SOCI201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Erik Erikson, Lifechangers

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCI201
• Professor: Best Joel

Document Summary

Animals article (cid:862)a(cid:374)i(cid:373)als as life(cid:272)ha(cid:374)gers a(cid:374)d lifesa(cid:448)ers: pets i(cid:374) the rede(cid:373)ptio(cid:374) (cid:374)arrati(cid:448)es of ho(cid:373)eless people(cid:863) This article is about homeless or formerly homeless people who claim that their companion animals have changed and/or saved their lives. They give unconditional love, and they are silent witnesses (which keep people from lapsing into risky behavior). This allows for construction of a positive moral identity. People (cid:272)o(cid:374)stru(cid:272)t a(cid:374)d re(cid:448)ise their se(cid:374)se of the(cid:373)sel(cid:448)es (cid:271)(cid:455) telli(cid:374)g stories or (cid:862)perso(cid:374)al (cid:374)arrati(cid:448)es(cid:863), (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h des(cid:272)ri(cid:271)e (cid:862)the e(cid:448)olutio(cid:374) of a(cid:374) i(cid:374)di(cid:448)idual life o(cid:448)er ti(cid:373)e and in social (cid:272)o(cid:374)te(cid:454)t(cid:863). As fra(cid:374)k sa(cid:455)s, (cid:862)but the logi(cid:272)s of stor(cid:455)telli(cid:374)g and the perceptions, values, and beliefs of the time and place influence the ki(cid:374)d of stories people tell. (cid:863) Narrati(cid:448)es thus (cid:272)o(cid:374)stitute a(cid:272)(cid:272)ou(cid:374)ts of the tellers" li(cid:448)ed e(cid:454)perie(cid:374)(cid:272)e a(cid:374)d, simultaneously, e(cid:448)ide(cid:374)(cid:272)e of ho(cid:449) so(cid:272)iet(cid:455) (cid:862)speaks itself(cid:863) through people"s li(cid:448)es. Redemption refers to deliverance from suffering or distress. It enters somewhere between losing hope and turning out for the best.