Outline the stages of the life course and briefly explain the importance of each stage

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In the United States, the most common categories of age are childhood, adolescence, and adulthood (often subdivided into young adulthood, middle adulthood, and older adulthood). Some social scientists believe that a child's sense of self is formed at an early age and that it is difficult to change this self-perception later in life. During infancy and early childhood, family support and guidance are crucial to a child's developing self-concept. The adolescent (or teenage) years represent a buffer between childhood and adulthood. Anticipatory socialization is often associated with adolescence, during which many young people spend much of their time planning or being educated for future roles they hope to occupy. In early adulthood (usually until about age forty), people work toward their own goals of creating relationships with others, finding employment, and seeking personal fulfillment.

Workplace (occupational) socialization is one of the most important types of early adult socialization. Between the ages of 40 and 65, people enter middle adulthood, and people begin to compare their accomplishments with their earlier expectations. In older adulthood (age 65 and over), some people are quite happy and content; others are not.