I’m sure you’ve heard the term “identity crisis” before. It is considered 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 basic theories about instinct, obsession with phallic symbols, and Oedipal complexes prevail in almost every artistic aspect of our culture. However, it was a friend and colleague of Freud’s psychoanalyst, 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. It is known as Erickson’s Theory of Human Development and 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 a great insight into his obsession with identity. He was challenged with him from the 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 at the temple nor the German children at school accepted it.
As he grew older, Erik became interested in psychology and art and he was taken to various institutes, including one where he was psychoanalyzed by Anna Freud, Sigmund’s wife. Later, the two 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 by focusing 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 its field.
There are eight stages of human development, each of which focuses on a different conflict that we must resolve in order to move successfully into the next stage of our lives. The idea is that if we don’t solve each stage or choose the two-choice mistake, our ability to deal with consecutive stages suffers 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 that they are safe and can trust the person who is basically the only thing they know. It’s about touching and being there and you can see it in that cute look they give you as you feed them.
Stage two: muscle 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 greatest example of this conflict. He also points out that this is the stage when 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, not reinforcing these efforts will lead the child to doubt himself and his confidence in him.
Stage three: locomotive
Ages: 3 to 6 years
Conflict: initiative vs blame
It’s about independence and letting the child exercise their initiative. This is the stage where 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 that they cannot and the response that the parent gives them, 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
It is about completing. Before this stage, we are all familiar with the child who begins to do something, but then breaks down; drops it and is on something else. At this stage, the culmination and the pleasure it brings becomes crucial. This is greatly influenced by his introduction to school beyond kindergarten. It is the union of physical and mental capacities as well. Parents should encourage their children to handle the different experiences of a home environment and the school environment, among others.
Stage five: 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 for everyone, but especially for the child. They are aware that they will become a collaborator of society (industry) and the search for who they are drives their actions and thoughts. The desire to know what it is they want and believe separate from what they have adopted from their parents is crucial to self-confidence.
Stage six: 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 is known as the ability to make a personal commitment and does not necessarily mean sex. Personal commitment, met with mutual satisfaction, make this stage a success. If he cannot handle this stage, an adult will resort to isolation.
Stage seven: middle adulthood
Ages: 40 to 65 years
Conflict: generativity vs stagnation
The words are getting bigger and bigger, but stay with me. Generativity is our ability to care for another person, which is shown mainly in raising children. Specifically, it is the ability to lead someone to society and to the next generation. We do not focus on death, but we begin to understand that we are high in the order of society and we owe something to society. If we have not dealt with our previous conflicts, we will stagnate and our lives will not show anything that we can remember.
Stage eight: maturity
Ages: 65 until death
Conflict: Ego integrity versus despair
It is then that we begin to reflect on our life, accepting it for what it was. If we have done well in previous stages, especially in stage seven, we can feel a sense of fulfillment and accept death as an inescapable reality with dignity. If we have not done well, we can feel full of regret, despair for the time that 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 how you watch 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 helpful 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 what unresolved issues / conflicts are leading to current behavior and prepare for the stages to come.