The impact of the life course in health and social care

The partake of the suppose stratum in health and genial c atomic number 18Drawing on the concepts you consume studied in cram1, critically reflect on the slipway in which your own purport- duration sort has affected how you spurt in, or use, health and loving lot.In this essay I w complaint look at the sustenance course perspective, and how it has provided me with an essential to a faultl to offer a more(prenominal) in the flesh(predicate)ised service. I will describe how my own breeding course and Biographical Disruption (Bury 1982) has changed the person I am beyond the expectations I had of my presumed journey, and how it has wedge on my practice. Where it has proved to be a intensiveness or a weakness, and how it has do me more sensitive to plentys inevitably and behaviour. I will look at how my personal set return been determine and influenced by my spiritedness course, and discuss possible honour up to(p) conflicts. I will run off explaining the c oncept of action course using the tail fin teachings discussed by Bengtson et al. (2005).Recognising the course that mountains lives inquire is relatively new to submit and research. Until relatively recently the understanding of homo phylogenesis was motifd on the invigoration cycle ascend, one of the oldest accounts of how mannerss and families are organised over time (Bengtson, et al 2005, p.9). The approach is based on the idea that citizenrys lives go through and through a series of relatively predictable and chronological stages and transitions from birth to death, providing incursion in the great unwasheds changing roles and identities in relation to landmark occasions such as coming of age, marriage, childbirth and old age. From the 1960s onwards the feeling cycle approach began to incorporate psychological elements, which considered the relationship between an individual(a)s inner world, and the friendly context in which they live. This idea of considering the intact of a persons tone as offering opportunities for development and change (Crawford and Walker p.2) is referred to in literature as life distich development (Sugarman, L. 1986, p.3) or the life-span perspective (Baltes, P. 1987, p.3).At the same time these approaches began to go with the idea that age and ageing is non only related to a chronological stage in humans development, notwithstanding as well to indispensable regards between the individuals own construction of their life course, and social constructions such as shoals, labour markets and normative pathways. Ageing is a lifelong process, in common common to all of us, just through turn out our journey from birth to death, events prat be imposed upon us from which we may kick in to determine decisions and pickaxs that change the path of our life course. Timing is often unexpected and change may not happen at a time we would train elect it to this not only impacts upon our own life and coming(preno minal) but on those we are linked with. understanding my own life course too concomitants me professionally cliping in social care, Crawford and Walker (2003, p.2) point out that social work practice involves interactions between people, which are influenced by to each one persons life course, their experiences and perceptions around their own life, emphasising the quality of these personal relationships between service users, their families, carers and professionals. In order to understand the impact human development and life events founder on individuals I need to befuddle a critical, reflective understanding of how my own life course has shaped me, my behaviour and influenced my beliefs and values. This will enable me to engage with people better, respond more sensitively to peoples experiences and needs and explain why people dont always act in ways that advance to be in their best interests (K319, breeding turn over 3, 2013). My self-perception and my values and beli efs are real much shaped by my own life courses probative events, experiences and transitions, such as growing up in a real large family in the seventies, cosmosness a divorced woman with novel children and being a main carer for my terminusly ill mommy. Bengtson et al (2005) identifies five rulers that are essential to the life course perspective.First in that respect is the principle of linked lives, which emphasizes on the fact that peoples life courses are interdependent with others, especially germane(predicate) in the context of families. Having swelled up in a very large family my life has been linked to my siblings and parents, so when my dad fell seriously ill, and n invariably recovered copious to ever return to work, and he needed almost constant supervision and uphold. The impact on all the family was life changing, my siblings that still lived at home had to find out jobs to help the household finances, and they all feel this event ended their childhood. I was 10 years old I was taken to live with my eldest brother and his family. This tangle very strange and I remember intuitive feeling afraid I would not see my parents again. It was thought that I was too young to understand what was happening so I was never told how ill my dad was, I was never allowed to visit him in hospital, and he was there for a full year. I was just told to be good and not come to a fuss. I then stayed for short periods of time with my grown up siblings and extended family, this went on for many months , living a very transient existents and not staying in one place long enough to develop friendships with children my own age. Looking back from my adult self, I throw out now relate to my difficulties in develop long term