Developmental Paper

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1 Developmental Paper Kirsten Palmisano Master of Social Work, Morgan State University OMSW 505.W01, Human Behavior and the Social Environment Professor Tracy Allen, LMSW-C December 6, 2023

2 Abstract: Understanding the Journey of a 24-Year Old Social Work Master’s Student The document dives into the life journey of a 24-year old woman who is trying to navigate hardships, challenges, emotions, and the positives of life. The document provides a comprehensive overview of her socioeconomic background, education, relationships, career, and family dynamic as it all shapes her current and future self. She is currently enrolled in a master’s program at Morgan State University to obtain her Social Work degree and licensure and has been working full time and running a successful business over the course of her life. Her background explores her upbringing in a single-parent household, transitioning between each parents’ home and their complex relationship. She was able to analyze her life through the perspective of Erik Erickson’s theory which detailed the various stages of her psychological development. She was also able to use the Family Systems Theory to understand the dynamic of her family and their relationship and how it has impacted her career choice in social work. Lastly, she used the attachment theory to explore her emotional bonds and relationships and how this has challenged her emotional regulation in adulthood. The attachment theory was able to give her insight on feelings she was not able to once explain. A critical analysis was done next to discuss her milestones, strengths, and how these strengths have been applied to her life. Diversity is examined in terms of socioeconomic status, educational experiences, and cultural backgrounds to highlight their influence on her choices. Which then dives into the challenges of living in an urban environment which fueled her passion for working with underserved communities to change the stigma. Overall, the document emphasizes her desire to make a change in mental health stigma and making positive impacts in the community by becoming a social worker. She understands she still has work to do to commit to upholding ethical guidelines and values in her professional relationships.

3 Table of Contents Introduction: Present self 4-5 Background Information- Past self 5-13 Family Systems Theory Erikson’s Psychological Development Theory Attachment Theory Health Behavior Critical Analysis 13-15 Conclusion 15-16

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4 Introduction: Present Self The writer of this document is a 24-year-old woman who resides in Baltimore, MD. She grew up in Baltimore and spent the majority of her life there other than a strange 2 years that included a stay in Pennsylvania. She is an African-American and a Caucasian woman but heavily identifies with her African-American roots and traditions. Her socioeconomic status is between working and middle class based on her income of a cap of about $30,000/year (Newport & Bird, 2023) outside of her entrepreneurship business. In terms of her education level when discussing social class, she would be in between middle and upper-middle (Newport & Bird, 2023) as she is currently enrolled as a full-time student in Morgan State University’s Master of Social Work Program. She identifies as a cisgender heterosexual woman who is attracted to individuals of the opposite sex; who also identify as the same sex she was assigned at birth (Schwartz & Tango, 2021). She is a Christian woman who from time to time attends church physically, but most times are virtual due to her complex work schedule. Her relationship status is single as she is still healing from a traumatic breakup from almost two years ago but has found a friend in someone else who seems to understand her and her pretty and uglies of life. She works as a Registered Behavior Technician with The Learning Tree ABA working with children with autism, this has been a fulfilling and rewarding occupational journey for her and hopes to continue servicing children throughout her career. She has attended schools in Maryland throughout her life even for those 2 years in Pennsylvania. She has a strong connection with her high school an alumnus at Baltimore Polytechnic and straight out of high school went to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for a semester to transfer to Towson University where she finished her undergraduate career. She spoke earlier in the document about how she attends Morgan State University to obtain her master’s and to further discuss, the program should be completed in May

5 of 2025. Other pertinent information is that she is an entrepreneur, owning her own baking business making cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other desserts for purchase. She has been doing this for about 5 years. Background Information: Past Self Her family composition growing up was a single-parent household, constantly transitioning to each parent’s house until she became middle school age. Then, later in life her mother began dating and got married to her husband which caused a weird dynamic in the household. She and her mom had a rough relationship once she became of adolescent age, their relationship became very hostile and hard to deal with. This is also reflected in her and her stepfather’s relationship as he would make comments and remarks that would make her feel uncomfortable and feel more alone in the household. As she began to age, her and her father’s relationship was a bit odd as they began to speak less and less but shifted and their bond began to strengthen as she got older. She grew up with an older brother on her dad’s side that she never had much of a strong relationship; two step-siblings that became close and like blood bonds and still keep in contact with, the last sibling is the youngest whom I lived with until recent years with her parents being my mom and stepfather. Her relationships with her immediate family have always been a struggle, the expectations and standards were always high, and her parents never gave her the feeling of security to talk about hardships and anxiety. Her relationship with her siblings and aunt has been the main relationships that she emphasizes as they’re easy and comfortable. Growing up, her socioeconomic status was low class which eventually shifted to a middle class when her mom and stepfather began to date. Growing up, she grew up in Baltimore City in a bad neighborhood where oftentimes crime and other negatives were happening as close as next door. Her mom began to climb up the hierarchy at her job starting on the lower side of

