Re-thinking My Personal Development Theory

The study of this article that I found that caught my attention is Re-thinking Youth Suicide: culture, and Power, by Jennifer White and Michael, Summer 2014. In this article it examines, the resource for re-thinking youth suicide is Sociocultural and a political issue. Social and structural inequities have corrosive effects on the mental health, youth, families, and communities, and socioeconomic all confer risks for suicide. We always wanted to know why we act the way we act. How do all these theories take place in our life. When I was a child I, was in my growing stage, I did not know anything about all these kinds of unique theories, how there are so many types, and how they differ. Taking the Psychology class, one of my teachers has opened an unfathomable understanding about the different types of theories of development, and how all these theories can influence me. The theory of development is everywhere, and it's everything. The theories help to comprehend all kinds of different people. The Sociocultural theory also explains why we do act the way we act and do certain things in our life.

The theory that I chose and spoke to me effectively to my personal development is sociocultural. The theory that I selected that I acknowledge through sociocultural, the theory by Lev Vygotsky. Lev Vygotsky who was born in (1891) and later died (1934), Vygotsky was an early developmental psychologist who developed his influence on social interactions and cultural interactions (Vygotsky, 2012, as cited in Berger 2016). Sociocultural theory gave me a better understanding the reason I behave some sort of way, and how it affects me, especially by social and cultural circumstances. Sociocultural theory has given me a better understanding who I am, and has helped me create a society full of art and thought (Vygotsky, 1925 as cited in Berger 2016). The purpose of my study is to examine why does this theory have an effect relating to my own personal development.

Personal development

The theory that I can connect with my life is Vygotsky's sociocultural that Vygotsky describes as learning social process (Vygotsky, 2012, as cited in Berger 2016). As you know, Vygotsky believed that creation revolves around people and their participation with skilled work (Vygotsky, 2012, as cited in Berger). (Vygotsky, 2012, as cited in Berger 2016) the process of learning through different characters of others and navigated the world around them by involvement (as cited in Berger, 2016). People around the world have different kinds of rules that have to do with their culture, and it also affects how people do certain things with their culture, how people interact, and how cultures are different from one another. I can relate to all these kinds of theories that are in my life, but sociocultural was the one that spoke to me the most. During my emotional development, I was always a person who wanted to take my own life at a very young age. I didn’t like how I looked, I would get bullied for my culture, where I came from, and the different languages we spoke but I was also a victim of abuse.

Although, I was extremely quite through this abuse, and didn’t want to say anything to anybody, because I thought no know body will want to believe me. When I get bullied for those kinds of things, I try not to pay attention to it, but emotionally I find it extremely heartbreaking. During my young age, I would always come home, and I would see all these sexual harassments, people taking pictures of me and posting them online. I felt like I did not belong anywhere, I did not want to be seen, because everywhere I go I will get touched inappropriately, and get stuff thrown at me. All the unpleasant rumors about me were going around everywhere, and I saw that everything that their seeing is true about me, but I did not want it to be. One day, both of my parents were downstairs watching Tv, I quietly went upstairs, I ended up getting my Daddy's gun and walking outside, and putting the gun under my chin, and just saying to myself, oh why does this have to happen to me? I remembered thinking about my family, even though I didn’t tell them what was going on they still encouraged me to never be afraid to speak up, voice your opinion, and don’t let anybody tell you to shut up when you choose to speak. I was always a very quiet young girl who never got into big trouble and always stayed away from the bad kids.

My dad and mom were very overprotective of me, they didn’t want me to get hurt or turn out missing one day missing. Although my emotional development was a bit unstable because I wouldn’t talk to anybody about this situation, and get some help. I was always surrounded by different types of people with different backgrounds, and wherever I go I would have to act like them, dress like them, and if I don’t, I will get hurt. I was always a jealous type of person. because I didn’t have what that person had, and I would also get judged and bullied for the things are wore, and the way I looked. Seeing everybody around with the different cultures and backgrounds, after opening my eyes I told myself that we all come in different types of ways. At age 11, I remembered telling my parents that I wanted to explore the world, just to get to know the types of different cultures of how they all acted, and to let everybody hear my voice. I can relate this emotionally because this raises lot of concerns for young children, and we don’t want anything to happen to them. People may also okay to do certain things that will make us feel unwanted because of our culture. This affective me emotionally, but I learned to stand up for what is right

During my cognition, which I am still developing, my mother who supported me all the way through has taken me to all these different countries to learn about their culture and their backgrounds. This is telling me that I am not the only person in this world that must deal with diversity, it is time to stand up and move on. I ended up living in Brazil for a year with my mom, and after a year was over, I could look at myself in the mirror with a big smile on my face, and say out loud that anything is possible, not to be afraid to voice a speech, and to stand up for what is right and what is wrong. This affected my cognitive development because I could voice my opinion to stand up for what is right, and to fight for others. Going to all these different countries made me realize, people have different characteristics about themselves, whether something happened to them when they were little for them to do all these things or maybe how they were raised.

