SergioOlmosZaragoza

WaysofKnowing
Midterm
02/01/15
Question1
Manypeoplemakeassumptionswhenitcomestothesocialsciencesandsometimes,
peoplefailtoseethoseassumptionsandtheybelievethattheyareintheright.Thisisthemajor
problemwhenthinkingthereisonlyonecorrectwaywhenstudyinginthesocialsciences.It
leadstopeoplemakingvaluejudgementsassaidin
OrientingConceptsbyRogoff.Abig
problemwiththisisitsometimesmakespeoplethinkthatothersocietiesorconceptsarelower
thanothersandleadstobadscience.Anexampleofstudyinginthesocialsciencesleadtomany
peopleinthe20thcenturytoconcludethatmanyofnonwesternculturewerebarbaricand
peopleweremiserable.Italsoleadtomanyconclusionsthatthedevelopmentofmany
nonwesternculturewaswrongandnotgoodforthewellbeingofthepeopleinthatculture.
Anextremeexampleoftheconclusionsthatweremadeinthepastleadtothedestruction
NativeAmericancultureinNorthAmericawhenWesternculturecameinandforcedpeopleto
behavelikethem,becausetheybelievedthattheNativeAmericanswerebarbaricandnotliving
thecorrectway.Therewasalsotheeugenicsmovementthatleadtomanydeathsandalotof
pain.Thus,stickingtoonewayofthinkinginthesocialscienceshasleadtowar,death,and
manyotheratrocitiesintheworlddonebypeoplethinkingthattheyweredoinggoodinthe
world.Whenintheend,alltheydidwascreateassumptionsthatmanypeopletodaystillbelieve
inandthishascreatedmuchdisputeintheworld.

Question2
Levinedefinesobedienceasasetofrulestofollowthathelpaparentraiseachildandset
themupforsuccessinthefuture.Theseruleschangefromgenerationtogenerationandin
differentcultures.Theyareorganicandeverevolvingthroughtime.Iftherulesarefollowed
thentheparentisabletogothroughthehierarchyofparentalgoalsclaimedbyLevine.When
culturesorwhenachildisatriskofnotdeveloping,parentsforgothegoalthattheyareatand
trytokeepthechildalive.Manyculturesunderstandthatachildmayormaynotlivetoacertain
ageandhasbeenacceptedbytheircultures,sotheymakebestuckinthefirstgoalandnotmove
on.ThisisahugeproblemintheuniversalgoalsclaimedbyLevineandmorestudyingmustbe
donetoseeifsaidgoalsareuniversal.
Obediencehelpsachildprosperintheirsociety.Iftheyliveinasocietywherepeopleare
expectedtolistenandworkwithoutquestion,thentheparentwillraisethechildwiththatvalue
inmindandthechildwillbesuccessfulintheirlife.Ifasocietyexpectsachildtobecreative
andhavecuriosity,thentheparentwillraisethechildwiththosegoalsinmind.These
expectationsleadthechildtobeselfsustainingandproductivemembersoftheirsocieties.
Thethirdgoalisverydebatableandmanybelieveittobemoreawesternculturevalue
ratherthanauniversalgoalbyallparents.NonwesterncountriessuchasAfricahavethegoalof
selfsustainandnotmuchofeconomicwealthandprestige.Thus,thethirdgoaldoesnotapplyto
everyculture.However,obediencedoeshelpparentspushtheirchildrenintherightdirectionfor
alongandprosperouslifeinwhateverculturetheyarein.

