Reflective Essay on Family and Culture: Impact on Human Development

This essay is a reflection on the author's family and cultural context, utilizing Bowlby and Ainsworth's Attachment Theory to understand the impact on their personal development. The essay explores the different stages of attachment, from pre-attachment to multiple attachments, and how these stages have influenced the author's relationships and worldview. Specific instances from the author's childhood are shared to illustrate the concepts of secure and anxious attachment, highlighting the significant role of parents, particularly the father, in shaping values and guiding life decisions. The essay concludes that family relationships are crucial for lifelong development and emphasizes the importance of discerning right from wrong in social interactions. Desklib offers a variety of resources including similar essays and study tools for students.

Reflect on your own
family and cultural
context

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Bowlby and Ainsworth Attachment Theory...............................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES:...............................................................................................................................8
Books and Journals.....................................................................................................................8
Online..........................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
There is direct impact of family on development of a child. There is need to understand
that a person is able to develop relations and understand the meaning of friendship and develop
social life (Smits & Permanyer, (2019)). This report is based on use of human development
theories. The aim is to discuss about lived experience with application of human development
theories to their family and cultural context.
MAIN BODY
Bowlby and Ainsworth Attachment Theory
This theory focuses on discussion related to relationships and bonds between people,
their long-term relations. It includes the relationship of parent and child. It is believed that there
is attachment that helps the small children to develop relations. The bond developed by the
children have impact on them (Nelson Zeanah & Fox, (2019)). The small children are able to
understand that they are close to their mother and that help them to improve their life. They are
able to understand that there mother makes them feel safe and protect them from all the
problems. There is a motivation that is derived from the attachment. This theory helps to
understand that there are different phases in the life of a student. It is examined that the students
learns all the things from the family. They learn about culture, religion and and develop their
mind set by living in family. There is need to understand that small child is able to learn better
and that is the reason they must be given good and effective environment where he is able to
learn (Akizu-Gardoki & et.al., (2018)). I also believe that all the development in my nature and
attitude is because of my family. There is need to understand that social relationship that I have
developed till know are just be observing my parents.
I totally agree that parents are the first teachers. They always know what is right for us or
what is wrong. They help us to take decisions and the choosing the right option. I want to share
that today I am person who like to help others. I have developed this habit because of father as he
is a Doctor. The profession my father has always influenced me. I am thankful to my parents as
they are the reason of my success. There are certain categories under Bowlby and Ainsworth that
are discussed below:
Anxious-resistant attachment: This category is shows that some of the infants are
experienced greater levels of distress if they do not find their parents around. It is because of they

feel comfortable with their parents. As per the studies it is analysed that they start punishing the
parents for going away from them.
Avoidant attachment: In this category the infants are not attached with their parents.
They do not feel stressed out if they get separated from their family. It is observed that they have
ability to ignore their parents and actively avoid them (Lerner, (2018)).
Secure attachment: This is one of the category under which the child is an infant. In this
stage the infant wholly relies on their parents. They feel secure with them and do not want any
stranger around. They feel good only when their mother or father is around (What is Attachment
Theory? Bowlby’s 4 Stages Explained, 2021). The todllers are sensitive and want to live near to
the parents. In this stage they are unable to speak but the parents understand their emotions. It is
analysed that the mother understand why their child is crying (Wang, Zhang & Wang, (2018)). It
is the ability is mother to know if the child is hungry, irritated or having some pain. She is able to
solve all the problems and this create an attachment among parent and infant. It is seen that a
small child is able to trust their parents and differentiate the strangers. I want to share one
instance that was told by my grand mother. That when I was infant we went to attend a function.
At the time my mother was busy in some work. So, I started crying, I did not want to be around
anyone. There was crowd and maybe I was scared. This proves that no matter how many people
are around, I was not feeling safe. As and when my mother came I stopped crying. This proves
that a child is only able to trust their parents when they are infant and do not trust any one else.
There are certain stages that are being evaluated under Bowlby and Ainsworth
Attachment Theory. Those are discussed below:
Pre-Attachment Stage
It is the stage from the time period of birth to 3 months. In this stage the infant is attached
to specific caregiver. They give some signs such as crying and fussing. The parents and other
family members get attached to them at that time. Each and every one is around them and ready
to help. There is positivity around them and want every one to stay around them. In this stage
there is development of relations with the family members. All my family members say that I
used to cry a lot. It clearly shows that the time a child takes birth there is development of
relations being observed. The stage is called pre-attachment as all the family members are
attracted towards the small child and start developing a relationship.
Indiscriminate Attachment

Between 6 weeks of age to 7 months, in this stage the child starts showing their
preferences. They are able to identify their mother and trust her. The child is attached most to the
mother and feel safe and secure with her. They start identifying who are the strangers and
unfamiliar people. The child do not like company of all the people and do not like to live near to
the strangers (Mansuri & Manhas, (2020)). In this stage I started recognising my family members
and like their company. They used to play with me and make me feel good. It is seen that at that
stage, I became familiar with all the family members. Being a small member of family member, I
started trusting all the members and develop positive relations with them. The care given by the
family members is a sign that build relations.

