Eriksons Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development - Assignment Example

? Erikson’s Eight Stages Of Psychosocial Development 13 October Introduction When I sit back and think about the various experiences I have had during my childhood and as I was growing up, I can clearly see how it has made a deep impact on my life through adulthood. I was born and raised in Chao Zhou City, Guang Dong province in China and my childhood was fairly typical. Although I grew up in a communist society, my life revolved around my family, friends and school. I come from an upper middle class family and both my parents held government jobs. I have a younger brother and we both lived together with our parents until I decided to come to the United Sates for higher studies My parents always encouraged me and my brother to share and care for each other. Although we did not get everything that we wanted, deep down in my heart, I know that they love me and will always be there for me. My life was largely untouched by the pressures of living in a communist society. I have had an interest in academics and sports right from my childhood and therefore I was fully immersed in these activities. I consider myself to be fairly outgoing and enjoy spending time with friends and family. I have many friends back in China and I am still in touch with them through mail and phone. However, I am excited about the opportunity I got to come and study in the United States. I had always wanted to come to the United States and explore the opportunities that this country has to offer. In this paper, I will analyze my life experiences in the light of the eight stages of social skills development as demonstrated in Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Erikson stated that each of these stages is characterized by specific developmental milestones that act like a defining moment that guides the development of an individual (Cherry). Erikson’s Stages of Social Skills Development 1. Trust vs. Mistrust (Occurs from birth to age two) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, “children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust” (2009). I--------X-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Trust Mistrust I have heard from my mother that one time, when she was away in another city on official work, my father was at home, preparing for an important meeting which was to be held that afternoon. I was an infant at that time and was exploring things in the front room when I accidently dropped a hot cup of coffee on myself. Even though we had a baby sitter at home, my father cancelled his meeting and chose to be with me that day. I have also heard from my mother that she nursed me till I was two years old because she wanted me to be healthy and strong. I believe that it is my parents support during my early years of life that has helped me to gain confidence and not feel threatened by my surroundings. Hence, I have placed myself closer to ‘trust’ on the scale. Had I not been given this support and care, I would not have learned to trust my parents and my surroundings. 2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Occurs between the ages of two and three) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, “children need to develop a sense of independence. Success leads to feelings of autonomy, failure and punishment results in feelings of shame and doubt” (2009). I-------X-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Autonomy Shame and Doubt I do not remember much about this phase in my life. However, recollecting past conversations with my parents, I know that I was a very active child while growing up and wanted to eat food and drink milk without anybody’s assistance. My parents would place me on a high chair next to the table and keep the food in front of me. I would not allow any body to help me and would insist on eating it on my own, even if it would get messy. I have also heard my aunt mention that I was trained to use the toilet by the time I was two years old. I believe that the encouragement and support I received from my parents, to try out these basic skills on my own, helped me to develop self-esteem and autonomy during those years. Hence, I have placed myself closer to ‘autonomy’ on the scale. Had I been shouted at or criticized during this phase, I would have been feeling ashamed and full of doubt. 3. Initiative vs. Guilt (Occurs between the ages of three and five) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, “children need to begin asserting control and power over the environment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose. If the child’s attempts to take initiative or exert power are met with disapproval, it can result in a sense of guilt” (2009). I-----X---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Initiative Guilt I vaguely remember, as a four year old child, being asked to hand my father certain tools while he was fixing his car. I would also be asked to hold a basket while we would go for grocery shopping and help my mother clean my room everyday. I believe that these experiences in my childhood helped me to feel secure about my abilities to take initiative. Hence, I have placed myself closer to ‘initiative’ on the scale. Had I been criticized and controlled, I would have felt guilty and would have lacked self-initiative. 4. Industry vs. Inferiority (Occurs between the ages of six and twelve) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, “children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of inferiority” (2009). I-----X-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Industry Inferiority I have always been interested in sports and I am told that while growing up I used to participate in a variety of sports activities. I have a file containing certificates and medals that I received during these events. I had also been an outstanding student academically. In fact, my teachers used to ask me to help other students in understanding certain concepts that were taught in class. My parents have told me that when I was 9 years old, my teachers chose me to represent the class in an elocution competition, in which I won the third prize. I believe that the encouragement and support I received from my teachers in all these endeavors helped me to feel competent and confident of myself. Therefore, I have placed myself near ‘industry’ on the scale. Had I been put down and not encouraged by my teachers, I would have felt inferior and unworthy. 