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CLINTON, BILL.
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A psycho-historical analysis of President Clinton's adolescence.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
A psycho-historical analysis of President Clinton's adolescence. Uses three theoretical perspectives to analyze Clinton: Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget and James Fowler. Discusses three aspects of Clinton's early life: peer relations, parent-child relations, and academics. Clinton's development of lifelong attachments. Problematic parent-child relationship; the family structure. Academically high achiever.

Paper Introduction:
Abstract This psycho-historical analysis of Bill Clinton concentrates on the period of his adolescence from the vantage point of three types of developmental theory. The theoretical perspectives are those of Erik Erikson, whose psychosocial approach was psychoanalytic in origin but transcended basic psychoanalytic theory by expanding into the are of relations between human beings and their social settings; James Fowler, who drew on Erikson's developmental schemes and others but concerned himself with the individual's development of faith; and Jean Piaget, whose theory dealt primarily with cognitive development in children but extended into adolescence and adulthood as well. The three theoretical perspectives are applied to three themes: peer relations, parent-child relations, and academics. Each of these themes is developed on

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32-39. Fort Worth: SummitGroup. In terms of cognitive development Clinton was able quiteearly in his adolescence to begin the process of subordinating hisreflective and theoretical tendencies to a practical appreciation of therole of such ideas in the real political world. Buthis formal development of faith, which he by all accounts took for granted,seems to have been afforded only a minor role in his life. In adolescence, he argued, the conflict isbetween identity and role confusion. (1992, July 2 ). Piaget (1967) was interested in howchildren think and established a number of formative stages through whichthey pass as their age and experience enables them to take on increasinglycomplex cognitive functions. Identity: Youth and crisis. While the views of friends,relatives, teachers, and others in such biographical works are, of course,informed by hindsight there is nonetheless a tendency to be more open intheir recollections than there may have been after Clinton's two terms aspresident. Time, pp. Clinton: Young man in a hurry. Translated by A.Tenzer. The theoretical perspectives are those of ErikErikson, whose psychosocial approach was psychoanalytic in origin buttranscended basic psychoanalytic theory by expanding into the are ofrelations between human beings and their social settings; James Fowler, whodrew on Erikson's developmental schemes and others but concerned himselfwith the individual's development of faith; and Jean Piaget, whose theorydealt primarily with cognitive development in children but extended intoadolescence and adulthood as well. (1992). Piaget held that in adolescence theindividual supplements concrete thought with the acquisition of formalthought, around the ages of eleven or twelve, which allows her/him to beginto think reflectively, i.e., on the ideational plane, and to form theoriesand systems of her/his own. The child and reality: Problems of geneticpsychology. (1968). Secaucus, NJ: Borch Lane Press, Carol Publishing. New York: Grossman. W. (1967). Wills, G. Academically Clinton was a very high achiever and isdescribed as being quite gifted, as determined to succeed in purelyacademic matters as he was in all the associated activities he undertook.His achievements combined to earn scholarships to Georgetown, Oxford, andYale. The overall picture shows that throughout his adolescence Clintonbecame increasingly focused on the goal of politics as a career. Becoming adult, becoming Christian: Adultdevelopment and Christian faith. Beginning of the road. Fowler, J. There was, of course, a connection betweenthe desire to serve and the desire to encourage people to look to him forsolutions that was essential to his ever firmer plans regarding thepolitical life. Moore, J. In terms of peer relationships, Clinton's biography displays thedevelopment of lifelong attachments to people who later worked for him orwith him in various political functions or who were politically useful tohim in some way. (1984). San Francisco: Harper & Row. There is also less speculation about character and its flawssince very little of the scandalous elements of Clinton's private life hadcolored the accounts. New York: Random House. This reflective mode establishes a tyrannyover the egocentric thinking of the adolescent that is gradually reduced byits reconciliation with the concrete, real-world, thinking acquiredearlier. Most notably his application to Georgetown, the only college heapplied to, was based on his highly unusual (in Arkansas) desire to pursuestudies in foreign affairs. References Allen, C. Erikson, Fowler, and Piaget were all stage theorists and each manproposed a certain stage of development as characteristic of adolescence.None of them viewed this in terms of strict age limits, however, and thetransition from adolescence to adulthood could, for example, take place atany time between the ages of 17 and 24. Theresolution of the conflict occurs as sexual, political, career and otheridentities are established. In adolescence, people try outvarious roles in the quest to discover their own identities. Piaget, J. Erikson (1968) held that at everystage of development there is a crisis whose outcome depends on theinteraction between an individual's characteristics and the type of supportprovided by the environment. Fowler (1984) identifies theadolescent faith development as the "Synthetic-Conventional" stage, inwhich, having achieved the formal operational level of cognition whichallows the individual to think in terms of systems, the individual is nowcapable of drawing together the elements of him/herself and synthesizingstories the stories, values and beliefs acquired in early life into asupportive and orienting unity. Abstract This psycho-historical analysis of Bill Clinton concentrates on theperiod of his adolescence from the vantage point of three types ofdevelopmental theory. In broaderterms, however, his discussions of ethics and related topics with hismother, as well as his church training, are credited for his desire to beof service to everyone he met. E., & Portis, J. New York: Norton. The three theoretical perspectives areapplied to three themes: peer relations, parent-child relations, andacademics. Piaget, J. (1973). Thus his early access tothe political sphere shows a markedly practical bent with only a slightstrain of idealism. The Comeback Kid: The life andcareer of Bill Clinton. Each of these themes is developed on the basis of earlybiographies of Clinton (Allen & Portis, 1992; Moore, 1992; Wills, 1992)compiled prior to his election as president. Parent-child relationships are far more problematic asthe early death of his father, his conflicts with his stepfather, and hiscloseness with his mother produced a sense of responsibility (i.e., for hismuch younger brother) and even resulted in a name change as he, at agefifteen, officially took his stepfather's last name in order to reinforcethe family structure. Six psychological studies. (1992). For those who still experience confusion aboutroles the crisis is said to be unresolved. Hisidentity crisis was resolved fairly early in terms of career although hissearch for father figures continually shows the conflict over his ownstepfather which was carefully concealed from the rest of the world. Erikson, E.

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