Anticipatory Socialization, Essay Example

In this paper I will make an attempt at anticipatory socialization with the aim to ease the process of experiencing age changes. According to Donald Super’s scheme, I am currently at the establishment stage associated with entry-level skill building and stabilization through work experience. The scheme suggests that during this period of early adulthood I am to secure my occupational position and find desired opportunities, which holds absolutely true for me. I cannot say I have reduced sports participation with the onset of early adulthood since exercising is my hobby. But I can say in support of Super’s scheme that my personal growth is really mainly connected with establishing healthy relationships with other people, or, as Super puts it, learning to relate to others. I expect it will take me some 30-35 years more to proceed to the last stage “retirement” or “decline”.

I picture retiring at the age of 65 and hope to receive a household income close to the average $45,000. I think about $1000 per month will be provided by Social Security. I also expect to rely on the savings I will have accumulated by that time. Moreover, I hope not to live alone so I would probably rely on my husband for a financial cushion.

I have to main leisure activities. Exercising in my free time is paramount for me. I spend about 7 hours per week in a gym. For me this is the time I can switch off my job, educational and personal life challenges to meet them recharged and energetic afterwards. This contrast lets me identify exercising as a leisure activity although, undoubtedly, it is my competence in medicine that accounts for my sport motivation. Another leisure activity I enjoy is quite typical of American women. I love shopping. I hope becoming older will not affect my leisure activities to a great extent. Many older people enjoy exercising according to their individual programs. I also think I will be able to enjoy shopping. Perhaps, in my older age I will take up some new hobbies. For example, I have long been interested in languages but never had enough time to master a foreign language. I might give it a try when I retire. My idea of learning a foreign language includes traveling to the country where it is spoken. If I have a chance, this would be an invaluable and long-dreamt-about experience for me. The changes in the way I spend my leisure time will mostly depend on my health and what it will allow me.

I might very well change my aspirations concerning living environment with time, but for the time being I want to live in the city. I am used to having all the facilities at hand and need sports facilities more than the peace and quite of rural life. Moreover, I am an extrovert person and the opportunity to socialize is of utmost importance for me. I have already mentioned my interest for traveling that I hope to realize in my older age. In this respects, I am first of all interested in beautiful historic cities like Paris, Dresden or Praga and an opportunity to improve my language skills, not in some landmarks of nature like safari trips.

A specific aspect I would like to discuss in my anticipatory socialization is family. I want to create an extended family where people of different generations would have a chance to support each other and benefit from each other’s contribution. I believe firmly that interaction between children and aged people is of utmost importance for both. While the elder forget about their own problems infected by children’s enthusiasm and energy, children learn from elder relatives intensively. Moreover, grandparents usually have less job and social concerns than parents and can give more time to children. As an aged person, I hope to be near my children and grandchildren. Perhaps, this prospect contradicts my idea of living in the city as extended families are more an attribute of rural life. I believe I will have to make a choice provided I have the opportunity.

Finally, I am to define the notion of productivity. For me at the moment it means a complex of my daily, monthly and yearly achievements in job and education, in sport, and in my family and social life. On daily basis, my productivity may be measured in hours of activity until I require rest. My optimal productivity at the moment is about 9 hours of work. If I work longer day in, day out, it means I am in for exhaustion, although such schedule is quite bearable for a couple of days. Naturally, I expect my productivity to fall as I age but I hope I will not have to work at the time it will be much less. The nature of my productivity is to change also. Perhaps, I will measure it in the hours I would be able to spend with my grandchildren or exercising.

In conclusion, I view my aging not as a tragic process of disintegrating from society or family but rather as a good opportunity to give more time and attention to some things I cannot concentrate on as much as I want to at the moment. I expect a healthy and calm older age period spent with my loved ones.

References

Donald Super’s Developmental Self-Concept Theory. Retrieved March 21, 2009, from http://www2.careers.govt.nz/5232.html