Introduction
This case study outlines the story of David; a remarkable guy in his later adulthood rotates around psychological challenges
. As a head of a family, he is faced with several challenges which he tries to keep in check without fail. The whole case study and the paper talk about the challenges which David meets in his daily life. The problems cut across from family matters like divorce to financial difficulties. The financial difficulties are so severe that they affect the schooling of his children which he bore with the first wife. They financial challenges also affect one of his twins which he has borne with the second wife. One of the twins has a learning disability. The paper is all about the development theories and alternatives which are research based as they explain the different challenges David goes through in the case study. Also, other issues under scrutinization include the potential effects of entity and cultural diversities on the progress for current age and framework in the case study.
Discussion
Frankly speaking and being true, David faces a lot of challenges in his life. The first challenge that we are introduced to in the case study is that one of divorce. David is divorced from his first wife who is 50 years, two years younger than him. Together they had three children of between age 22 years and 16 years. The divorce has truly affected the three children deeply. First of all, they are forced to live with a single parent, their mother. This has brought a financial constrain to both the mother and David (Berry, Poortinga, & Pandey, 2011). The three children are at the verge of discontinuing with school due to these financial problems. It is evident that their mother struggles financial as she is just a preschool teacher whose little income is used to support the family needs and the children’s education. However, this does not go well.with David as he feels that it is his responsibility to see that the children are educated. This prompted him to pay for the tuition fees of his children. The children here, of the divorced wife are faced with a major developmental challenge of growing up without the fatherly care and love from their dad (Nussbaum, 2000).
David together with her second wife and the twins live in modest new house in the outskirts of the town .this can be translated to that David is and has not been caring for the three children of the divorced first wife. David’s concerns are more on his second family than the first family. One of the twin boys has a learning disability and it is serious to the extent that he requires extra coaching and the support of both David and sandy, the second wife. This is necessary for him to go on with his schooling. This poses a great challenge to David to spend more on the boy although sandy who is the second wife and the mother of the twins is also working and earning a salary (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010).
The condition of the one of the twins with the learning disability makes it necessary for the parent to pay close care to him. Since his father, David is always busy at work; the mother is forced to take close care of the boy for a healthy development. Due to this demand, the second wife is forced to work part time and even as a matter fact she goes to the extent of asking help from her widowed mother. Due to the condition of the boy, David is forced to be more involved with the second family more than the first family. This is a great challenge to David as it is very demanding to have two demanding families. The situation of the boy can also make David forget about the first family easily (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013).
The complexity of David’s work also is another big challenge to both his families and himself as an individual. In the later days after the hospital he works in joins forces with that other company, his work requires more processing work that involves very advanced computer technology. Due to this kind of work, David is not available for his children. It makes him not to spend quality time with his children (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013). By doing so, the wife is left with no option but to do the extra work of providing the parental love and care to the children. This is addition to her role of providing her motherly love and care. This means that she has to put herself in the shoes of a single parent, although the father is there. This can be understood be have been brought by the fact that there is more work in the later days at the work place. There has been an increase in the paperwork they handle at the work and the time to meet the deadline has been reduced. This leaves them with no other option but to overwork themselves. The chances of David becoming the supervisor are high as the current supervisor is nearing his retirement. The impact of the forthcoming changes in David’s workplace affects the relations between him and his children.
Unlike before when David used to spend his weekends with his wife and his children, nowadays he goes to the office on the weekends to complete his work tasks so as to meet the deadlines. He has no time anymore for his wife and his children. This issue has started to put a constrain in his relationship with his wife. As to him, he thinks that the paperwork at the office is not as meaningful and important to him as he thought it was. Lately, David has started experiencing back pains. He links this pains to an accident he was involved in when he was young. This pains have made him uncomfortable and have derived him his sleep. This has made him to be taking prescribed medicine to reduce them. In order to cool down, David has developed the habit of taking beer once he gets home after work.
The appropriate theories that can well define and fit the challenges being faced by David is the attachment theory. The theory depicts that relationships are built by two people and that interactions are important for human development. One of the most important relationships for human development known to exist is the relationship between a child and a parent. This means that David has to find a way of bonding with his children although his work is demanding. Without proper parental care, the life of the children can be affected greatly both now and in the future.
Both individual and cultural differences can have a great impact on development issues. . Individual behaviour is influential the behaviour or habit of a child (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013). A parent who is alcoholic is likely to have an influence over his child’s life and end up becoming an alcoholic as well. A culture which promotes good morals and proper upbringing of children is likely to positively influence the youths to live a happy and peaceful life. David is divorced and does not care about the other first family. This is likely to influence the children to live a similar life.
Lifespan theories use the main ontogenesis and the chronological unfolding of human development. This theory shows how people change in behaviour overtime. With increase in age, human beings tend to change in behaviour as well.
Conclusion
To conclude with, David, the main character of the case study is faced with many challenges. These challenges facing him make him to some extend and at certain point in his life change his behaviour. Not that he neglects the first family because he is willing or he likes to, it is because of the circumstances facing him. He also experiences financial problems because of increased responsibilities. The chronological changes that people undergo as they grow up are well elaborated in the lifespan theory (Feldman, n.d.). Children develop as per the influence around them which is either negatively or positively.
References
Feldman, R. Life span development (1st ed.).
Kail, R. & Cavanaugh, J. (2013). Human development (1st ed.). Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Nussbaum, M. (2000). Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach (John Robert Seeley lectures) (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Berry, J., Poortinga, Y., & Pandey, J. (2011). Handbook of cross-cultural psychology (1st ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Broderick, P. & Blewitt, P. (2010). The life span (1st ed.). Boston: Pearson.
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