My parents always supported my education, and everything else. If I wanted to run with my education, I will. Up until now I am still working on my education. In my story I learned through touring the world by viewing certain cultures, why do they act the way they act, how do they do things differently from other cultures, and why are our cultures so different from one another, this is stimulating my cognition. My social development was difficult, because I didn’t know how to make friends and how to communicate because my English wasn’t very sufficient. The following step was to surround myself every day around strangers, so I could start interacting with classmates. Going to this program has set a frightening distance, and has set a huge culture surprise to me because I was surrounded by people with different backgrounds, culture, and diversity, but everybody seems to have what they want. In the program, I really did not care if people had different kinds of views of me, about the way I looked or what category that I was in. In the program I was judged for my characteristics, and it did matter to them. Both my parents are very strict parents, so because I had to follow their own rules, and their decisions.

Due to my parent’s culture and where they come from, I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup, dress up like all the other pretty little people hang out with the boys, and even have a nice little boyfriend. After this, I started to become more useless because I didn’t look like the rest of the people. I always got made fun of by my friends because I didn’t not look like them, have class like them, and how poor I was for not looking decent. At the program, I was shy, short, skinny, light skinned, I didn’t dress up nice like all my not so good friends, and I got bullied for that. The friends that I will always hang out with, which really weren’t my friends will tell me to try new things about myself, they would give me so many advices about how I should start dressing like them, change my looks, and appearance. I was not okay from what I was hearing, this had I huge impact on my development, though emotionally I was truly unhappy and uncomfortable of myself. Where they were from, I learned the different types of cultures of new styles, the way they talked about boys, and make up, this had to deal with their own cultures, because I wanted to be a follower, not showing who I really am, and what kind of personality I had. This type of examination through sociocultural theory is an involvement. Sociocultural involves everything. I was learning how people do things, how they were different, and how to do things, but I started to learn slowly and modify with their cultures. I was forced to be different and to change who I am because.

Vygotsky’s (1978) and Ainsworth’s (1967) as it relates to my social and emotional development. This affected my social and development because I was forced to be different and to change who I am, and I started to adapt their cultural because I didn’t want to change who I wanted to be differently. While I was in the program, I understood that everybody has a way of being who they are and how they approach people differently. I am still a shy person, but slowly I am beginning to learn interact with people by communicating more, and asking a lot of questions. This also affected my emotional development because I was insecure, emotionally unstable and I hated myself for the way I looked. I was really depressed but emotionally angry, although, I blamed myself for keeping quiet and letting it come down this way. Though I was sexually assaulted, I was immediately taken out od the country to go seek help. Even though my emotional development has been affected my so many times, I found a way to move on.

Critical evaluation

Furthermore, Sociocultural was the first theory that I can relate into my own personal development, Sociocultural by Lev Vygotsky. Sociocultural, Lev Vygotsky theory infer that children acquire their own understanding, skills, or education by viewing and interacting of the people. Lev Vygotsky, although forgot to mention that kids can descend from these kinds of habits as they continue to grow older, but some children continue learn these habits as they grow. By observing my parents, family, and peers interacting, I began to adapt trust and respect. Though I am a quite person, I wasn’t expected in most groups, but I just wanted to fit in with the other children, and learn how different there cultural are. I learned by watching closely but doing things by myself and I had friends who were patient with me because I would complain all the time about not belonging, and they did everything to try make feel that I belonged. You know, the culture the you were brought up with, and grew up with, and all the people that have surrounded you, and the people that you are surrounded by, though affectively how you emotionally develop, physically develop, and cognitively. Lev Vygotsky Sociocultural theory concluded that theories focuses on individuals, and gives different perspectives on the major topics of development.

There are so many things in this world that I look forward into doing, such as travel Medical Doctor, psychology, communication. In the case a travel Medical Doctor is my biggest profession, because I am an outgoing person who like to travel the world, and explore the different cultures. Exploring new things is very important to me, because I need to learn to be independent, and not be afraid to ask for help when something is very important. I am a very passionate person, I love too to smile, and sometimes make jokes. Although, sometimes I get nervous and shy when I am around people with different cultures. Sociocultural is still a largely human learning process cultures. Sociocultural is still a largely human learning process for me, because I am still learning how to communicate with people, and it Is also makes me not to be shy, to be active, and have good connection with people. I am usually the quiet person in the group, when it comes to meeting new people, but that changes when I have that good commutation with that person. I still need to work on my speech because sometimes I might not make sense to what my situation, or what I am trying to prove. If I wanted to become a to become a Dr. one day I am going to need all the communication skills, and speech to be a better Dr. and person. Becoming a doctor one day, in the Medical field, I still want to explore the different kinds of cultural, groups, and languages, even though I struggle with a lot of withdrawnness. I still need to work and all the above. I want to work on becoming more open and engaged with different groups, work on not being too shy.

Conclusion

Sociocultural Cultural theory by Lev Vygotsky (1980) was the one that I can apply to my development. I Have been Learning about all these kinds of theories, and I know that all these theories can also be involve with my own development. All these theories can mean different things in their life, you just might not know how it can really affect people in different ways. I still have a little, but not a long way to go to work through my development. I still have a lot of learning to do, and this is a social process for me.

References:

1. Ainsworth, M. D. (1967). Infancy of Uganda: infant care and thw growth of love. Baltimore john Hopkins press
2. MD. Berger, K. S., & Thompson, R. A. (Eds.). (1995). The developing person through childhood and adolescence. New York: Worth.
3. Berger, K. S. (2016). The developing person through childhood and adolescence. (10th ed.) New York: Worth.
4. Dupere, Leventhal, Lacourse, Martin, & Taylor. (2009). Social justice orientations.
5. Vygotsky, L. S. (1980). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological process. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
6. Vygotsky, L. S. (2012). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.