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 are prevalent 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 opens a window on the development of everything that makes us who we are inside. It is known as Erickson’s Theory of Human Development and 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 statistics. 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 he was taken to various institutes, including one where Sigmund’s wife Anna Freud 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 with the values of parents and society. 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 consecutive stages suffers and the failure will come back to us at some point later in life.
Stage One: Oral Sensory
Ages: from birth to 12-18 months
Conflict: Trust vs Mistrust
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 trust the person who is basically the only thing they know. It’s all about touching and being there and you can see it in that cute look they give you while you feed them.
Stage Two: Muscled Anal
Ages: 18 months to 3 years
Conflict: Autonomy vs Doubt
This stage focuses on self-control and self-confidence, and Erickson gives toilet training as the major 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 wait 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 where it is very important to take 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 feeling guilty.
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 breaks down; he drops it and moves on to something else. At this stage, the fulfillment and pleasure that he brings become crucial. This is heavily influenced by his introduction to school beyond kindergarten. It is the union of mental and physical abilities as well. Parents should encourage their children to deal with the different experiences of a home environment and the environment at school, among others.
Fifth Stage: Adolescence
Ages: 12 to 18 years old
Conflict: identity versus 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 old
Conflict: psychosocial development
Love relationships dominate this stage for all of us and depend heavily 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 you can’t handle this stage, an adult will resort to seclusion.
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 which is primarily displayed in parenting. Specifically, it is the ability to direct someone to society and the next generation. We do not focus on death, but we begin to understand that we occupy a prominent 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 exhibit anything we can remember.
Stage Eight: Maturity
Ages: 65 to death
Conflict: ego integrity versus 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 in stage seven, we can feel a sense of fulfillment and accept death as an inescapable reality with dignity. If we haven’t done well, we can be filled with regret, despair that time is running out, and fear of death.
When you read the stages, it is impossible not to identify them as you have experienced them or as you see your children experiencing them. However, Erickson’s theory is not without its critics. Many say that it focuses too much on infancy and childhood and is 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 driving the current behavior and prepare for the stages to come.
