# data[].attributes.body
Mei Ling is a young girl who is confident and high-achieving in school. She has close relationship with her overprotective mother, Ming, who runs a temple and sets high expectations for her daughter. Mei is dedicated to her family and traditions, but she is also trying to navigate the challenges of adolescence, including friendships and crushes. One eerie day, Mei discoveries that she transforms into a Giant Red Panda, when she experiences strong emotions, especially excitement or stress. She soon learn this transformation is linked to her family's ancestry, it is a ritual that allows woman to channel their emotions. Mei was initially overwhelmed with this change, but soon began to embrace the panda it gave her an identity of individuality. The relationship with her mother begins to take a toll when Ming's strictness and desire to keep Mei under control clashes with Mei's want for freedom and self-expression. With the support of friends, Mei learns to navigate her emotions and embraces her panda forms. In the end, Mei finds herself and continues to understand what she went through. This realizations helps strength her bond with her family, she finds a balance between her individuality and heritage. The literary themes that this movie explores is identity, family dynamics, and the transition from childhood to adolescence.

# data[].attributes.headline
Short synopsis: setting & major characters

# data[].attributes.subject
Short synopsis: setting & major characters

# data[].attributes.body
The movie is centered around a 13-year-old girl named Mei Lee who lives in Toronto, Ontario. She is torn between being her mother's(Ming Lee) responsible daughter and the change of adolescence. she wants to be a teenager and she struggles with her relationship within her self and her friends( Miriam, Pryia, and Abby). As if these challenges were not enough, whenever she gets overly excited she turns into a Giant Red Panda

# data[].attributes.body
Erik Erikson, a German psychologist, was an American child psychoanalyst know for his theory on psychosocial development of people. He coined the term "identity crisis". He focused on the process on forming identity: a person's stable sense of who they are (My Psychology pg 317). He created the 8 stages of psychosocial development he believed personality and identity is developed from childhood to death. The actions of society help shape identity throughout the eight basic stages of life. At each stage individuals face a conflict between two opposing states that shape out identity successfully resolving the conflicts leads to virtues like hope, will, purpose, and integrity.

Work Cited:

Souto-Manning , M. (2022, June 17). Erik Erikson. Erikson Institute. https://www.erikson.edu/about/history/erik-erikson/

# data[].attributes.body
This stage occurs at birth to 18 months, at this stage we are completely helpless so we depend on our parents. Erikson believes if we receive love, kindness and care, we will learn to trust and we will then feel safe and secure in the world. If we receive the opposite of that we will be fearful of the world.

# data[].attributes.body
This stage occurs from 2 to 3 years of age, it was thought if we successfully complete something individually we are allowed to gain more control over different preferences and choices, we will develop more autonomy and feel more secure and confident.

# data[].attributes.body
This stage occurs at ages 3 to 5 years, in this stage we learn to assert ourselves in social situations. If we succeed, we develop initiative and feel more capable, if we do not succeed we can be left with guilt and self-doubt.

# data[].attributes.body
this stage occurs at ages 6 to 11 years, if we are encouraged to improve our abilities and if our accomplishments are acknowledge; we develop a sense of confidence if we are ridiculed by our parents, peers, or teachers we are more likely to doubt our abilities.

# data[].attributes.body
This stage occurs from 12 to 18 years old, this happens during our teenage years where we are most vulnerable to different influences, values, and our sense of self. Teenagers with a sense of self positively develop stronger feelings of independence and control, those who do not end up with insecurities within theirselves.

# data[].attributes.body
This stage occurs from 19 to 40 years of age, developing committed relationships in our early adulthood help our lifelong relationships feel, the ability to form strong bonds is closely tied to wether or not we develop a sense of strong self in our teen years. Without a strong sense of self we are likely to have less committed relationships we can suffer from isolation and loneliness.

# data[].attributes.body
This stage occurs from 40 to 65 years of age, if we succeed and have a productive life, we will feel like we are contributing to the world. if we do not succeed we will feel uninvolved in the world

# data[].attributes.body
This stage occurs from 65 to death, we look back on life and develop a sense of pride in our accomplishments, we are likely to feel satisfied. If we do not develop this pride we feel like life has been wasted.

Work citied:

Cherry , K. (2023). Master of Science in Education Insight: Erikson’s 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development. Walden University. https://www.waldenu.edu/online-masters-programs/ms-in-education/resource/ms-in-education-insight-eriksons-8-stages-of-development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Collin Testing and Psychological Services

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Erik Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development Explained

# data[].attributes.body
This video explains, the message of "Turning Red" and to me explains some of Erikson's theories throughout life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
From Fear to Freedom: The Empowering Messages of Pixar's 'Turning Red'

# data[].attributes.body
Mei ling struggles with her identity as she navigates her relationships with family, friends, and her own desires. She wants to be independent and have her own personal autonomy; but she also wants to honor her mother's expectations and culture. Her sudden transformation into a red panda symbolizes this stage, at first she feels confused and ashamed about this new identity she is conflicted internally with herself. She learns to embrace the panda as part of her identity, she starts to realize who she is beyond the expectations her mother sets for herself.

