Barack Obama

Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was born to a bi-racial couple. His father was an immigrant from Kenya. His mother was from Kansas. When he was two years old, his parents separated later divorcing. His father remarried and relocated the family to Jakarta, Indonesia. His mother had some concerns for his safety and education, so at the age of 10, Barak was sent to live with grandparents in Hawaii. Barack Obama grew up in a middle-class upbringing with a strong sense of family and the value of education.

Through his adolescence, he struggled with the absence of his father. He was uncertain personal and racial identity. His father’s failed aspirations and absence became a cautionary tale of life for him. Obama has been quoted saying “Every man is either trying to live up to his father’s expectations or making up his mistakes.”

Excelling in school and basketball, he graduated High school from Pun haw academy in 1979 with honors. He then went on to attend Columbia University. He graduated with a degree in political science. In 1988, he attended Harvard Law School.

While at Harvard, he met his wife, Michelle. They settled down in Chicago, where Obama practiced as a civil rights lawyer. This is where he began his political career. He began a helping as an organized for registration drive during Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign. In, 2000, Obama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Obama began his political career as a State Senator in 2004. On January 20, 2009, Obama became the 44th President of the United States. He is the first African-American

president. For all his efforts to improve foreign policy, the aid of the taking down the pirates off the coast of Somalia, preparing the nation foe the Swine Flu, He was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

Barack and Michelle Obama have two daughters, Malia & Sasha. Barack and Michelle have a strong sense of family. Barack and Michelle understand the importance of putting a priority on their time together. Even with both of their busy schedules, Barack and Michelle make time for one another. The Obama’s believe a key to raising kids is consistent discipline. Children learn in many different ways. A time out or losing privileges may work just fine. If a parent is consistent a child will learn what is expected from him or her. Raising a self-reliant kid is to let them do things all by themselves. Even if it takes 10 times as long and doesn’t turn out perfect. They will be happy to know they can do it all on their own without asking for help. Parents must stand their ground and place rules, becoming strict yet fair when need to be. A child needs to have good manners. Teaching children to say please and thank you, by teaching your child to say these little words no matter how small the gesture, they will learn a small little lesson that they can take with them for the rest of their lives.

Some fun facts about Barack Obama are his nickname is Barry. His favorite sport is basketball. He is left handed. He can speak Spanish. He is known for while making informal public visits, often rolls up shirt sleeves and "joins in" on a job site. He has been known for his passionate, fiercely idealistic speeches and his distinctive, clipped manner of speaking. Obama has been described as person that presents himself well as a person who cared about others, particularly those in need. He remained loyal to his friends even through negative attention has been brought on the friendships.

By using Paiget’s four stages of cognitive development we can only assume how Obama would have grown up as a child. The stages are four stages are:

* Sensorimotor stage (Birth to 2 years old). The infant builds an understanding of himself or herself and reality through interactions with the environment. The child is able to differentiate between it and other objects. Learning takes place via assimilation, the organization of information and absorbing it into existing schema and cognitively.

* Preoperational stage (ages 2 to 4). The child is not yet able to conceptualize abstractly and needs concrete physical situations. Objects are classified in simple ways, especially by important features.

* Concrete operations (ages 7 to 11). As physical experience accumulates, understands conservation. The child begins to think abstractly and conceptualize, creating logical structures that explain his or her physical experiences.

* Formal operations (beginning at ages 11 to 15). Cognition reaches its final form. By this stage, the person no longer requires concrete objects to make rational judgments. He or she is capable of deductive and hypothetical reasoning. His or her ability for abstract thinking is very similar to an adult.

According to Erikson’s eight stage of psychosocial development, we can an apply these theories as such

* Stage 1 Trust vs. mistrust (birth – age 1) Infants learn to trust of mistrust their caregivers. During this stage of Obama’s life we can gather that he was raised in a loving and caring environment.

* Stage 2 Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (ages 1-3), during this phase his parents separate, and later divorced. He lived with father during this period. He learned to be independent and to self-sufficient.

* Stage 3 Initiative vs. guilt (ages 3-6), during this time he was still in the care of his father. He learned his self confidence and sense of social responsibility.

* Stage 4 Industry vs. inferiority (ages 6-12), during this time is when Obama went to live with his maternal grandparents. He grew up in a middle class family with a high importance on education. He excelled in school and sports. He developed a sense of pride for his efforts.

* Stage 5 Identity vs. role confusion (ages 12-20), Obama dealt with racial identity and racism. He struggled with social perception of being multi–racial through most of his adolescence through young adulthood. With the support of his family,

* Stage 6 during this stage (young adulthood), Obama was very ambitions and driven. He worked his way through college. Obama moved to Chicago were worked as a community organizer for low-income residents. We went on to Harvard Law School, where he met his wife, Michelle.

* Stage 7 Generativity vs. stagnation (middle adult hood), I feel this is the stage Obama is currently at. He is nurturing to his family and children. Obama, having relied on student laws for his own education, has been an advocate for student loans and creating programs for helping students to afford an education. Being the president and the first African-American president, he has a great opportunity to be a role model for the younger generation.

Using Kohlberg’s 3 stages of moral development,

* Level 1 Preconventional Morality, Obama would have learned moral understanding based on rewards, punishments and the exchange of favors.

* Level 2 Conventional Morality, through adolescence and young adulthood we had started to development his moral compass.

* Level 3 Post conventional Morality, I feel this is the highest level of moral reasoning reached by Obama is Universal-ethics orientation. Which, moral reasoning is determined by universal ethical principles. These principles apply whether or not they conform to existing laws and universal principles, such as human dignities and rights.

Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we can apply the levels to Obama’s life.

* As a child he had the moved through the physiological need stage safety needs through his upbringing and his family.

* Obama did struggle through the belonging and love needs stage. The lack of his father’s presence was an issue he struggled deeply with. He also struggled in his adolescence with belonging due to being bi-racial.

* Obama earned his self esteem from excelling in school. As a young adult he was ambitious and driven. His father’s shortcoming in his career and as a farther became a driving force for Obama to be successful in his career and his personal life.

* Obama is, in my opinion, a self-actualized person. Obama has the ability and intelligence to leave behind narrow perspectives for a broader, accurate view of

the world. Obama is respectful and humble person. He is capable of resolving conflicts, dealing with ambiguity, and finding the unity in opposites is first nature to him. He receives his sense of calm from his understanding and acceptance of human nature, including his own nature. Obama is Problem-Focused person. His focus is on the financial crisis, jobs, heath care, and national security.