Life Span Development and Personality of Michael Jackson free essay sample

Life Span Development and Personality of Michael Jackson Jesse Jackson Psy/304 February 4, 2001 Dr. Marcy Satan Life Span Development and Personality of Michael Jackson Introduction Michael Jackson was born August 29, 1958. Born the eighth of 10 children, Michael grew up in a working class family in a small three bedroom home in Gary, Indiana. As a child, Michael struggled with his fame. He never lived a normal childhood and throughout his adulthood he tried to recapture his lost youth. Although labeled as an outstanding entertainer and humanitarian in the world, Michael became dependent on pain medications. Scandals of child molestation and Michael’s obsession with his appearance further fueled his addiction. Overdosing on pain medication ultimately would take the life of Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009. Influences of Heredity and Environment According to Kowalski Weston (2009) He had sleepovers with kids that further led to allegations of child molestation. Michael did not see that he was doing anything wrong. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Span Development and Personality of Michael Jackson or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In his mind he was a kid at heart and was trying to recapture his lost childhood. These issues led Michael to have an emotional and social development problem. Family Issues â€Å"The importance of parents to child development is sufficiently obvious that it is practically axiomatic† (Sheppard, 2008). Michael had a very rocky relationship with his father, Joseph Jackson. Michael’s father would push Michael to perfection. Even though Michael was only a kid at the time, he was to rehearse daily and if he ade a mistake his father would beat him. According to Drehle (2009), â€Å"Joe Jackson drove his sons relentlessly. He ridiculed their shortcomings and punished them for their mistakes. He supervised daily practice sessions with a whip in his hand; he beat the kids with fists, hangers, a razor strop. † Michael grew deathly afraid of his father and labeled his father as a vicious and mean man. Michael was not allowed to play with the other kids in the neighborhood. He would go to school, when not home schooled, go home, and practice until bedtime. Michael resented his father for taking away his childhood. Michaels never understood why his father pushed him so hard. Michael’s relationship with this father drove him to seek perfection. No matter what Michael accomplished in life, he continued to seek to please his father. Theories of Personality As Michael evolved into his teenage and adult years, he could not grasp his identity. â€Å"Erikson described identity as a subjective sense as well as an observable quality of personal sameness and continuity, paired with some belief in the sameness and continuity of some shared world image† (Cherry, 2012). Michael knew what was expected of him. He was viewed as a great entertainer, but he struggled with his self-identity. Michael’s lack of self-image is explained by ‘Erikson’s Psychosocial Theories of  Personality’. According to Kowalski Weston (2009), â€Å"Erikson observed that adolescents wrestle with questions about who they are and what they believe during puberty, a time in which teenagers have a surge of new feelings and impulses. † Michael’s body was going through changes that he could not readily adapt. His voice deepened and he struggled with acne. He became obsessed with his appearance and through the years changed his appearance through plastic surgeries. Michael ultimately throughout his life was going through an identity crisis. â€Å"In Erik Eriksons stages of psychosocial development, the emergence of an identity crisis occurs during the teenage years in which people struggle between feelings of identity versus role confusion† (Cherry, 2009). Michael struggled to make a commitment to his identity. His identity status could best described as moratorium, â€Å"the status of a person who is actively involved in exploring different identities, but has not made a commitment† (Cherry, 2009). Theoretical Approach