Jack is a male college student who has struggled to maintain intimate relationships throughout his whole life. He often remembers some good times when he was younger, before adolescence, hanging out with his neighborhood friends all day and night, both boys and girls. However, as he entered adolescence, those good memories faded and Jack struggled to make friends and even when he made friends, he struggled to keep them. He gets made fun of and is called a “nerd” throughout middle school. As he enters high school, he tries to fit in and makes a few close friends who he often hangs out with and enjoys their company. However, in college, he struggles to fit in again and lets people walk out of his life, which leads to a period of depression.
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Harry Stack Sullivan has a theory about intimacy and his theory is that intimacy is interpersonal. He states that as one progresses in life, their needs of intimacy develops and changes. He states that in middle childhood, ones needs are hat they need peers and need to be accepted by peers (Steinberg, 2011). Jack supports this theory as his whole life, including middle-childhood; he wanted to be accepted by his peers. Sullivan’s theory also stated that in preadolescence, there is a need for intimacy and consensual validation from same sex peers (Steinberg, 2011). Jack also supports this theory because in preadolescence, he got invited to a sleepover with some of the guys. During this sleepover Jack’s classmates put porn on and watched it. Jack states that he did not like watching it and that his classmates even made fun of him for being silent during the porn. He said that it seemed strange and wrong, but that these classmates of his were cool and he needed them to like him. One last example of how Jack’s life is connected with Sullivan’s theory of intimacy is during early adolescence. During this stage, there is need for sexual contact and intimacy with an opposite-sex partner (Steinberg, 2011). In high school Jack has many girlfriends and he states that needed a girl to like him and although there was really no need for sexual contact he did want that intimacy with the opposite
Harry Stack Sullivan has a theory about intimacy and his theory is that intimacy is interpersonal. He states that as one progresses in life, their needs of intimacy develops and changes. He states that in middle childhood, ones needs are hat they need peers and need to be accepted by peers (Steinberg, 2011). Jack supports this theory as his whole life, including middle-childhood; he wanted to be accepted by his peers. Sullivan’s theory also stated that in preadolescence, there is a need for intimacy and consensual validation from same sex peers (Steinberg, 2011). Jack also supports this theory because in preadolescence, he got invited to a sleepover with some of the guys. During this sleepover Jack’s classmates put porn on and watched it. Jack states that he did not like watching it and that his classmates even made fun of him for being silent during the porn. He said that it seemed strange and wrong, but that these classmates of his were cool and he needed them to like him. One last example of how Jack’s life is connected with Sullivan’s theory of intimacy is during early adolescence. During this stage, there is need for sexual contact and intimacy with an opposite-sex partner (Steinberg, 2011). In high school Jack has many girlfriends and he states that needed a girl to like him and although there was really no need for sexual contact he did want that intimacy with the opposite