Childhood Experience and Developing a “True Self” in Adulthood

Influence of Childhood Experience and the Likelihood of Developing a “True Self” in Adulthood
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Influence of Childhood Experience and the Likelihood of Developing a “True Self” in Adulthood
Introduction
In the past 70 years, the People's Republic of China, established in1949, has transformed from a closed agricultural economy to a market-oriented socialist economy (Wen, 2016). During this period, China has been at the center of globalization because it is a global destination for manufacturing with the fastest-growing consumer market or as an importer. A key trait across the development period is the above-average world record participation of women in the labor force. A famous saying in the Mao era held that "women hold up half the sky," implying the critical role of women in this society (Qing, 2020). However, despite the increasing participation of women in different sectors, their representation at the decision-making level (leadership) has remained consistently low (Sun & Li, 2017). This low representation can be understood through agency and structure concepts considering these developments in which different upbringing of girls and dictates leadership traits and abilities.
Several theories and hypotheses have been fronted to explain this phenomenon. According to Sun and Li (2017), social expectations limit women's personal educational and career choices based on their interests. At the same time, family and society emphasize women's roles as mothers and homemakers. This is even though the educational level of women has been increasingly closer to men. In this view, the current paper proposes that factors that limit women and their aspiration for leadership positions play at the micro-household and classroom level. These are the smallest units in which what is acquired, either consciously or unconsciously, can potentially shape outcomes in adulthood. In essence, the extent to which future leadership aspirations are not only shaped within institutions but begins at home and is underpinned by the long-held stereotypes and prejudice over the role of women in society.
Thus, the societal pressures manifested in household and classroom setting on girls contort them to the structure of gender roles. Despite the increasing level of agency that comes with age and societal progress; women struggle to find a position in decision-making leadership positions. According to Emirbayer and Mische (2011), human agency refers to temporarily constructed engagement by actors of a structural environment. The interplay of judgment, imagination, and habit produces and transforms those structures in an interactive response. In other words, agency implies free will, while structure limits free will. In their definition, Emirbayer and Mische (2011) established three vital aspects of agency; it is informed by the past, oriented towards the future, and the present. The past represents existing stereotypes, prejudice, beliefs about leadership that have been shape by history. The present refers to how these factors are utilized today and the future refers to how today’s decisions shape leadership perceptions across gender in the future. In the same manner, structure is also shaped by these concepts and their role is to limit agency.
However, the development of leadership has been viewed in through different theories. The most utilized is the behavioral theory by John B. Watson (Kwon & Silva, 2019) in which people acquire skills through learning and interacting within the environment. In an environment where both genders have an equal level of agency, then behavioral theory should show that both genders are equally represented in leadership positions. Thus, it is important to discuss agency and structure because their interaction at the household and institutional level may impact leadership aspiration even where the playing field is level for all genders. In addition, it is predicted that structure triumphs over agency in the short-term but in the long-run, agency prevails. The two form the basis for social and symbolic capital that provides the basis for leadership aspirations.
In this view, the current paper will provide background information on the scope and importance of discussing the influence of childhood experiences on the likelihood of realizing the ‘true self’ in adulthood.. The section will be followed by a literature review section in which several vital peer-reviewed sources are discussed. In the methodology section, justification for the adoption of autoethnography is provided alongside results from personal experience. The discussion section will link these outcomes to the literature review through which the contents of the conclusion section will be established. Thus, in this paper, I argue that childhood experiences can enhance or impeded the realization of ‘true self’ in adulthood, particularly in women, because the intersection of agency and structure limits their free will and autonomy.
Literature Review
In China, and across the world, women are underrepresented in leadership positions compared to their male counterparts (Seo, Huang, & Han, 2017)Leadership, in this case, is just but an example of a potential adulthood outcomes that can be shaped by experiences within home and in learning institutions. The higher probability of having more men than women in leadership positions in the 21st century highlights the differences through which agency materializes across genders. According to Wardlow (2006, p. 9), the relationship between culturally constituted personhood and historically situated agency becomes complicated with the view that agency is gendered arises. Essentially, particular modes of exerting power and realization of effect are unique to men as men and to women as women. Wardlow (2006) concurs with Emirbayer and Mische (2011)'s definition's first dimension, that agency is rooted in history. In essence, the structures within society have influenced how boys and girls exploit their agency or how they are limited by structure. This argument draws from the idea that children are shaped by the environment in which they grow. Leadership, in other words, is not natural. Rather, it is nurtured.
