Lifecycle Development.

Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Task 1. Discussion of the different stages of the lifecycle:.............................................................3
Task 2. Analysis of different needs at different points of the lifecycle:..........................................5
Task 3 Applied theories of lifecycle development:.........................................................................8
Conclusion and Recommendations:..............................................................................................11
Reference:......................................................................................................................................11
Introduction:
According to a reputed journal name American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the highest length
human possible life length, or the life span of a human is 130 years. It is proven that, body of a
human change significantly in every stage of his/her life, and food generally considers as the fuel
for changes noticed (Walker, 2018). Besides food, there are other aspects which may be
responsible for the changes of a human body in every stages of life. According to this journal,
there are nine stages is a human life which are pregnancy, infancy, childhood, toddler years,
puberty, older adolescence, adulthood, middle age and old age. Among all these stages,
childhood is the most important period for anyone because it is considered as the root.
Throughout the report we are going to discuss about several stages of human lifecycle, different
needs at different points of the lifecycle and several theories on it.

Task 1. Discussion of the different stages of the lifecycle:

Lifecycle development: Human body constantly changes and develops throughout a cycle
which is commonly known as human life cycle. Lifecycle development refers the process of
development of human body in several stages of an individual’s life. As we have mentioned
already that, there are nine stages in a lifecycle and every human notice some changes when
he/she go to her next stage in the cycle (Becket & Maynard, 2017). For example, from infancy to
be a child, there may have several changes such as height, weight, voice etc.

Jake is a six years old child who are belonging a large family consisting 5 siblings and his father
and mother. If we consider the life stage of him, then we can see that he is in third stage of this
cycle. The previous to stages are pregnancy and infancy. Each stages have been discussed below
along with his social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development within each of his life
stages of development.

Pregnancy: This is actually related with Jake’s parents and their activities during the pregnancy
period. We can see that Jake have five siblings who are aged between 14weeks to twelve. His
parents surely had to face several problems due to have many children’s. If we look into the age
of his siblings we can see that they are too small which means everyone needs more care from
wake up to bed time (Howe, 2011). As a result, his mother may have not had enough time to
look after Jake before his born and also herself. Lack of nutrition, more responsibilities, hassle,
more work, less time to take rest has enforced her to take proper care to herself and her baby who
yet to born. This may be a good reason for his current condition.

Infancy: This period is also popularly known as early childhood stage of lifecycle. Infant is
more specialized and formal synonym for ‘baby’, the very young offspring of a human. Among
all development, this stage requires more on cognitive and physical development of a child. Jake
is six years old and he has just crossed the infancy stage. In this stage, an infant or juvenile need
more care on his physical development and his cognitive development (Becket & Taylor, 2016).
Because, for further growth, proper foods and nutrition’s are highly required for anyone in this
stage. Another thing is that, an infant want to learn new things by observing others. If he is in a
good environment then he can learn good thing by being into a good environment. In the case of
Jake, we can see that he have been growing in a large family where most of the members small
in age. So, generally he is watching things such as hassle, crying etc. This may be a good reason
for his present condition.

Childhood: This is the most important stage for anyone which is considered as the basement for
any individuals. In this stage, all kind of development such as social, cognitive, physical and
emotional development are required for future life (Seevers, Badurdeen and Jawahir, 2018). It is
the age when a child be more curious about things happening around them. As Jake has several
siblings who are very little age, he always learn things which may not be appropriate for himself.
This may also have negative impact on his emotional and cognitive development. Because of
having more child , his parents may also have not able to give notice on his nutrition’s which
works as less physical development of Jake.

The nurture versus nature debate includes whether behavior of human is determined by
environment in which he is living, either by a individuals genes or by parental life. Let us know
about the facts of nature and nurture.

Nature Nurture
Nature is all about those characteristics that Nurture is about those characteristics which
are inherited from genes or from your parents develops from environment and experiences.
(Kashyap, 2018).
We can’t deny the importance of genetic factors but the development of mental illness is not
fully genetic but there are several other characteristics which lead to mental illness. One specific
thing to be noticed in Jake’s case that, he has five siblings who are aged under 12. This means
that, every children in his family get less care than they need (Kashyap, 2018). They get less
nutrition’s, care and others things as required. So, environment are playing a vital role on such
mental illness of Jake and his siblings.

Task 2. Analysis of different needs at different points of the

lifecycle:
Needs: Need refers to something that is necessary for human to live a healthy life. According to
Philip Kotler,” Need is the state of feel deprivation’. It can be physical and objective, such as
water and food, or they can be psychological and subjective such as the need for self-
esteem(Thomas, 2018). It also refers to something that is necessary for a human to survival.

