Blog 3

I really took to heart the ideas from Miller and Stiver (as cited in Corey & Corey, 2008) about connection and disconnection in relationships. These definitions of “connection” and “mutual empowerment” in relationships struck me as important for multiple reasons. Initially, I saw the importance of having connectedness within our groups in our class, because if we are not simultaneously confident in ourselves and willing to uplift others, I do not foresee the groups working very well. (Luckily my group is perfect, so we don’t need to worry about that). In addition to the context of class, I see the idea of mutual empowerment in relationships as something that is very salient in my life because it is not something that was always accessible to me, but I feel that through my growth and support from my family I have been able to grow in my ability to accept support as well as give it. That idea leads seamlessly into my next point,  which is that I believe that my (small) family, especially my mother, modeled positive, autonomous behavior for me, which allowed me to see that, even when I was feeling dependent (on her or peers), it was possible to reach a level of independence similar to hers.

            Aside from basic, positive personality traits that I learned from the adults in my family, I differ from them quite a bit as far as my role in emerging adulthood. (As a side note: I still refer to people a generation above me as adults, but never my peers, even though we fit the technical definition. I could write an entire discussion on that statement alone, but for now I’ll leave it as an aside). My mother, grandmother, father, and brother were not in a stable place in there emerging adulthood years. They have grandiose stories of finding themselves, hitting bumps along the way, and hitting rock bottom before they got to where they are in their adulthood. I, however, have always had a plan for myself and followed it to a T. I think the way that emerging adulthood applies to me as described by Arnett (2000) is the part about residential instability (pg. 471). I moved from home, to dorms, to an apartment, to back home after college (and with a boyfriend for a while in there), but I always considered my parents’ house “home.” I’ve never been one who felt the need to escape or have my own apartment.

Arnett, J.J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through      the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480.

Corey, G. , & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth      (9^th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN: 9780495602293.