Discriminate Attachment
7 to 11 months of age, again creates changes. At this point of time the child starts trusting
one member. The preferences change at that time. They do not like strangers but at the same time
the feeling of affection is for one person. In my case it was my father. I have seen my father to
remain busy. He is a doctor and spends most of the time of duty. But, whenever he use to be free,
he spent time with me. There was a different kind of relationship that was developed at that time.
I trust him more than every one. Along with that, I use to be anxious in front of strangers.
Multiple Attachments
At the age of more than 9 months a child is able to develop the relationship with various
people around them. There are emotional bonds that are created by the small child (Furqani,
(2017)). In this stage, I was an attractive child and developed relationship with all the members
in family. My grandmother, mother, father, uncle. The attachments developed at that time are
still strong and I am attached to them.
I want to mention that from the very starting, I am biased about my father. I am more
attached towards him as the nature of my father is so inspiring. I always learn new thing from my
father. My father is social person and has so many friends. From my childhood, I have seen my
father being ready to help others. In starting, I used to think that my father is so busy and feel
bad. But, later on I realised that being a doctor is not an easy task. There is need of various things
that a person has to manage in order to keep people safe. His nature of helping other is so
inspiring. I have developed the same by observing him. I also want to say that my mother is also
an inspiring person. But, I follow my father. All the skills that I have developed are because of
my father. There are certain instances in my life where I stuck in problems. But, my father
always showed me right path. There is a time of teen age when everyone wants to stay with
friends. The phase also came in my life and I started trusting all the friends. At that time also my
father helped me to analyse who is right and who is not. Having friendship is good but one must
choose the friends wisely. There is need to know about right or wrong. At that time, I understood
that having more friends is not important. Having loyal friends is necessary. After crossing the
teen age and being mature my father play a great role.
I would like to mention that my father helped me to analyse that there are various
opportunity that are present. I was unable to know about the risk that are present in my life. I was

given right career advice that assist me in achieving success and working in a direction. I then
worked in the same path and I am happy that I followed the instructions. I am now able to
distinguish between right and wrong and developed my self. I have understood that humans are
able to develop what observe. It is important that they are provide proper guidance from the
starting. Along with that I have analysed that once a relation is developed it is always with us.
Getting attached in not a one time process, it helps to get attached through out life.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it is concluded that there is need to understand the importance of
human development. There is important role of developing relationships with the family
members and they remain with the person life time. In the report there is use of Bowlby and
Ainsworth Attachment Theory to understand different stages of human development. The
various category of people and their relations are also analysed in the report. It is analysed that
social life of a person is important but they must analyse what is right and distinguish it with
wrong.

REFERENCES:
Books and Journals
Smits, J., & Permanyer, I. (2019). The subnational human development database. Scientific data,
6(1), 1-15.
Nelson III, C. A., Zeanah, C. H., & Fox, N. A. (2019). How early experience shapes human
development: the case of psychosocial deprivation. Neural Plasticity.
Akizu-Gardoki, O., & et.al., (2018). Decoupling between human development and energy
consumption within footprint accounts. Journal of Cleaner Production, 202, 1145-
1157.
Lerner, R. M. (2018). Concepts and theories of human development. Routledge.
Wang, Z., Zhang, B., & Wang, B. (2018). Renewable energy consumption, economic growth
and human development index in Pakistan: evidence form simultaneous equation
model. Journal of cleaner production, 184, 1081-1090.
Mansuri, H. A., & Manhas, N. S. (2020). Concept of human development and sustainable
Development goals (SDGs).
Furqani, H. (2017). The Concept of Human Development in the Notion of Economic Man:
Secular and Islamic Perspective. Media Syari'ah: Wahana Kajian Hukum Islam dan
Pranata Sosial, 13(2), 131-146.
Online
What is Attachment Theory? Bowlby’s 4 Stages Explained, 2021. [Online] Available through:
<https://positivepsychology.com/attachment-theory/>