Assignment:
Introduction:
The movie The Breakfast Club directed by John Hughes released in 1985 explores the lives of 5 teenagers spending a Saturday in detention at their high school in suburban Chicago. Because they have to spend the entire day in detention, cannot study, and are assigned to write an essay by the assistant principal, they begin to share information with each other about their lives. During this sharing they begin to reflect on themselves and the peers in the group. John Hughes was noted for being able to explore developmental issues associated with adolescence in an accurate, yet entertaining manner. This assignment provides you with the opportunity to analyze and apply concepts of lifespan development, especially from the lens of a professional counselor.
This assignment is to be completed in Word format and submitted electronically to the gradebook or e-mailed directly to the instructor using Bellevue University issues e-mails per their specific instructions in the course you are enrolled. This assignment has a limit of 12 pages, which does not include the title page or references section. Papers not following these instructions, not following the correct format, and/or not submitted by the established due date will receive no credit for the assignment.
Instructions:
1. You are to select one of the following main characters from the movie to analyze:
• John Bender (played by Judd Nelson)
• Andrew Clark (played by Emilio Estevez)
• Brian Johnson (played by Anthony Michael Hall)
• Allison Reynolds (played by Ally Sheedy)
• Claire Standish (played by Molly Ringwold)
2. The paper will have the following sections neatly and clearly labeled:
a. Introduction:
i. Provide thorough background information on the character which should include physical, cognitive, and socioemotional information including multicultural assessment information.
ii. Why was in the character placed in detention?
b. Theoretical Application and Discussion:
i. Based on scholarship and theory discussed in this course and consistent with themes of lifespan development, identify the following factors:
1. Physical Development
2. Cognitive Development
3. Identity Development
ii. In this identification and discussion of theory and scholarship, you need to include at least 2 peer reviewed empirical journal articles on each domain (physical, cognitive, and identity development in adolescence) to support and enhance the discussion (this means a minimum of 6 journal articles). Books and other publications cannot be used to meet this requirement, but may be included to supplement the discussion.
iii. Once you have identified and discussed the theories, then you must apply them to the character you selected.
1. How does the theory fit with the information you have observed with the character?
2. Does it completely match, or is there some disconnect?
3. Provide some rationale for how well the theory explains, or does not explain, the situation and behaviors of the character you selected.
4. What peer group issues and influences should be considered in terms of the character selected?
5. What are their issues and concerns related to their interactions with other peers?
iv. Remember to be mindful of any multicultural issues to address in your analysis and discussion.
c. Implications for Practice:
i. How would a professional counselor incorporate the theoretical information on adolescent development into their work and intervention with the character selected?
ii. Without appreciating and incorporating knowledge about adolescent development, how would this impact the observations, conceptualizations, and interventions with the identified character?
d. Discussion of Assistant Principal:
i. The character Richard "Dick" Vernon (played by Paul Gleason) illustrates issues related to lifespan development.
1. From the theory and scholarship in the text, what can you identify about the assistant principal's own developmental issues?
2. How do his developmental issues impact the teenagers in detention?
e. Resiliency:
i. Provide a discussion of the theory and scholarship surrounding resiliency, especially as applied to adolescence.
1. This discussion should incorporate 3 peer-reviewed empirical journal articles that were not included in the previous discussion.
2. Apply the theory and scholarship in these articles specifically to the character selected.
a. Does the information seem to support the actions and behaviors of the selected character?
b. If the journal article information did enhance and clarify the behavior of actions of the selected character, then provide a hypothesis addressing the gap between the research and what you observed.
3. None of the main characters in the movie represent any group of color, although there is diversity within this group.
a. Identify one peer-reviewed empirical journal article addressing some issue of multiculturalism and resiliency in adolescence.
b. Provide a summary of the information in the article.
c. What would the implication of this information be for practice and intervention with adolescents?
f. Personal Reflection:
i. Reflect upon your own adolescence and answer the following questions:
1. Provide a summary of your reflection.
2. What concepts, theories, and scholarship are accurate in their explanation of your own experiences and personal development during this time period?
3. If there were issues that were not explained by the scholarship, provide a discussion of this.
4. What was your overall reaction to this assignment?
5. What did you learn about lifespan development and yourself in the process of completing this assignment?
g. References:
i. Make sure to cite all appropriate and applicable reference in current APA format.
3. Formatting, Grammar & Writing:
a. Use 12 point font size.
b. Use New Times Roman Font
c. Use current APA guidelines for term papers in terms of headings, formatting, and structure.
d. Be neat and clear in the labeling of sections.
e. Do not use first person, except in the personal reflection section.
f. Avoid the use of colloquial words and phrases.
g. Use grammatically correct English
h. No spelling errors.