Question3
EriksonstheoryofdevelopmentandtheNavajoarealotalikeandhavevastdifferences
atthesometime.BothEriksonsandtheNavajotheoryproducesuccessfulpeopleintheir
respectivecultures,buttheydifferonhowtheybecomesuccessful.Eriksonstheoryofidentity
developmentismoreselfcentered,leavinganimpactontheworldandleavingsomething
behind.TheNavajoismorecollectiveandoutwardlythinking.Itisthedevelopmentofthe
persontotheirsurroundingscomparedtotheidentitydevelopmentofEriksons.
Eriksonstheoryiscenteredaroundtheselfanddevelopingoneselfthroughaseriesof
conflictsthatariseinlifeandthepersoneithermovesthroughtheconflictortheyfailandhave
toresolvetheissuebeforegoingtothenextconflict.Ontheotherhand,theNavajoaremore
centeredaroundthecommunityandthedevelopofthepersonthroughcommunityworkand
takingcareofthosearoundthem.Eriksonbelievedthatpeopledevelopanidentitybythinking
aboutthemselvesandseeingtheimpacttheyhadontheworld.Theywouldwork,produce,and
survivewithwhattheyhadleftaftertheyhadbeendoneworking.Histheoryisverywesternand
manypeopleofwesternculturefollowhistheoryandarefunctioningmembersoftheirculture.
TheNavajobelievethattheydevelopthepersonthroughmediationandworkingfortheir
community.Theydevelopasenseofselfearlyoninlifeandtheymoveoutwardsintheteenage
yearsandintheiradultlife.Eriksonstheorystopswhenapersonreachestheirownidentityand
doesnttakeintoconsiderationthecommunitythatapersonlivesin.TheNavajo,ontheother
hand,gobeyondtheideaofselfandgoontotheideaofthecommunity.Thattheultimategoal
forapersonistobeawareofeverythingintheirsurroundingsandwithinthemselves.Thus,

identityisdifferentinvariousculturesandthereisnorightorwronganswertothecorrectway
ofdevelopingintoafunctioningadult.
Question4
TheUpSeriesshowthatmanymannerismsstickthroughlife,butpersonalityandidentity
changeconstantlythroughouttheyears.Suzy,Paul,andNeilwentthroughalotintheirlivesand
didntendupinwhattheyhadplannedwhentheywereyounger.Theyhadcertainpathsthat
theyweretalkingtoreachgoalstheythoughttheyhad,butmostlyitwaswhattheirparents
wantedthemtobe.NeilandSuzycamefromveryprivilegedhomesandtheywenttoprivileged
schools.Paullivedinaboardingschoolafterthedivorceofhisparents.Theyoriginallyfitinside
thetheoryofEriksonbecausetheywantedtogotoatopschoolsuchasOxfordorCambridge
andthenmoveontobeproductivemembersoftheirsociety.Paulwasabitdifferentashedidnt
hislifeplannedoutforhimbyhisparents.
Lateroninlife,allofthemchangedtowardtheNavajodevelopmentofself.Neilwent
throughalotofpaininhisearlyadultlifeandsufferedfromamentalillness.Suzywentthrough,
whatseemlike,arebelliousphase,andPaulhadmovedtoAustraliawithhisfather.Neilhad
spentalotofhisadultlifealoneasahomelessperson.Hehadlostconnectionwithhisfamily.
Yearslater,Neilgotintopolitics,whichwaswhathewantedtodoasayoungadult.Heworked
forhiscommunityandthisshowedthathehadmovedontotheNavajoideaofthinkingabout
othersandtakingaplaceasaleader.Suzyasayoungadult,hadchangedalot,shedidntwant
anychildrenandfoundtheUpseriestobedispleasing.However,by28Up,shehadmarriedand
hadachild,itwasacompletechangethatshehadgonethroughinonlysevenyears.Suzyalso
showedtheNavajoideaofthinkingaboutothersandthesurroundings.By49Up,Suzyhad

acceptedwhathadhappenedinherlife.Paulinearlyadultlifedidntknowwhathislifehad
aheadandbythetimeitwas49Up,hehadafamilyandhadsomehorses.ThisshowstheNavajo
ideaofthinkingofothersandoftheirsurroundingssuchasnature.Paulbecomeveryintuned
withhissurroundings.AllthreeofthemexhibitedsignsofEriksonsandtheNavajoideaof
development.

References
Chisolm,J.S.(1996).Learningrespectforeverything:Navajoimagesofdevelopment.In
Imagesofchildhood
(pp.167183).NewJersey:LawrenceErlbaumAssociates.
Levine,R.A.(1974).Parentalgoals:Acrossculturalview.
TeachersCollegeRecord
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226239
Muuss,R.E.(1988).Eriksonstheoryofidentitydevelopment.In
Theoriesofadolescence
(pp.
125)NewYork:RandomHouse.
Rogoff,B.(2003).Orientingconcepts.In
Theculturalnatureofhumandevelopment
(pp.336)
NewYork:OxfordUNiversityPress.