Maria's Appearance Case Study

Introduction

Maria, at this age of 43, is old looking. It is because, during this old age, one's skin loses elasticity (Daneshfar & Moharami, 2018). Thus, one's face looks tight, the hair is white, and it starts to fall out. Also, the muscle's strength and mobility weaken.

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Motor Skills

As one becomes older, the motor skills diminish; this is due to the dysfunction of both the central and the peripheral systems and the nervous systems (Daneshfar & Moharami, 2018). It leads to slower movements and difficulty in balance and also gaits.

Biological Hormones

At this age, Maria experiences hormonal imbalance in one's body, and this may cause distress. The hormones, which include oestrogen and progesterone, start to fluctuate (Daneshfar & Moharami, 2018). At the age of 40, Maria has reached the perimenopause age and one experiences changes in the menstrual cycle, sleep irregularities and acne. This change affects physical development.

Social /Emotional Development

Socio-Emotional Selectivity Theory

This theory is based on the fact that when individuals become older, they tend to become more selective, and thus they choose to invest in more significant roles, goals, or even activities. They also embrace to have few social interactions by ensuring that these social interactions bring about positive feedbacks (Ilame, 2020). With the fear that their time is about to elapse, this theory states that this fear makes them more future-oriented and strive to fulfil their personal goals. Like in the case of Maria, who decides to get of Cuba, this is because one is future-oriented and perceives that by moving out of Cuba to the University States of America, one can get a better life for one's family.

Erickson's Theory

This theory is based on the epigenesis idea: the development of an individual is always progressive in that an individual has to pass through all the eight stages of life. Each developmental stage is marked with a crisis that needs to get solved. At the age of 40, individuals engage themselves in productive work such as nurturing children and the younger generations. Like in Maria, who is within this age bracket, moves with the daughter and the older father (Ilame, 2020). At this age, Maria wants to prove self-worth by taking care of one's father and daughter in a new country.

Cognitive Development

Sociocultural Theory of Lev Vygotsky

This theory views human development from the perspective that it is socially mediated. In that, individuals acquire skills, values, and beliefs together with problem-solving skills when they engage in effective dialogues with other members of the more knowledgeable society (Ilame, 2020). Like in Maria's case, one may assume that one had gained knowledge from other members of the society who gave one the idea that life may be better once one travels to the United States of America.

Piaget's Theory (Formal Operational Stage)

In this theory, which is the last stage, individual intelligence increases, and thus they develop the ability to understand various forms of abstract ideas; thus, they develop more ways to solve problems (Oogarah-Pratap et al., 2020). At the age of 40, Maria has decided to fly to America to seek better job opportunities or life opportunities together with one's family since one is a refugee from Cuba.

Spiritual /Moral Development Theories

Kohlberg's Moral Development (Post – Conventional Mortality)

This theory revolves around moral dilemmas. The post-conventional mortality stage is usually based on self–suited principles and morals based on an individual's rights or justice (Oogarah-Pratap et al., 2020). In Maria's case, one chooses to get out of Cuba and live in America and acquire citizenship by following its required laws.

Piaget's Theory of Moral Development

In this theory, Piaget believed that as individuals grow older, they understand how society works, and they come to understand the difference between what is right or wrong. Thus, it makes them take into account the changing variables in life. These include the abilities, variations, and also one's intentions in life (Sudbury-Riley & Edgar, 2016). The theory also states how an individual comes to develop skills on how to handle situations. Maria decides to take into account the ever-changing variables in life, and this makes one decide to get off the country in search of better opportunities, which are a life changer, this will make one be able to take care of both's daughter and father.

Compare and Contrast Maria's Stages of Development

In Physical development, Both Maria and the father are aging. It means that their skin elasticity is declining and also their motor skills. Unlike Maria's daughter, who is still young, Maria's daughter's skin is still healthy and elastic since one's skin is not degrading. In society. Emotional development where one used Socio-Emotional Selectivity Theory and Erickson's Theory (Sudbury-Riley & Edgar, 2016). In the Socio-Emotional Selectivity theory, Maria and one's daughter want to acquire skills and goals in life while Maria's dad wants to nurture them since Maria and one's daughter are a younger generation requiring guidance.

Conclusion

In cognitive development, through the social-cultural theory, Maria and her father can acquire skills and information from engaging in dialogues with other individuals, and through it, one can acquire information on the United States of America (Ilame, 2020). Through Piaget's theory, Maria's daughter is growing and becoming older, thus gaining more life skills. In both the Kohlberg's and Piaget's theory, Maria can acquire more life skills and understand society more while Maria's daughter and Father do not acquire any skills since they are under one's care.

References

Daneshfar, S., & Moharami, M. (2018). Dynamic assessment in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory: Origins and main concepts. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 9(3), 600. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0903.20

Ilame, V. (2020). Critical analysis of Erik Erikson psychosocial theory of development. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijels.book.veena.ilame.critical

Oogarah-Pratap, B., Bholoa, A., & Ramma, Y. (2020). undefined. Springer Texts in Education, 133-148. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43620-9_10

Sudbury-Riley, L., & Edgar, L. (2016). Why older adults show preference for rational over emotional advertising appeals: A U.K. Brand study challenges the applicability of socioemotional selectivity theory to advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, 56(4), 441-455. https://doi.org/10.2501/jar-2016-048