Chapter V DEVELOPMENTAL TASK

A. The Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson Middle Adulthood: 35 to 55 years old Ego Development Outcome: Generativity vs. Self absorption or Stagnation Basic Strengths: Production and Care Work is most crucial in this stage. Erikson observed that middle-age is when one tends to be occupied with creative and meaningful work and with issues surrounding the family. Also, middle adulthood is when a person expect to "be in charge," the role appropriate for him. The significant task is to perpetuate culture and transmit values of the culture through the family (taming the kids) and working to establish a stable environment. Strength comes through care of others and production of something that contributes to the betterment of society, which Erikson calls generativity, so when a person is in this stage he often fears inactivity and meaninglessness. As the children leave home, or relationships or goals change, people may be faced with major life changesthe mid-life crisisand struggle with finding new meanings and purposes. If he doesn't get through this stage successfully, he can become self-absorbed and stagnate. Significant relationships are within the workplace, the community and the family. Like in the case of Sir C, 36 years old who falls in this stage, has the

tendency to work and earn money for his family. He only wanted what is the best for them instead of making himself useless and meaningless. He knows his role well and plays as the best husband and father to his only son. He wants to work hard and always thinks of their future. With that, he finds ways on earning money and provides the needs and wants of his wife and son. During adulthood, we continue to build our lives, focusing on our career and family. Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and community. Those who fail to attain this skill will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world.

B. The Moral Development of Lawrence Kohlberg Adulthood: 35 to 55 years old Post-Conventional, Autonomous, or Principled Level

The individual makes a clear effort to define moral values and principles that have validity and application apart from the authority of the groups of persons holding them and apart from the individual's own identification with the group. The level has the two following stages: Stage 5: The social-contract legalistic orientation Right action tends to be defined in terms of general individual rights and standards that have been critically examined and agreed upon by the whole society. There is a clear awareness of the relativism of personal values and opinions and a corresponding emphasis upon procedural rules for reaching
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consensus. Aside from what is constitutionally and democratically agreed upon, right action is a matter of personal values and opinions. The result is an emphasis upon the "legal point of view", but with an additional emphasis upon the possibility of changing the law in terms of rational considerations of social utility (rather than freezing it in terms of stage 4 "law and order"). Outside the legal realm, free agreement, and contract, is the binding element of obligation. As an adult, he begins to understand that people have different opinions about morality and that rules and laws vary from group to group and culture to culture. Morality is seen as upholding the values of the group or culture. In his case, he believes that legal procedures must be processed to solve the dilemma. Stage 6: The universal ethical-principle orientation Right is defined by the decision of conscience in accord with self-chosen ethical principles that appeal to logical comprehensiveness, universality, and consistency. These principles are abstract and ethical; they are not concrete moral rules like the Ten Commandments. At heart, these are universal principles of justice, of the reciprocity and equality of the human rights, and of respect for the dignity of human beings as individual persons. Understanding own personal beliefs allows him to judge people around him and others based upon higher levels of morality. In this stage what is right and wrong is based upon the circumstances surrounding an action. As he was thinking, the drunken tricycle driver must have been resting that time instead of driving because many could be possible victims. Thus, he believes that the tricycle driver is morally responsible of what had happened.
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