Meta theories and their applications

Meta-Theories and Aging

Meta-theories

A meta-theory is a theory which has another theory as its subject matter. In simpler terms, it is a theory about another theory. In a more scholarly definition, a meta-theory is a complex set of rules, principles and stories which are interlocked and does both the actions of describing and prescribing what is acceptable and what is unacceptable as theory. There are various meta-theories that have been presented on the topic of human development and these can be related to aging. This paper will look at three meta-theories of development and how the relate to aging. These meta-theories are the mechanistic meta-theory, organismic meta-theory and contextual meta-theory.

Mechanistic meta-theory

The mechanistic meta-theory looks at all things in nature including adults and how they behave as if they were to become machines. The mechanistic meta-theory states that a machine is a sum of all its parts. In order to understand the machine, it is necessary to break it down into its components up to the smallest then to reassemble it back to the machine. The theory states that there is no intrinsic relationship between the various parts or components of the machine. The theory continues to state that machines do not operate on their own will rather they need to be controlled by some external forces and outputs such as electricity, gas, fuel, etc. The machines react in an automatic way to these forces which makes them run Glennan, 2002()

By taking this view of everything as a machine, the theory elaborates that how people behave is as a result of the operation of the various biological parts which make the complete person and this is in response to existing internal and external stimuli. The theory deals with quantitative development of individuals in terms of how much a person can remember and how quickly the can remember this. The theory does not look at what the memory is or how it operates Glennan, 2002()

The mechanistic theory looks at development as a continuous process that is moving in one direction at any point in time. The mechanistic meta-theory is represented by the information processing theory which explains how the mind of human beings works. The mechanistic meta-theory looks at breaks down the complex processes which are thinking and memory into the parts that are components of these processes. The meta-theory also asserts that there are certain non-mechanistic characteristics which play a huge role in the complex processes of thought and memory. These non-mechanistic characteristics include motivation and emotion Courtright, Fairhurst, & Rogers, 1989()

The mechanistic theory continues to explain that there is very high predictability of the development of human beings and the direction of change is unidirectional and does not change with or without any compensation. The theory gives very low value to old age Courtright et al., 1989()

The mechanistic view when applied to aging conceptualizes the individuals by understanding the various parts which unite to form the whole. The individual is also described as a passive-reactive entity that does not develop within but develops in response to the external forces. The mechanistic view also states that the development is quantitative which means that the changes that occur during again are viewed as the differences in the degree of aging and not the differences in the development of the individual.

By looking at aging from a mechanistic time point, we can see that aging is of low value and that it does not really matter. What matters more are the individual components of aging which would include wrinkling of the skin, sickness, loss of memory and thinking, etc. Looking at aging from a mechanistic view point, we see that aging is a process that human beings only react to and they cannot initiate nor change it.

Organismic theory

The organismic meta-theory views human beings as organisms that are developing. The organismic meta-theory states that development occurs in stages. A good example is the development of human beings from embryos to infants then to maturity. The theory states that there are internally generated development patterns. The theory states that the human beings initiate and conduct events and do not just react as is purported by the mechanistic theory Olson & Byron, 1942()

Various influencing factors from the environment do not cause development neither do they significantly alter it. Rather, they either speed up or slow down the process of development. Organists describe that development after birth is a progressive sequence that is in stages all moving in one direction at a time towards the complete maturation of the individual. The theory describes stages as patterns of behavior which are typical for a certain development period and it leads to a different pattern that is more advanced and more unusual Olson & Byron, 1942()

The organismic meta-theory is represented by Erikson's theory of personality which illustrates an important feature of the development in an organismic viewpoint. At each stage of development, there is the resolution of a particular crisis which is a turning point and which serves as a healthy balance between the opposing traits of the particular stage of development. The resolution of this crisis leads to the development of a virtue which is a good thing. If the crisis goes unresolved, the person struggles with the crisis and this impedes the healthy development of the individual Hoogendyk & Richardson, 1980()

The organismic view is associated with the structural or qualitative changes. It states that a person is different in a qualitative view point as they continue to develop. The organismic view is also associated some sort of discontinuity which is market by the stages of development. It states that the organism is composed of various parts which are interconnected and interrelated to make the complete organized whole being. The difference between the mechanistic meta-theory and the organismic meta-theory is that the organismic meta-theory understands the whole and not just the individual parts that make the whole Hoogendyk & Richardson, 1980()

By looking at aging in an organismic view, we can see that development of the individual occurs in stages and so does aging. Aging occurs in distinct stages and it comes from within the person and is not directed by external forces. Aging is genetically prewired. Aging is also viewed as a progressive change in the structure of the individual and is directed towards a particular goal or end point. In the organismic view, aging is viewed as the endpoint in the development of human beings.

Contextual meta-theory

The contextual meta-theory looks at the act itself in its context. This means that it analyzes the dynamic event in terms of its setting. The act itself is not isolated from the individual. The meta-theory states that individuals shape their own stages of development. It also placed emphasis on the interaction of the individual with its environment Halliday, 2007()