6 the income but as time went the income began to increase over time which led to us getting better homes, better quality clothes and shoes, and more flexibility with our free time. This experience prohibited me from attending a lot of field trips and activities that my friends did. Although education was emphasized for her it was not reflected in her mother’s upbringing, she was a high school graduate who went to a frowned upon school with no college experience. Her father’s educational experience differed, he was in the military and police academy out of high school but as she furthered her academic career so did he. Education was something that was important and oftentimes caused discipline and consequences in the household. Next, growing up it was taught to be consistent and to stick to one job. As discussed, her mother worked as a state employee since a kid while her dad worked as a sheriff and then in other professions relating to security. Relationships were important growing up, they were seen as connections to the world and beneficial. It states that healthy relationships are a vital component of health and well-being (Kreitzer & Hathaway, 2020) which is what her parents emphasized, as it contributes to a happier and longer life. Her family does not have a strong cultural foundation, there are not many cultural traditions other than celebrating traditional holidays and celebrating them at an appointed family member’s house. There were some major developments throughout her life. Her parents were not married but engaged, they called off the marriage when she was a child due to constant disagreements and different wants in life. This never affected her but what did was her mother’s marriage to her stepfather which caused a lot of distress as growing up she never cared for him. She and her stepfather always had disagreements and different mindsets on the family dynamic, he was always emotionally abusive to those in our household and had become abusive to her mother towards the end of their relationship. This caused a great deal of stress and anxiety for her and

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7 would often make her find other locations to stay. An achievement/milestone that shifted her life to an extent was her graduation from Towson University, it was a big change and shift in personality, responsibility, and eye-opening to the things that surrounded her. To add to this experience, it came with a lot of realizations, dealing with the loss of bonds with people who no longer supported her once she achieved goals that outdid theirs such as her mother, friends, and ex-boyfriend. This was an eye-opener that led to a lot of sad feelings and thoughts and the real depressive symptoms began until she could navigate life with its changes. There was also the thought of baking that sparked an interest in her that led to becoming a business owner. She used to sell baked goods at her high school and found a passion in baking with her grandmother and her little sisters growing up as it was a way to connect and learn. Overall, her life growing up shaped who she is today which she will forever be grateful for. Background Information: Biopsychosocial Erickson’s Theory Erik Erikson was a psychologist who believed that an individual experiences a struggle of some sort psychologically throughout the eight stages of life (Shroff, 2023). The eight stages of life are infancy, toddler, preschool age, school age, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, and older adulthood (Shroff, 2023). The infancy stage is basic trust vs mistrust this is when the baby cries or fusses and the parent meets their needs which builds trust but if the parent or caregiver neglects them or their needs are not met then they develop mistrust (Shroff, 2023). She has experienced trust during the infancy stage which allows her to trust individuals around her but with care, you learn as you get older basic social skills and that everyone is not a trusted individual. This stage specifically establishes the individual’s ability to trust and feel hopeful when in crisis and is where her biological needs are met, specifically wants and needs. Next, is the toddler stage which discusses autonomy vs shame/doubt which is when the child is learning

8 how to do things on their own with the help of praise but if the parent or caregiver does not allow the child to work on their own then they may experience shame and doubt when it comes to their abilities (Shroff, 2023). She sometimes has a constant battle with this from time to time due to her having a strong sense of autonomy when completing tasks and developmental milestones but also feels doubtful due to her parents shaming her for failures and low outcomes when they have high expectations. Overall, she has a stronger sense of autonomy which allows her to have healthy self-esteem, be able to embrace independence, and some type of boundaries. She is secure in her ability to have confidence in her decisions which emphasizes the psychological aspect of life, she can set and maintain boundaries to an extent that are healthy but not when they cause conflict, and embracing independence as it is clear she will step out of her comfort zone to achieve her goals such as becoming a social worker while having adulthood bills by herself. Next, is the preschool stage which is initiative vs guilt which is when the child can focus on doing things on their own and being able to develop goals for themselves (Shroff, 2023). This is the stage where the child can explore and develop a sense of purpose while negative experiences may result in self-doubt and guilt (Shroff, 2023). She successfully navigated through this stage as she has confidence when making decisions and is willing to initiate action and take the lead. This is a big factor in developing social skills for example she has a high level of productivity and creativity, as a business owner it is clear that I am comfortable exploring new ideas and taking risks to express this creativity in her everyday life such as with cakes, a business, clothing expression, and other aspects of life. Next, the early school-age years discuss industry vs inferiority when the child receives positive reinforcement from varying stakeholders in their life, they feel a sense of accomplishment compared to if they do not receive this reinforcement then they may feel incompetent (Shroff, 2023). Growing up, she received social