# data[].attributes.body
Mei desires to be apart of her friend group and participate in activities such as their favorite boy band concert called 4*TOWN. which her mom forbid her to go too, but she is conflicted with wanting to fit in and obeying her mothers expectations. When she feels left out or struggles to maintain her friendships and responsibilities at home, she experiences self-doubt and insecurity from these conflicting choices. Mei feels like she has to prove she is good enough to her mother and that causes her to doubt her abilities.

# data[].attributes.body
In this stage Mei tries to balance family expectations, she is expected to excel in and life which is a lot of pressure at her age. She wants to succeed to please her mother, and fears that if she doesn't she will let her mother down. Mei's desire to become her own person and her obligation to her family is conflicted when she wants to do anything else beside school; like for instance hanging out with her friends and just being a "normal" teenager. She experiences guilt for not fulfilling her mother's expectations or being the "perfect" daughter.

# data[].attributes.body
Mei's transformation into a red panda was confusing and scary. She couldn't figure out what was happening to her and why it was happening. The panda comes on when she experiences strong emotions, highlighting how difficult it can be to navigate these feelings as a teenager.

# data[].attributes.body
The concert is where Mei's control of emotions takes place because it is an environment where she can get overly excited and transform into a red panda; but Mei finally embraces her panda form. She finally finds a balance between her true identity and emotions. This leads to the personal growth of Mei.

# data[].attributes.body
When Mei learns about her family heritage deeper, she realizes what the meaning of the red panda is to her heritage and to the woman in her family. It deepened her connection to her heritage.

# data[].attributes.headline
Character Identity and effectiveness of theory 

# data[].attributes.subject
Character Identity and effectiveness of theory 

# data[].attributes.body
In the movie turning red Mei ling culture is heavily shown throughout the movie. Her identity is seen as Chinese-Canadian, Mei's identity is significant to her because it is something she is trying to learn and find out more about. It highlights the tension between her want for independence and her family expectations, it validates Erikson's idea of adolescents wanting to explore different identities to develop a sense of self. Her heritage plays a role in her life as she gets older, and she is trying to find a way to balance her culture.

# data[].attributes.headline
Erikson's theory and character experiences 

# data[].attributes.subject
Erikson's theory and character experiences 

# data[].attributes.body
Erikson's theory captures the key experiences that align withe some of his developmental stages throughout life. Mei's struggle with her cultural identity is significant to her journey; this showcases Erikson's stage of identity vs. confusion she is trying to understand who she is in conflicting situations. The tension between her desire for independence and family expectations shows conflict between loyalty to family and personal goals, this aligns with Erikson's importance of relationships with family in identity development. The experiences with her friends and the desire to fit in goes along with the theory of social connections during adolescence, the acceptance of her self strengthens her friendships. It demonstrates the resolution of role confusion.

# data[].attributes.headline
Psycho-Developmental assessment of Mei Ling 

# data[].attributes.subject
Psycho-Developmental assessment of Mei Ling 

# data[].attributes.body
Mei's resolution of conflicts with her cultural identity, emotional expression, peer pressure, and individual desires. Mei learns how to balance and navigate these conflicts, like for example with her emotional expression she learned too instead of suppress them, she learned to accept them which show emotional maturity. Erikson says their are steps to growth and Mei show this through how she resolved conflicts, it will lead to a healthy identity.

# data[].attributes.body
In the end of "Turning Red", Mei lee embraced her true self and learned to balance the transformation of the red panda into her life. Throughout the movie she goes back and forth on wether to keep the panda or not through a cultural ritual; ultimately Mei decides to keep the panda which signifies her growth and acceptance of her identity and emotions. She also finds a balance with her strict mother and learns to understand her mom. The conclusion of turning red showcases Erikson's theory overall because Mei reflected on her feelings and what she did and came to terms with it. It shows a conflict that she faces and how she resolves it.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jean Piaget Cognitive Development Theory 

# data[].attributes.subject
Jean Piaget Cognitive Development Theory 

# data[].attributes.body
Jean Piaget was a psychologist who developed the idea of cognitive development in children, he believed kids thinking progressed through distinct stages. He created four stages of cognitive development; sensorimotor, preoperational concrete operational, and formal operational (My Psychology 301). Piaget's theory closely aligns with stage 4 "industry vs. inferiority" of Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development, during this stage children are eager to improve their abilities and learn new skills, aligning with Piagets emphasis on cognitive elopement through problem solving and exploration. Children engaging with peers and educators is important for cognitive growth. This concept closely relates to Erik Eriksons theory because both theorists showed the importance of development and with interacting with the environment, although they approached the process of development from different perspectives one from a emotional and social and the other cognitive, they both essentially provide a more deeper understanding of humans life stages over time.

Work citied:

Pomerantz , A. M. (2023). Chapter 9.3: Infancy and Childhood . In My Psychology (pp. 296–312). essay, Macmillan Learning . Retrieved October 22, 2024, from https://achieve.macmillanlearning.com/courses/gbq6rs/e-book.