happen but is a process that needs a financial plan, a budget plan on how the finances will be utilized, as well as a social plan involving fun and socializing. Once all the three aspects are taken care of, and the retirement is underway, the retired individuals have to find a new identity; a "retired-me" identity. It is this very identity that will enable one re-evaluate their purpose in life, revive their abilities and capabilities, or reinvent new ways of being productive and useful to society (Cussen, 2018). This might include joining community service groups, crochet classes, cooking classes, book clubs, golf clubs, seminars, among many other productive activities to use up the vast free time in the retiree's hands. Retirement should cease being withdrawal from, but rather a release to something even greater in life (Mallete & Oliver, 2006). This phase calls for hope, changes in attitude, and a redefinition of personal meaning.

While a majority of individuals view retirement as a relaxing phase of their ever busy young lives, others see it as an extension for them to continue their productivity, financially. This presents the cases of older people still existing in working places, slaving their exhausted bodies and minds for a few more dollars. A majority of these individual indulge in post-retirement working due to various reasons, among them excellent working conditions hence making then not ready to leave work, a fulfilment in what one does, or due to financial constraints making them opt to do more to get more. In 2010 for instance, the United States witnessed a 16.1% of the retired population working in paying jobs (Sewdas et al., 2017). The presence of the older people in workplaces, therefore, brings in the issue of the working hours and modules, and how it impacts on their personal, social and economic lives. Working as a full-time employee often proves a continuity to the regular job an individual indulged in before old age commenced, and this usually guarantees stability, social and economic, to the person involved. This can be backed up by statistics that accounted for one-third of the ageing population between ages fifty-one and fifty-five planning to work full-time post-retirement in 2004 as opposed only 27% in 1992 (Mermin, Johnson, & Murphy 2006). Such continuity in normalcy grants them an opportunity to be productive economically, be active socially and have a great sense of self-belief and pride in themselves. There are others who opt to indulge in voluntary work after they are past their retirement. Voluntary work offers these individual multiple roles at multiple events and avenues, hence granting them a vast exposure to social networks, give them emotional gratification, prestige, and power. The role enhancement achieved through personal prestige and pride boost the health of these individuals and is hence associated with reduced mortality. The financial aspect of voluntary work is not as significant since most of this work is done without pay.

Old age drags along with it the possibility of married couples losing their spouses to death. This is one of the most depressing aspects of ageing, and likewise, a vector for financial constraints. While some legal adjustments must be made with cases of financial resources owned by a spouse once one is gone, other financial technicalities and issues are triggered by such deaths. They include the risk of poverty, problem debts and homelessness among others. Women are often anticipated to live longer than their husbands, and this majorly creates a pool of widows with no financial sources, no financial securities, yet with needs that need monetary intervention to fulfil. A study revealed that women, as opposed to men, had a higher chance of experiencing poverty once a spouse is dead( Corden, Hirst, & Nice, 2008). Their post-bereavement income also showed a drop, possibly due to the emotional burden on their backs and hearts. To avoid such instances, many governments, local and federal, advocate for each in a marriage to have their financial securities, apart from the joint savings and the securities of their spouses.

Ageing often proves an undesired phenomenon to many individuals, yet remains an inevitable phase that many if not all must go through. While others view it as a nightmare, some view it as a path that they must pass through, and hence prepare for it through social security, medical insurance among other strategies. However, even to those prepared for it, many go wrong, once they consider it as a junction leading to another road, rather than view as a new road altogether. Retirement is a phase that demarcates between a productively lived life and a dormant one, and hence must be considered as a continuous process through its emotional, financial and social adjustment needs. There are those individuals who prefer to work their days off to the grave and hence indulge in post-retirement jobs. These jobs, whether full-time, part-time or voluntary grant them a sense of belonging, self-esteem and prestige, and thus make their ageing a little less depressing. Then comes death that grabs the married couples of their spouses, and hence sets in a cycle of emotional, financial and social misfortune.

References

Corden A., Hirst M, &Nice K. (2008). Financial implications of death of a partner. University of York.

Cussen M. P. (2018). Journey through the six stages of retirement. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/07/sixstages.aspMalette J., & Oliver L. (2006).

Retirement and existential meaning in the older adult: A qualitative study using life review, Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Health. Vol. 2(1). Pp. 30-49.

Mermin, Gordon B.T., Richard W. Johnson, & Dan Murphy (2006). "Why Do Boomers Plan To Work So Long?" CRR Working Paper No. 2006-19. Chestnut Hill, MA: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Sewdas R. Da Wind A., van der Zwaan G. L. L., van der Borg W. E., Steenbeek R., van der Beek A. J., & Boot C. R. L. (2017). Why older workers work beyond the retirement age: a qualitative study. Biomed central. Vol. 17. P. 672. Doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4675-z.

World Health Organization, WHO (2016). Global health observatory data: life expectancy. http://www.who.int/gho/mortality_burden_disease/life_tables/situation_trends/en/