9 reinforcement for things that she was forced to do such as sports, instruments, and academic grades but nothing she willingly wanted to participate in. This has been a stage that has been developing over time still as when she was in grade school her parents often made remarks about how her grades weren’t good enough and they expected more out of her when she felt she was doing enough. This also emphasizes the social aspect, but this is also when she develops her sexuality and gender differences. Over time it has been easier to develop success in school for the sake of herself and her academic career goals, relationships with friends, and a significant other that was positive and healthy. Next, there is the adolescence stage where we discuss identity vs confusion (Shroff, 2023). This stage is when the adolescent is trying to figure out who they are and establish goals for their future adult life, when overwhelmed by these expectations the adolescent may become confused with their identity and what goals they would like to accomplish in their future (Shroff, 2023). She has successfully navigated through the identity vs identity confusion stage as she has an overall sense of well-being and can maintain stable relationships with friends, families, and partners. This stage can also focus on gender and sex, this stage emphasized her sexual orientation and made her aware of her racial group as an African-American woman. She has also established what she wanted to do growing up and has taken the necessary precautions and steps to obtain the goal of being a therapist for underserved youth. Next, is young adulthood intimacy vs isolation which is when you are establishing and building on meaningful relationships (Shroff, 2023). Those who have these meaningful relationships have experienced intimacy while those who struggle to have a meaningful relationship may feel lonely (Shroff, 2023). She has successfully obtained this level as she has plenty of meaningful relationships with friends, family, romantic relationships, and professional relationships. This is where she has dug deeper

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10 into her spiritual faith and began to get baptized and attend weekly church services. Next, is middle adulthood with generativity vs stagnation which she has not begun to explore chronologically yet, this stage is when you feel a sense of care and responsibility you are generative but if you do not act as a mentor and instead feel bitter then it leads to isolation (Shroff, 2023). As time goes on she feels stuck between both stages as she tries to act as a mentor to her younger siblings and friends around her but also feels stagnant due to not being able to experience some of the same childhood experiences a lot of others did and having to work harder for the simple things in life which can make her feel bitter towards others. Lastly, late adulthood ego integrity vs despair states that if you are satisfied with your life and accomplishments then you age gracefully compared to those who don’t feel like they accomplished much and may start to regret their decisions in life (Shroff, 2023). Background Information : Family Systems Theory The family systems theory is a psychological theory that views the family as an emotional unit and emphasizes the interconnectedness of family through the influence they have on one another (Lang, 2020). Her experiences over time have determined her desire to become a social worker and to help children and adolescents like herself. The role of a mediator and caretaker growing up has heavily influenced her career choices as an RBT working with children with autism and has heavily influenced her desire to become a therapist. The family systems theory heavily influenced her developmental experiences and will continue to do so as it is clear that the family and the environment constantly influence each other and decisions. The theory directly impacted her family life as it helped her understand parenting styles and family history, she now can realize the dysfunctional patterns to provide a healthier approach to have a more welcoming and supportive family environment for her kids one day (Lang, 2020). This theory is

11 relevant to the field of social work as the framework is to understand the complexities of family dynamics and how it shapes individual behavior to help support the individual and/or family (Lang, 2020). This theory elaborates on her diverse family structure and having to code-switch between the different racial groups in her family which also leads to a differing cultural communication style as the African American side is strict on language we use. Background Information: Attachment Theory The attachment theory was created by Bowlby and supported by Ainsworth, that focuses on the emotional bonds and relationships formed specifically between the child and caregiver (Cherry, 2023). The attachment styles are secure attachment, insecure-avoidant attachment, resistant attachment, and disorganized attachment (Cherry, 2023). This theory specifically affected her development, growing up she displayed an insecure/resistant attachment where she was extremely clingy and feared exploring and having mixed feelings towards her mother and father (Cherry, 2023). She would cling to her parents’ hip when out in public but when they were back in the comfort of their own home, she would be extremely avoidant and would want to sit in a room by herself participating in activities that only needed one player. Growing up she could see the effects of ambivalence as she feared rejection often and needed constant reassurance in friendships, relationships, and jobs to feel that she was doing well with her role in the relationship. This also leads to her emotional regulation in adulthood, as she often feels heightened anxiety in normal activities and activities that she participates in frequently while also having a hard time trying to calm herself down once in these anxiety-provoking situations. There are times when getting a service done such as nails, hair, etc. causes extreme anxiety although they happen frequently, she feels anxious while completing assignments and having discussions with supervisors and or professors which leads her to get choked up and begin to feel

