Autobiography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Autobiography - Assignment Example I have a younger brother and we both lived together with our parents until I decided to come to the United Sates for higher studies My parents always encouraged me and my brother to share and care for each other. Although we did not get everything that we wanted, deep down in my heart, I know that they love me and will always be there for me. My life was largely untouched by the pressures of living in a communist society. I have had an interest in academics and sports right from my childhood and therefore I was fully immersed in these activities. I consider myself to be fairly outgoing and enjoy spending time with friends and family. I have many friends back in China and I am still in touch with them through mail and phone. However, I am excited about the opportunity I got to come and study in the United States. I had always wanted to come to the United States and explore the opportunities that this country has to offer. In this paper, I will analyze my life experiences in the light of the eight stages of social skills development as demonstrated in Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Erikson stated that each of these stages is characterized by specific developmental milestones that act like a defining moment that guides the development of an individual (Cherry). Erikson’s Stages of Social Skills Development 1. Trust vs. Mistrust (Occurs from birth to age two) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, â€Å"children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust† (2009). I--------X-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Trust Mistrust I have heard from my mother that one time, when she was away in another city on official work, my father was at home, preparing for an important meeting which was to be held that afternoon. I was an infant at that time and was exploring things in the front room when I accidently dropped a hot cup of coffee on myself. Even though we had a baby sitter at home, my father cancelled his meeting and chose to be with me that day. I have also heard from my mother that she nursed me till I was two years old because she wanted me to be healthy and strong. I believe that it is my parents support during my early years of life that has helped me to gain confidence and not feel threatened by my surroundings. Hence, I have placed myself closer to ‘trust’ on the scale. Had I not been given this support and care, I would not have learned to trust my parents and my surroundings. 2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Occurs between the ages of two and three) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, â€Å"children need to develop a sense of independence. Success leads to feelings of autonomy, failure and punishment results in feelings of shame and doubt† (2009). I-------X----------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------I Autonomy Shame and Doubt I do not remember much about this phase in my life. However, recollecting past conversations with my parents, I know that I was a very active child while growing up and wanted to eat food and drink milk without anybody’s assistance. My parents would place me on a high chair next to the table and keep the food in front of me. I would not allow any body to help me and would insist on eating it on my own, even if it would get messy. I have also hea