The argument was articulated by Bourgois (2003), who established that experiences in infancy, childhood, and adolescence determine the bulk of an adult character. While the study does not touch on how infancy and childhood influence leadership aspirations, it does show that childhood influences on adulthood behavior, skills, abilities, health, and educational outcomes cannot be underestimated. Different research outcomes have supported this assertion. In healthcare, for instance, Daines et al. (2021) established that individuals who experience numerous Adverse Childhood Experiences ACEs early in childhood had increased risks of developing anxiety, depression, substance abuse habits, and detrimental health behavior as they mature. The impact of ACEs shows how the environment can shape outcomes in adulthood and therefore, leadership aspiration. In this study, participants completed a survey on four domains of their childhood experiences: family health lifestyle, family emotional and social health processes, family external social support, and family health resources. The far-reaching consequences of experiences in these sub-domains at early age shape health outcomes in the same way they shape character in adulthood. As summarized by Bourgois (2003), psychological theories of early childhood socialization agree that leadership aspirations and potential can be shaped by the environment which is consistent with behavioral learning theory. With leadership as an example, the true self desired in adulthood can also be nurtured.
In a different study, Metzler et al. (2017) found that adverse childhood experiences are negatively associated with adult education, employment, and income potential. The study, which focused on 27,834 noninstitutionalized adults, utilized a survey to collect data based on the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The authors reiterated that understanding the potential impact of early adversity on the life cycle is critical for "breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty." Poverty, according to Emirbayer & Mische (2011), can significantly limit an individual's agency. The opposite of this statement is that wealth and affluence further the intergeneration cycle of wealth, and essentially, of influence of affluence on future potential of true self.. Typically, therefore, ACEs limit agency and enhance structure and this experience is felt more by girls than boys. In essence, ACEs limit leadership prospects and aspirations given that leadership skills are part of childhood experience.
Across Bourgois (2003), Wardlow (2006), Metzler I'm al (2017), and Daines et al. (2021), what stands out is that childhood experience has a significant impact on a variety of outcomes in adulthood. However, given that the family and institution structures contribute to these experiences, it is possible that childhood experiences also shape the leadership likelihood of children the same way they shape the likelihood of true self. As already established, America's 3% (Page, Bartels, & Seawright,2013) population of millionaires have ruled the country since it was founded, meaning that a wealthy background nurtures leadership aspirations and success.
Some studies have explicitly linked childhood experiences with adulthood leadership prospects. For example, Engelbert and Wallgren (2016) collected data on 79 leaders, including information on childhood (ECR survey), adolescent family experience, and respective leadership styles. The author concluded that there is a connection between childhood and task-oriented leadership. In other words, through behavioral theory, the family and institutional environments may reinforce even a leadership style as part of true self. Similarly, Cooper et al. (2018) established a link between childhood experiences and servant leadership. Servant leadership is a philosophy in which a leader gains authority, instead of power, by interacting with followers. Such leaders make people the priority of an organization. In this study, the authors utilized a narrative research design in which subjects participated in semi-structured interviews while a family member was also interviewed. The authors established that family life, involvement in church, interaction with role models, group activities, and accountability in childhood nurtured servant leadership capabilities in adulthood. Some studies have also shown that childhood experiences shape political participation (Holbein, 2017), political ideology (De Neve, 2015), and even authoritarian leadership styles (Safra et al., 2017). These examples highlight the importance of childhood experiences on the development of true self in adulthood.
Outcomes from these sources converge on several vital issues. Childhood experience influences leadership potential since leadership is not innate but taught and learned. Subsequently, the second point of agreement is that if bad or undesired childhood experiences can harm adult life, then good and desired experiences are also likely to influence aspiration and success in leadership. This would explain why the privileged 3% of the American elite have held power since the country was founded (Page, Bartels, & Seawright,2013). Lastly, the third point of agreement is that family history in politics or leadership positions is associated with future leadership aspirations across generations. This explains why China has had many political dynasties in which only men have ruled except for Wu Zetian (Ferla, 2021). However, none of these points of agreement explain why women who live within wealth and political dynasties have hardly featured in leadership positions.
For a similar reason, Wardlow (2006) argued that agency is gendered. It manifests differently across genders, where boys or men appear to be less structurally impeded compared to girls or women. Through prejudice and inherent stereotypes, families and institutions encourage boys' participation in politics more than girls. This is through subtle and often unconscious stereotypes that manifest within the structures established by Cooper et al. (2018) and the sub-domains of influence noted by Daines et al. (2021). Here, the different upbringing of girls and boys shapes the agency and structure that result in different leadership aspirations.
Methodology
Autoethnography is increasingly finding its place in the literacy world as it becomes more acceptable. This approach to research combines ethnography which is the study of a community or society by an outsider, and biography, wh...