12 the sensation of crying. These are everyday activities that cause a lot of stress and oftentimes has to hide or take a breather to calm herself down afterward. She experiences intersectionality and how it shapes challenges and resilience such as identifying as two races: African American and Caucasian, her religion having an impact on coping mechanisms that are deemed appropriate for a Christian, and being of a lower SES which can contribute to additional stressors such as paying for school, rent, and food on the table which impacted her ability to seek therapeutical support. Background Information: Health Behaviors Starting in her high school career she began to engage in some risky behaviors due to people such as her brother and her friends doing the same, she began to smoke marijuana on and off. The journey of smoking has been looked at as inappropriate and nasty up until her senior year of high school when it became something society found medicinal and enjoyable, she has always had periods where she began to smoke and stopped altogether until recently when she quit. She has never engaged in smoking cigarettes or any other drugs. Over time as hookah became popular, she tried it a few times but never found it enjoyable and found more pain than pleasure from the experience and stopped that. She has been an occasional drinker since she was allowed to drink at the age of twenty-one, but the year of twenty-one was terrible as she was allowed to drink legally and would order a drink everywhere, she went. Over time, that habit stopped, and she learned that that also brought more pain than pleasure and only drank on occasion. Nutrition has been something that she began to care a little more about as she began to get older due to having high cholesterol when going to the doctors and having to lower her intake. She now enjoys eating foods with lower grease and fats and enjoys eating salads and other vegetables that her past self would laugh at. This has also come with the joy of fitness. Throughout childhood and adolescence, she played basketball for sports teams at her schools and

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13 for AAU leagues, which brought great enjoyment and a lot of physical activity. Over the past two and a half years she has taken fitness seriously and engages in daily gym visits and Pilates and finds these activities as therapeutic and a part of her lifestyle. Fitness is one of the things people recognize her for and she takes it as part of her identity to remain fit. Next, we discuss her recreation and hobbies which align with one another. Fitness could be considered a hobby along with her love for baking and trying new restaurants. These are things she does when she has time to herself and/or tries to fit them into her weekly schedule as they all bring enjoyment. Past hobbies include hanging out with friends at the mall or skating rinks on the weekend and hanging out outside riding bikes and scooters until the streetlights came on. As briefly discussed earlier she has high cholesterol which causes her to check on her diet, but she also has asthma and no physical disabilities. Reducing her smoking and quitting has allowed her asthma to get better and allowed her to be more fit by maintaining longer workouts and runs without having to stop for a breather. Having no physical disabilities has been a blessing as she is very active and is always on the move. Critical Analysis Looking back at her life the biggest milestone in life was putting herself first and getting a job to get a car and to buy things that her parents could not afford. Unfortunately, this led to her having to quit basketball before college and having to work harder than most people her age. She worked two jobs and sold snacks at school to pay for uniforms, shoes, a car, and car-related items due to her parents not being able to afford those things. She was always working and never had time to enjoy her after-school evenings and weekends unless they were planned out in advance. Although this was a life lesson and taught her valuable skills such as money management and the real world early on, it did bring envy to others including friends who did

14 not have to live the same experience. The next biggest milestone in life was transferring from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and going to Towson University so she could maintain her relationships that were at home and also money. This led to the biggest milestone of graduating from undergraduate school as it opened doors and brought a great sense of success and accomplishment, it was hands down the best time of her life which allowed her the insight to continue her academic career at some point to become a therapist of some sort. The strengths perspective focuses on the personal, relational, and community assets of an individual compared to the deficits to promote resilience (Nash, 2023). This perspective really narrows in on the individual’s talents and resources available in the individual’s support network such as family and friends (Nash, 2023). Overall, she has definitely been a strong example of the strength’s perspective, when she quit basketball to get a job, she made it a positive by networking with new people and creating lifelong friendships while also saving to get a car. The early exposure to the real world by experiencing these early financial challenges provided her with a unique skill set and insight that set her apart from her peers. Another example has been when things has gotten hard and she could not depend on her parents she had a strong support system still. Graduating from undergraduate school stands as a significant achievement and is a testament for her determination and commitment. Despite the risk and sacrifices, she was still able to demonstrate resilience and commitment to personal and academic success. The strengths perspective encouraged a focus on the positive aspects as a foundation for future growth (Nash, 2023). Diversity is the practice or quality of including people from a wide range of different social and ethnic backgrounds which includes those of other genders and sexual orientations and beliefs (Servaes et al., 2022). It is very common to interact with people of different cultures in