5. Identity vs. Role Confusion (Occurs between the ages of twelve to twenty) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, “teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Success leads to an ability to stay true to themselves, while failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self” (2009). I-------X------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Identity Role Confusion I remember as an adolescent, I made the choice about who I wanted to be friends with. I was also very certain that after completing my studies I would launch my own business and try a hand in the stock market as well. I also had a strong desire to move out of China and go to the United States in pursue of these opportunities since I desired to do better than my parents. I believe that it was during this period that I began to develop a sense of individual identity. Therefore I have placed myself near ‘identity’ on the scale. If my parents had discouraged me to follow my heart’s desire, it would have left me confused with a poor sense of self. 6. Intimacy vs. Isolation (Occurs between the 20s and 30s) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, “young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other people. Success leads to strong relationships, while failure results in loneliness and isolation” (2009). I-------X----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Intimacy Isolation I am currently 20 years old and have just entered this phase. In this phase, Erikson states that young adults begin to explore relationships with the intent of having long term commitments with someone other than their family members (Gerlach). Having been able to complete all the previous stages in my life successfully, I feel that as I enter this phase of my life, I will be able to find a life partner to whom I would be committed and feel secure in having a long term relationship. Based on the close relationships with my brother and friends, I am confident that I will be able to successfully complete this stage. Looking into the future, I can foresee myself moving through this stage smoothly as I develop strong relationships which are founded on commitment, security and care. Therefore I have placed myself close to ‘intimacy’ on the scale. 7. Generality vs. Stagnation (Occurs between 40s and 50s) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, “adults need to create or nurture things that will outlast them, often by having children or creating a positive change that benefits other people. Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, while failure results in shallow involvement in the world” (2009). I-------X----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Generality Stagnation According to Erikson, in this phase adults desire to be responsible as they raise their children, be productive at work and be involved in community activities (Anderson). When I enter this phase of my life, I can foresee myself providing a good and healthy environment for my children to grow up in. I can also see myself being successful in my business endeavors. Therefore I have placed myself close to ‘generality’ on the scale. 8. Integrity vs. Despair (Starts from 60s onwards) Santrock defines this stage as a phase when, “older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment. Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom, while failure results in regret, bitterness and despair” (2009). I-------X----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Integrity Despair In this phase, Erikson describes that older adults begin to reflect on their retired life (Heffner). They begin to examine their accomplishments in life and experience a sense of fulfillment. When I enter this phase of my life, I can foresee myself reflecting on my various experiences in life and explore my retired life. I would think about my life in China, the experiences I had there, my parents who were supportive as I decided to move to the United States, my life in the United States, my family and the accomplishments I have been able to make while in America. Looking at my children, I would feel happy and content that I was able to provide them with a much better life. These thoughts would give me a sense of fulfillment as I think about the legacy that I would leave behind for my children. Therefore I have placed myself close to ‘integrity’ on the scale Conclusion As I was reflecting on my past experiences to write this autobiography, I realized that I was truly fortunate to grow up in an environment that was very supportive and nurturing. I feel that my parents played the most important role in my life as they provided a loving and nurturing environment for me and my brother. Their involvement in my life helped me to learn to trust and gain confidence in them and my environment as a whole, during my early years of childhood. This was the strong foundation that helped me to move successfully through each of the eight phases of social skills development that was identified by Erikson in his theory of psychosocial development. I strongly feel that both parents and teachers have important roles in the development of children. If they are able to address the needs of a child with appropriate care and support, the child would grow up as a confident and independent person as they mature into adults. They need to realize that each child is a human being that needs to be nurtured well so that they can attain their full potential. However, if parent and / or teachers are most of the time accusing and controlling towards the child, he/ she would not be able to complete the developmental stage successfully, which would hinder the successful completion of the following stages as well. With respect to working with children, exploring Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development has helped me to realize the important role I can play in the lives of children. I now understand that for any child to grow up as a confident individual who can take initiatives on their own and function autonomously, the strong foundations laid during the early ears of life are very important. Works Cited Anderson, Margeret. Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development. n.d. Web. 10 Oct 2011. < http://web.cortland.edu/andersmd/ERIK/sum.HTML > Cherry, Kendra. Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development. n.d.. Web. 11 Oct 2011. Gerlach, Peter. Perspective of Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Human Development. 20 Jun 2011. Web. 9 Oct 2011. Heffner, Christopher. Psychology 101: Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. 21 Mar 2004. Web 11 Oct 2011. < http://allpsych.com/psychology101/social_development.html> Santrock, J. John. Children. New York: Mc-Graw Hill, 2009. Print. Read More