Social Roles and their change throughout adulthood

Social roles throughout adulthood change considerably. In young adulthood, the adult becomes independent. In middle adulthood, the adult takes on an increasing number and diversity of roles and responsibilities to others. In late adulthood, the adult’s role may become a more simplified version of former roles, for example, adults may be confronted with living a single life again. At one time, late adulthood was considered a time of role loss only, but today, it is known that the transition into different roles throughout adulthood, including late adulthood, may encompass a diversity of experiences. Living alone is one such example; although at one time it may have been considered only as a negative, now living alone has been shown to potentially have positive aspects as well as loss. Consider Peter who was age 79 at the time of testing. He married when he was a young adult, had children who moved away during his middle adulthood, became a grandparent, and has been out of the work force for almost 15 years. Recently, his wife passed away, and now he is considering becoming more involved in his community. He wants to develop new social relationships but is concerned that his marital status might influence his acceptance. This assignment addresses the change in social roles that occur throughout life by considering Peter’s experience in particular. Read Chapters 5 “Social Roles” and 6 “Social Relationships” of your textbook, and any other available current information. Following are some additional recommended readings (substitutions for readings are permissible). Age-friendly Communities http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=C4F334615D8F4C19A01B9B2DE09B69DE Bowman, N., Brandenberger, J., Lapsley, D., Hill, P., & Quaranto, J. (2010). Serving in college, flourishing in adulthood: Does community engagement during the college years predict adult well-being? Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being, 2(1), 14–34. doi:10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01020.x (Attached) View the following Ted Talks videos: Laura Carstensen: Older People are Happierhttp://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/laura_carstensen_older_people_are_happier.html Stuart Brown: Play is More Than Fun http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital.html After you complete the readings and view the videos, write an essay that includes answers to the following: How does Peter’s pattern of engagement throughout the life span predict his engagement in later life? (40 marks) Consider how Peter’s single status, and the fact that he lives alone, might influence his role and acceptance in the community? (30 marks) What activities would you suggest to Peter to facilitate his engagement in the community? Why? (30 marks).