15 our society now due to technology, traveling, and migrating (Servaes et al., 2022). Working at an early age and having to face financial challenges which caused her to work multiple jobs to support herself is an example of socioeconomic diversity which highly influences her idea on work ethic and money. Another example of diversity in her life that felt like a big culture shock was the difference in colleges she has overall attended three universities, two being HBCU’s and one being a PWI and there is a noticeable difference. This shows educational diversity which was influenced by accessible resources and wanting to maintain relationships but also the difference in going to an HBCU and a PWI, when she transferred to Towson it was strange to be around so many cultures in one setting but to also face some discrimination and racism. Feeling unwelcomed on a college campus and having to find people who thoughts and desires align with yours on such a large campus is hard and can cause some confusion. Diversity is woven throughout her life which influenced her experiences and choices. Understanding this diversity and living through it as she has multiple ethnic backgrounds has made her more aware and contributes to her ability to navigate throughout her life journey making it rich and complex. As she stated before, she was raised in east Baltimore city where crime and violence were extremely common, this is an example of an urban environment which highly impacted her life and her decisions. Without this environment that she grew up in it is safe to say that she would not have this strong desire to work with children who are specifically underserved, she wants to make a difference for kids who are like her. This environment shaped her career path in giving back and becoming a social worker to give back to these communities and to change the mental health stigma. Conclusion

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16 After she conducts this assignment, she has a new perspective on what shaped her life including how her relationships with her parents and her upbringing has shaped her current and future life. It was a challenge to learn why she has these anxious feelings and how her upbringing has affected her role in relationships. The developmental milestone has impacted her decision to enter the social work field because she needed someone like her to be there and support her through a lot of challenging moments in life. If she had lived elsewhere it would be possible for her to have picked a different profession. Changing the mental health stigma can be done with social workers and she hopes to make changes in the community including parents, grandparents, and children so it can be something that they are not ashamed for. The one thing she needs to become a better social worker is to gain a therapist again, talk to someone and walk through her hardships and the challenges she faced as a kid to gain a better understanding of how she navigates the world. The therapist will be able to work through her anxious feelings with her as it has been a big factor in her life causing anxiety when having to talk to someone new and create new relations with staff and clients. Her own ethics and values of being respectful, open, and caring will impact her professional relationship with clients from different backgrounds because she would want the same in return. This would allow the clients to feel more secure when talking to her. As she has a diverse background it will be easier for her to understand those of differing backgrounds to treat them like an individual and with care.

17 Reference: Cherry, K. (2023, February 22). How attachment theory works . Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attachment-theory-2795337 Kreitzer, M. J., & Hathaway, K. (2020, February). Why personal relationships are important . Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing. https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/why- personal-relationships-are-important Lang, D. (2020, May 18). Family systems theory . Parenting and Family Diversity Issues. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/parentingfamilydiversity/chapter/the-family-systems- theory/#:~:text=The%20Family%20Systems%20Theory%20assumes,a%20known %20purpose%20or%20function. Nash, J. (2023, September 19). Strengths-based approach in Social Work: 6 examples & tools . PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/social-work-strength-based- approach/ Newport, F., & Bird, R. (2023, November 20). What determines how Americans perceive their social class? . Gallup.com. https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/204497/determines-americans-perceive- social-class.aspx#:~:text=This%20is%20important%20since%20the,%2C%20middle%2C %20working%20and%20lower. Schwartz, J., & Tango, V. (2021). Sexual orientation and gender identity* . Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity* | Denver. https://operations.du.edu/inclusive-teaching/sexual- orientation-and-gender-identity Servaes, S., Choudhury, P., & Parikh, A. K. (2022). What is diversity? Pediatric Radiology , 52 (9), 1708–1710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-022-05356-0 Shroff, A. (2023, July). Erikson’s 8 stages of development . WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/children/what-to-know-eriksons-8-stages-development

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