Michelle ObamaAMBER N. SMITHLOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Few Facts About Michelle Obama

Lawyer Health Care Executive First Lady of the United States, Wife of President Barack Obama Mother of Malia and Natasha “Sasha” Obama

Childhood

Born in January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois

Father was a janitor Mother was a stay at home mom Learned to read at an early age (prior to

beginning school) She and her brother Craig were raised by

both parents Mrs. Obama often credits her father for

being very influential in her life, and refers to his work ethic as inspiration

Fraser Robinson, Michelle Obama’s Father

Employed as a station laborer (or janitor) Had Multiple Sclerosis Credited as being a diligent provider for his family Worked in Chicago for several years during the Civil Rights Movement,

gaining several promotions throughout his tenure and able to move his family out of the “black belt” to a more affluent neighborhood that offered better schooling

Ambitious; Community Activist

Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama’s Mother

A full-time housewife, unlike many African American mothers during this time

While many African American mothers worked during the 1960s and 70s, Fraser Robinson’s sole salary permitted Marian to stay at home full-time with her children

Taught her children to read during their preschool years

Michelle’s Personality during Childhood

Independent Focused Determined Competitive Could be hard-headed

Early Childhood Pastimes

Barbie and Ken Playing the piano Board games Playing “office” with her brother Watching sports

Later Childhood/High School Years

INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETYSENIOR CLASS TREASURERPRACTICED BALLET

Michelle’s Personality in High School

Studious Diligent Personable Friendly Appreciated diverse settings Vocal about wrongdoings Active Persistent and determined to prove

people wrong; was told she couldn’t get into Princeton, but she did

College YearsAttended Princeton UniversityBegan looking at the issue of race as a black student in an Ivy League UniversityInvolved in black-based extracurricular organizationsUsed her experiences to make a difference and for social justiceVoiced her beliefs in her thesis that not enough was being done at the time to support black studentsGraduated with departmental honors

Post-Undergraduate/Young Adulthood

ATTENDED HARVARD LAW SCHOOLINVOLVED IN AFRICAN AMERICAN BASED ORGANIZATIONSINTERESTED IN INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN POVERTY WHO NEEDED LEGAL SERVICES

After Harvard

Went to work for Sidley & Austin, a law firm that practiced corporate law in Chicago, Illinois

Took another route and got into entertainment law

Worked with trademarking, distribution, and broadcasting of Barney, the purple dinosaur

Met future husband Barack Obama; assigned as his advisor while he was a summer intern at Sidley & Austin

Married Barack Obama in 1992 Worked as a health administrator Made contributions to her husband’s senatorial

and presidential campaigns

Theories Displayed in Michelle Obama’s LifeERIKSON, SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY, VYGOTSKY

Erikson

Erikson’s Psychosocial theory is about how children learn and develop through culture and individual identity and through each stage, something valuable is added to that, keeping us on a constant quest of exploring our identity.

Erikson states that our identities are formed at an early age and is built upon throughout our lives

Michelle Obama’s life is an example of Erikson’s theory in the following ways.

Erikson

During this stage children look up to their parents as superior, powerful figures who serve as ole models and children aspire to be like them (Miller, 2011, p. 152).

This is evident in Michelle Obama in the fact that she not only credits her father for his perseverance and work ethic, but that her personality traits mirrored his in early childhood where it was established and these personality traits remained with her throughout childhood and into adulthood where she continued to have experiences that built onto her existing personality.

Stage 3: Initiative Versus Guilt

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She was disappointed in herself. She used to have a little bit of trouble with tests, so she did whatever she had to do to make up for that.. MARIAN ROBINSON SPEAKING OF MICHELLE OBAMA (MUNDY, 2008, P. 64)

Stage 4: Industry Versus InferiorityIn this stage children are discovering their identities through their environments. The skills they excel in bring confidence and their weaknesses bring inferiority. With Michelle Obama this was the case. She pushed herself to study hard in areas that wasn’t her strongest to bring mastery.

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Both my kids were reading at much higher levels when they were young because they liked reading. I taught my son to read but when I went to show Michelle how to read she wasn’t ready so she just ignored me. I guess she figured she could figure out how to read on her own, but she was too young to say that. Marian Robinson on Michelle Obama (Mundy, 2008, p. 34)

Here Mrs. Robinson says that both Michelle and her brother were advanced in reading at an early age but did not teach Michelle like she taught Craig and assumed she knew hoe to do it herself. Here we possibly see observational learning from Social Learning Theory, where children learn through observing and the actions don’t always have to be overt. The act of seeing Mrs. Robinson teaching Craig to reach may have been influential on Michelle.

Vygotsky

Sociocultural Origins of Individual Mental Functioning: Child-adult interactions are ingrained

into the child’s mind. Culture is passed from adult to child External becomes internal Intermental constructs the

Intramental (Miller, 2011, p. 178)

Michelle’s Culture Hard work and persistence is part of

Michelle Obama’s culture as she witnessed her father display these characteristics on daily basis.

Seeing her father do this, which is the interaction allowed this to mentally internalized, in which the outcome is her developing into a focused, determined and hard-working individual.

Her father passed down a culture of diligence to her.

References Cited

Miller, P. H. (2011). Theories of developmental psychology. New York: Worth PublishersMundy, L. (2009). Michelle: A biography. Simon and Schuster.

Picture Citations

Enwikipedia.orgParade.comNytlive.nytimes.comOhlovelylolo.wordpress.comSnakkle.comBusinessinsider.com