Maslow’s Hierarchy’s of Needs: This theory is a very much popular theory which is actually
motivational theory in psychology comprising a five tier model of human needs. These tier are
gradual in their characteristics and Maslow thought that every person must go through these
stages from lower to higher level (Bayoumi, 2011). From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards,
stated needs by Maslow’s are: physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love needs,
esteem needs, self-actualization needs. It is very much useful for both workplace growth and
personal development. By defining and identifying what motivates and drives people and what
human needs, employees and employers can develop positive environment and beneficial mutual
relationship conducive to work.
Source: (Bayoumi, 2011)

From this hierarchy model, we can see that each person has different needs at each stage of his
life. One can’t go for fulfilling esteem needs or self-actualization needs directly without fulfilling
physiological needs. Age also considers as an important fact because one do not interested to
fulfill self-actualization needs in this age.

Outlining the theories concerning identity including race/ culture or disability: A critical
analysis on several theories regarding identity including culture/race or disability is being
discussed below:

Cultural Theory: Cultural theory is considered as the method of studying the conflict of
culture. It makes a neo-Durkheimian synthesis around a concept which is dynamic as
simultaneously sustaining, creating and produced by organisations or by institutions. This theory
is very popular to analyze the cultural effect or impact on a person’s livings. Culture has a
numerous effect on every stages of our lifecycle (Fraser, 2013). It shapes our behavior towards
others, it helps to determine what is actually right in the society and what is wrong. It also helps
to determine what is our responsibility toward society.
 Critical disability theory: This theory refers to interdisciplinary, diverse set of theoretical
approaches. The task of this theory is to assess and analyse disability as a historical, cultural,
social, relative and political phenomenon (Hiranandani, 2019). This is popularly known as CDS
(Critical Disability Studies) and the user of this theory is to intend capturing a broader approach
of swath, including those originating in philosophical field. The disability theorists direct work
toward the process of activism. This theory is an developing and emancipatory discourse which
denotes the disability of a person and the assumed circumstances for such situations.

Critical race theory: It is a popular theoretical framework in social sciences which

examines culture and society as they related to categorizations of law, race, power. Critical Race
Theory is loosely unified by few themes which is common in their characteristics. Firstly, the
purpose of this theory is to determine the supremacy arise from racial power which are being
maintained in a society over time thus help to reduce this racial supremacy. This theory also
asserts that the experiential knowledge of people of color is legitimate, appropriate and an
integral part to understand and analyse racial inequality (Weiner, 2012). The challenges of the
theory is to claim of objectivity, neutrality, meritocracy and colorblindness in society.

If we consider the needs and its stages from Maslow’s Hierarchy theory, we can see that Jake is
in second stage of this hierarchy. The second stage of this theory is safety needs which refers to
the need for protection and secuirity. When the first stage, physiological needs are fulfilled, then
an individual move into the safety stage where he seeks secuity and safety for his own. Jake is
living with a family where almost 6 members out of 8 are children and aged between 14 weeks to
12. Indeed, he is living in an environment where he may feel safety in terms of his empotions,
cognition, physiological needs etc. These are very much important things to be noticed by his
parents (Lester, 2013). He may sometimes feel insecured because his siblings may quarell with
him as they are aged under 12. He also may feel emotional insecurity because his parents may
give him less time than his needs. He sometimes may think that his parents doesn’t like him
which may lead him psychological disorder.

If we analyse the previous hierarchy theory we can see that all needs are interrelated with one
another and these every stages needs are highly related with the development of a human. We
already have mentioned, human can not move to next stage without fulfilling its downward
stage. So, it can be easily said that, needs are highly correlated with each other. In Jake’s case,
we can see that he doesn’t have any basic needs because his parents fulfill all his basic needs.
Now, he is in his second stage which is safety stage (Lester, 2013). Once an individual fulfilled
all his basic needs then he finds safety and security. This needs are about keeping safe from
harm. It also include health and safe environments. If an individual doesn’t feel safe in a
particual environment, he will find safely before attemting to go for next stage. In the case of
Jake we can see that he is living in an environment which he doesn’t feel safe actually. This also
may consider as his mental disorder. For moving to the next stage, he must be to feel safe and
sounds in his environment and his parents must have to ensure this.