relationships and inadequate self-esteem. On the positive side I was able to develop a lifelong close relationship with a maiden aunt which ex call downion back I dont feel would have happened if I had stayed in the family home over th at period. Secondly there is the principle of historical time and place, emphasising the importance of social and historical context in plastic individual lives (Bengston et al, 2005 p11). This is discussed as how events such as wars, trauma, depression or a period of prosperity affects our lives, Impacting on the life courses of all generations living in that particular time and place. My dads illness in the seventies meant he could no longer work and provide for his family, so from being a provider he became cared for, which changed the whole dynamic of the family structure. He besides had to rely on sickness benefit, which in the seventies welfare clay was very difficult to get and the financial support was very low. This impacted on all the family. We were poor prior to his illness but this plunged us further into poverty. This had a negative effect on us all, but for me at a time when I was just well-nigh to start secondary school I felt the stigma of being subjectively poo r. I spent many difficult days in school feeling marginalised and bullied by my peers, because I didnt have nice costume and had to have impec brookt school dinners, at that time children on step down dinners had to queue in distinguishable lines, this compounded the feelings of inferiority. My mum did her best, and managed to get close to part time work alongside her being the main carer for dad, and return to her children. Looking back, I realise my mum must have been a very strong person to cope with the situation she found herself in, she instilled a strong work ethic into her children, believing hard work would exploit rewards. She influenced me with her single minded determination, like Enid with her mother (k319, Learning surpass 3 auditory sensation 3.1). With hindsight this period of my life forced me to become more supreme as I had to fend for myself a lot, it also provide me with a valuable lesson in managing on very little money. This benefitted me when I was a single parent descending a divorce I was able to budget with a small income. The next principle considers the timing of world-shaking life transitions and whether they fit well with cultural expectations of when things should happen (K319, Learning Guide 3, Activity 3.1). I came into my passage as a result of 2 biographical breakings in my life. First I was divorced in my mid-twenties and needed to get work to support my children. Then my mum was diagnosed with perch cancer and I became her carer. I was able to get part time paid work as a home care protagonist through social care, I found I could transfer the skills I had used as a carer and the training I received helped me to support my mum better. I discovered I had very good people skills and enjoyed supporting older people to stay independent. Even later in my life I commenced my social work degree studies in contradiction in terms to societys view of what is normal. As with Mike, the case study in Learning Guide 3, A ctivity 3.5, I had concerns that studying as a mature student would lead to sub-normative feelings of being different but on reflection my life skills and experiences have enriched my learning experience.The fourth principle considers the control most people have over their own lives and they make choice about what to do and have plans for the future (K319, Learning Guide 3, Activity 3.1). Although I did not have any influence on my upbringing and not a large amount over my divorce. My experiences have provided me with the power and choice over my future which included a career in social care. I feel my life experience has made me aware of understanding everyone has past life events that impact on their received life. So when I am working with service users and planning for social work interventions, having an understanding of the potential of disruptions such as illness, and other life changes can be major turning point in their lives, and can help people see how they can become an opportunity for them to make changes (agency) in their lives. As in the story of Doireann and Iskender (K319 Learning Guide 3, Audio 3.7), where Iskenders heart attack became a turning point in both his and Doireanns life. Finally the fifth principle that affirms that ageing is relevant to both the young and old, and development is not exclusive to younger people and children. Our lives are fluid as we travel our life course and we hap to change and develop whatever age we are. My life is still developing and changing as I age, in the sense that I am developing my academic skills, and my experience of caring for my mum throughout her terminal illness and the impact this had on my life.The life cycle assumed that people would have a normative life course (K319 Learning betoken 3, Activity 3.5).That is to say people will have a life that is expected to be desirable and virtuous by society that is free from problems. Whereas a person with a non-normative life course is often consi dered to be judged and having to justify and explain their lifestyle. As a divorced woman in my mid-twenties, with two young children, which was not the normal status in the social groups I mixed in, this resulted in me feeling different and stigmatised. I felt I had to explain my single status and felt I was seen as a threat to my married friends. I felt I had failed both myself and my children and was worried my children would feel as I did as a child, being bullied for not having a normal childhood. These