I’m sure you’ve heard the term “identity crisis” before. It is intended as a conflict between oneself and society and its introduction came from one of the most famous psychoanalysts of the 20th century.
Sigmund Freud is probably the most familiar name that comes to mind when one thinks of famous psychologists. His fundamental fundamental theories of instinct, obsession with phallic symbols, and oedipal complexes prevail in almost every artistic aspect of our culture. However, it was a friend and fellow psychoanalyst of Freud, Erik Erickson, who created one of the main theories that open a window to the development of everything that makes us who we are on the inside. Known as Erickson’s Theory of Human Development, it simplifies the complex subject of human personality.
First, let’s talk about the man himself. Erik Homberger was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1902. The conditions in which he began his life give great insight into his obsession with identity. He was challenged with that from the stat. His parents were not married and his Danish father left before Erik was born. His Jewish mother married Erik’s pediatrician when he was three years old. Erik had Nordic features; he was tall, blond and had blue eyes. Neither the Jewish children in the temple nor the German children in the school accepted it.
As he grew older, psychology and art began to interest Erik and they took him to various institutes, including one where Anna Freud, Sigmund’s wife, psychoanalyzed him. Both later became close friends with Erickson. When the Nazis came to power, Erik moved to Boston, where he studied child psychoanalysis and was influenced by many Mead psychologists and anthropologists, but many famous psychologists and anthropologists.
He is considered a Freudian ego psychologist, which means that he takes the basic foundation of Freud’s theories, but deviates and focuses on social and cultural orientation. Erickson’s theory closely links personality growth to parental and societal values. His 1950 book, Childhood and Society, is considered a classic in his field.
There are eight stages of human development, each of which focuses on a different conflict that we must resolve in order to successfully develop into the next stage of our lives. The idea is that if we don’t solve each stage or choose the wrong of two options, our ability to deal with the consecutive stages is affected and failure will return to us at some point later in life.
Stage One: Oral Sensory
Ages: from birth to 12-18 months
Conflict: Trust vs Distrust
The baby’s bond with its primary caregiver is based on trust and love. The connection with that person (usually mom) allows them to feel safe and they can trust the person who is basically all they know. It’s all about touching and being there and you can see it in that cute look they give you while feeding them.
Stage Two: Muscular Anal
Ages: 18 months to 3 years
Conflict: Autonomy vs Doubt
This stage focuses on self-control and self-confidence, and Erickson gives potty training as the best example of this conflict. He also points out that this is the stage where an overprotective parent can do the most damage. The child wants autonomy. We are all familiar with the two hour wait because they have to tie their shoes. We hope because at this stage, the lack of reinforcement of these efforts will lead the child to doubt himself and his confidence in him.
Third Stage: Locomotive
Ages: 3 to 6 years
Conflict: Initiative vs. Fault
It is about independence and letting the child exercise his initiative. This is the stage in which it is very important to carry the car keys or help mom in any way possible. They are developing a sense of responsibility and limitations. They will try to do things they can’t, and the parent’s response, encouragement or rejection, will allow the child to understand the limitations without guilt.
Stage Four: Latency
Ages: 6 to 12 years
Conflict: Industry vs Inferiority
This is about completion. Before this stage, we are all familiar with the child who starts to do something, but then it breaks; he drops it and moves on to something else. At this stage, the fulfillment and pleasure it brings become crucial. This is heavily influenced by introducing him to school beyond kindergarten. It is the union of mental and physical capacities as well. Parents should encourage their children to deal with the different experiences of a home environment and the school environment, among others.
Fifth Stage: Adolescence
Ages: 12 to 18 years
Conflict: Identity vs. Role Confusion
This stage could be a book in itself; the teenage years. They are hard on everyone, but especially on the child himself. They are aware that they will become a contributor to society (industry) and search for those who are driving their actions and thoughts. The desire to know what they want and believe apart from what they have adopted from their parents is crucial to their self-confidence.
Sixth stage: young adulthood
Ages: 19 to 40 Years
Conflict: psychosocial development
Loving relationships dominate this stage for all of us and are highly dependent on our ability to resolve the conflicts we face in stage five. Can you be intimate? Can you be open? Can you commit? Intimacy refers to the ability to make a personal commitment and does not necessarily mean sex. Personal commitment, added to mutual satisfaction, make this a successful stage. If he can’t handle this stage, an adult will resort to isolation.
Seventh Stage: Middle Adulthood
Ages: 40 to 65 Years
Conflict: Generativity vs. Stagnation
The words are getting bigger, but stay with me. Generativity is our ability to care for another person that shows itself primarily in parenting. Specifically, it is the ability to lead someone into society and the next generation. We do not focus on death, but we begin to understand that we occupy a high place in the order of society and that we owe something to society. If we haven’t dealt with our previous conflicts, we get stuck and our lives won’t display anything we can remember.
Stage Eight: Maturity
Ages: 65 until death
Conflict: ego integrity vs. despair
It is then that we begin to reflect on our life, accepting it as it was. If we have done well in the previous stages, especially stage seven, we can feel a sense of fulfillment and accept death as an inescapable reality with dignity. If we haven’t done it right, we can be filled with regret, despair at the time that is running out, and fear of death.
When you read the stages, it’s impossible not to identify them as you’ve experienced them or as you see your children experience them. However, Erickson’s theory is not without its critics. Many say it is too focused on infancy and childhood and not very useful for later in life. Others say that it really applies to boys and not girls using Erickson’s (Freudian) belief that boys and girls naturally develop different personalities.
In general, Erickson’s Theory of Human Development is widely accepted and plays an important role in all studies and theories of human and psychological development. The best advice is to use the theory as a framework or map to understand and identify which unresolved issues/conflicts are leading to the current behavior and prepare for the stages ahead.