Socio-economic status of a family in which a person is living is a very important factor which
afects a person’s cognitive and neural development. For example, in childhood, higher family
Socio-economic status is associated with better memory functions and cognitive functions,
including memory in better conditions, language ability, literacy abiity, excutive functions and
memory functions (Solanki, 2012). Higher family Socio-economic status is also associated with
increased academic performance, self-regulatory behaviors and sense of well-being, stree,
learned helplessness, less decision making power which is impulsive and psychological disorder
in earlier age. Undoubtedly, this has immense immpact on an individual in each stage of his life.
If we see that, Jake’s parents is raising six childs who are aged between 14 weeks to 12 years.
Dfinitely, they have to focus on more income for raising their childrens as they have more
childrens who are in their younger age. So, this may have effect on a children’s mental
unwellness and stress. So, this has immense impact on mental health of every children in the
family.

Task 3 Applied theories of lifecycle development:

Psychological Theory of Development:

Erik Erikson was a psychoanalyst who developed the theory of physiological development. His
famous classic work “Childhood and Society” set forth his theory of the life cycle. Erik believed
that the failures and achievements of earlier stages influence later stages, whereas later stages
transform and modify earlier ones. Erik thought the psychosocial growth occurs in eight stages
which is being shown in following table (PI and MO, 2013). Erikson’s stages of psychological
development, as articulated by Erikson, in collaboration with Joan Erikson, is a comprehensive
psychoanalytic theory which identifies a series of eight stages, in which a healthy developing
individual should pass through from infancy to late adulthood. This psychological development
theory put emphasize on the social nature of human development. This theory is modified
version of the theory proposed by Freud where he denoted that personality is only shaped in
childhood. But Erikson believed that the development of personality take place in overall span of
life. He also have suggested that how we interact with others is what affects our self-sense or
sometimes called it as ego identity. He proposed that human are highly motivated by some need
to competence in a particular area of our overall span of life, from infant period through early
adulthood.

Stages Age Development task Description

1 0-1 Trust Versus Mistrust
Mistrust or trust that needs which is basic
such as affection and nourishment, will
require to meet.

2 1-3 Autonomy Vs. Development a sense of independency in

doubt/shame different tasks.

3 3-6 Guilt vs. initiatives Taking initiatives on several activities-guilt

development when boundaries overstepped
or unsuccessful.

4 7-11 Inferiority vs. Industry Self-confidence development in abilities

when sense or competent of inferiority.

5 12-18 Confusion vs. identity. Development of identity and experiment the

roles.

6 19-29 Isolation vs. intimacy Establishment of relationship and intimacy

 with others.

7 30-64 Stagnation vs. Contribution toward society.

generatively
8 65+ Despair vs. integrity. Making sense and assessment of life and
finding the meaning of contribution.

Drawbacks of the theory: Several drawbacks of the theory does exist and important drawbacks
is being discussed below.

 The idealized ‘typical’ patterns of development which is being suggested by Erikson do

not fully explain large differences of personality between people (PI and MO, 2013).

 The dilemma regarding psychosocial aspects tends to be descriptive than explanatory.

Which led them difficult to verify and test.

 In this theory, there is no clear evidence for supporting problems in earlier stages which
will lead issues in later stages.

 The idea of a specific number of stages of life and their link to a genetic plan of
development of disputed.

Yes, this theory considers all aspects of Jake's development. This theory shows eight stages of
human development along with crisis involved in every stages. In above table, we can see that
there are several crisis mentioned above in infant and childhood stages. These mentioned crisis
are appropriate in the case of Jake. We can see that, Jake is not leading a normal life and he
needs special education. He is only six years old which means that his current states of condition
may be genetics or for other environmental factors. Genetic factors are not in control but
environmental factors are in control of any parents or those who are raising a child. This theory
stated all the problems faced by Jake and showed the ways how to overcome this.

This theory may help professionals at meeting strategy in coming to a decisions on future if Jake
and the Morgan children at several ways. Morgan provide services to the special children
through education, health care etc. services. This theory will help the professionals to treat the
children in well manner. By following this theory, professionals can understand what actually
needs in a specific life stage. By defining the needs, professionals can determine which strategies
to be followed in a specific life stage.

Conclusion and Recommendations:

In above discussion, we can see that, physical and psychological development of an individuals
at every stages of lifecycle is very important. From infant to old age, there are several things or
flaws to person in every stage which needs to be noticed by parents and professionals who are
involve with special service or raising children (YU and JING, 2016). Safety needs is very
important and if an individual doesn’t feel safe in a particular environment, he will find safely
before attempting to go for next stage. For lifecycle development, a few recommendations is
being provided below:

 Professionals and parents should find best ways to improve their services or care toward
children.
 They should analyse about what things may effect on a children’s life span and find
alternatives to reduce these.
 They should try to provide best environment for growing the children’s.
 They should always work as a mentor to them which will help to reduce fear and
motivate them to learn newer things.
 They should create a strong practice regiment.
 They should be very honest in every steps of their care as children’s always try to imitate
their near and dear ones.
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