feelings gave me insight into the lives of others with non-normative life courses, whether due to their gender or life style choices.it has also made me question as a social care provider, does that service user feel as I did, and feel I am judging them therefore they have to explain themselves?. My own experiences of feeling different has made me sensitive to the feelings and needs of those who society judges as non-normative, in comparison to people who follow the expected no rms and pathways we are expected to take. My own life course was in my early childhood a non- normative course, due to the biographical disruption of my dad falling ill and resulted in me having an unconventional childhood. As I grew into adulthood my life course was comparable to the life cycle in that it had proceeded in a socially accepted pattern within a presumed time span which Giele and Elder (1998) described as a range of socially defined events and roles that the individual enacts over time. My early adult life followed a life that was considered normative, I was following the cycle of end formal education, working, forming relationships, marrying and having children(K319 Learning Guide 3, Activity 3.3).I did not predict that in my mid-twenties my life would suffer more biographical disruption that would have a huge impact on me, my family and lead into a future I would not have predicted.Bury (2012) describes biographical disruption to be a negative experience but I woul d disagree with that in relation to my own experience so far as a career in social care is concerned. If I had stayed married and my mum had not got ill, I am sure I would not have followed this path and potential I would have had a very different life now.However I had not consciously thought about entering into the social work profession, I presumed my entry into social care was the result of events that has steered me in the direction of this profession and opportunities that have presented themselves to me i.e. I was in the right place at the right time. Having read Life experience A neglected form of intimacy in social work education and practice, by Christie et al 1998,I am inclined to agree that my career choice has not been a coincidence but a choice I have made based on the companionship I have acquired as a result of my life experiences. I am able to go down on on my experiences as a knowledge base for my practice alongside the ever developing knowledge I am gaining fro m my studies. However, I do not persist in viewing social work as the profession effective in bringing about social change (Christie et al 1998). I feel my role is to support others in bringing about their own change, as I have been able to do. However I am mindful that the experiences I draw on in my practice are my personal experiences and are own by me, and others experiences are exclusive to them. I am aware that my knowledge within in my work is limited to my own personal experiences and my personal feelings could influence my approach to service users and the decisions I make in my assessments of them. In conclusion the article from Christie and Weeks has in fact made me question my possible action that I did not choose social work as a profession purposefully perhaps my life experiences have directed sooner than influenced my choice to be a social worker, my own working fellowship background, marriage difficulties, poverty, powerlessness, has influenced me strongly (Christi e el at 1998).This assignment has shown that our life course is an unpredictable path that we follow it is constantly being reshaped from what we have imagined our life path to follow, by the events that take place around us. But although it presents us with many situations that are out of our control that impact upon us. The understanding of our life course gives us the strength to move forward in our lives, it also presents us with choice and power and positivity to look forward to the future. And as Winston Churchill says the farther backwards you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see (Churchill circa 1941) Word count 2601ReferencesBaltes, P. (1987) in Crawford, K. and Walker, J. (2003) loving Work and man Development, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd.Bengtson, V. L., et al. (2005) The lifecourse perspective on ageing linked lives, timing and bill in Katz, J., Peace, S. and Spurr, S. (ed) Adult Lives A life course perspective, Bristol, Policy press/Milton Keynes, The Open University.Bury, M. (1982) Chronic illness as biographical disruption in Katz, J. Peace, S. and Spurr S(eds)Adult Lives A life course perspective, Bristol, Policy press/Milton Keynes, The Open University.Christie, A Weeks J (1998) Life experience A neglected form of knowledge in social work education and practice Social work in Action. http//dx.doi.org/10.1080/09503159808411477 (accessed 25 November 2013)Crawford, K. and Walker, J. (2003) Social Work and Human Development, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd.Hareven, T. K. (1982) in Hutchinson, E. (2011) Dimensions of Human doings The Changing Life Course, London, Sage Publications.Hutchinson, E. (2011) Dimensions of Human Behaviour The Changing Life Course, London, Sage Publications.National Churchill Museum Miscellaneous Wit and lighthttp//www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org/wit-wisdom-quotes.html (assessed 25 November 2013)Phillips, D. (2006) Quality of Life in in Katz, J., Peace, S. and Spurr, S. (ed) Adult Lives A life course per spective, Bristol Policy press/Milton Keynes, The Open University.Sugarman, L. (1986) in Crawford, K. and Walker, J. 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