Erik Erikson created his own theory of development which greatly differed from Freud's in a variety of ways. In Erikson's theory, the main drives are social ones, not sexual or aggressive ones and he believes that these are biologically based. Erikson believes that to progress through the stages, one must develop, or resolve a series of problems or conflicts which concern the individuals sense of self and relationships with other people. Also, Erikson's theory has eight stages, half of which focus on the years after puberty, although in this reflective journal I will only talk about the stages up till and including adolescence. In Erikson's opinion, personality continues to change in adulthood.
The first of Erikson's stages occurs from the time someone is born till they are about a year and a half old. This stage is trust vs. mistrust, and involves developing trust in others as well as in oneself. This is very important for infants, as they show by their attachment to their parent's, typically their mother. I think that I learned to trust people as well as myself fairly strongly during this stage. When I was very young I was always cared for, either by my mother, father or a babysitter or other family member. Because I have a sister who is two years older than me, my mother was focused on taking care of us for the first year or so of my life, before she started to focus on work again. Also, both my parents are very trustworthy and dedicated people, so I assume that they fulfilled my need for connecting and developing trust with them. Now, I tend to be a fairly trusting person, which sometimes does not work to my benefit, but once someone proves that I should not trust them, it is very hard for me to trust that person again. I also trust myself to make good decisions and to lead my life properly, and I believe that everyone should trust themselves more than they trust other people, because they are the only ones who can ultimately control themselves.
The second stage is from when we are around a year and a half old until we are about three years old. It is autonomy vs. shame, or learning self control. This is very commonly seen in society today -- if you spend any prolonged period of time with a toddler of this age, they are sure to break boundaries and be scolded by their parents. In most societies, this is how children learn what is allowed or is socially acceptable and what is not. While my parents have always been extremely accepting and kind with me, I am sure that there are many incidents during this stage when I was reprimanded, and it probably helped me form my idea of society and they way to act within it.
The third stage occurs from when we are about 3 years old until we are five. It is initiative vs. guilt, and is about learning to plan and initiate new actions. We often see this in older toddlers and small children - they are just learning about the world, and they want to take initiative to explore it. They are just learning not only about the world, but also about the practicalities of life, as much as they try to avoid it. I have always been one to plan ahead to a certain extent, and I remember my parents tell me that as soon as I could walk, I did not want to be told what to do. While I am not a particularly demanding person now, they said that they used to call me "Talia the dictator" because I always took such initiative to what I wanted to do. I am very independent now and I don't like to have to rely on people for things, I am not quite as set on taking the initiative as I was during this stage. While I rarely feel shame for anything I've done, I often feel guilty, more than the average person, for little things like forgetting to call a friend back or snapping at someone when I am in a bad mood, and that could possibly be traced back to this stage.
The fourth stage is from when we are five until we are twelve years old, and is about industry vs. inferiority. During this stage people are usually absorbed in activities like school or sports and are developing a sense of competence. During this stage I remember experiencing a real change in my level of independence and not only could I do more than before, but people trusted me to do more than I had before. I was given both more responsibility and more freedom, and I became focused on school and other activities. I have always been a very good student, and I think that probably started at this stage. I remember that while I was not quite as focused on the big picture at this time, or knowledgeable about problems around the world, I was very focused on my achievements within my own little sphere. I also remember that my main focus during this time was achievement and competence and not trying to figure out my person as a whole.
The fifth stage, and the last one that I will reflect on, as I am still experiencing it, occurs from when we hit puberty until we are about twenty years old. It involves identity vs. role confusion and is focused on forming a clear sense of self identity. In this stage an individual seeks to create a clear sense of who they are, but failing to do so can create role confusion. Because of the self doubt and difficulties in relationships with others that sometimes occur, role confusion can trigger an identity crisis. This is a difficult stage to reflect on, because it is still going on, but I think that it is a very accurate way of describing the recent years of my life, and I think it holds true for the majority of teenagers. When reflecting on recent years, I realize how drastically I have changed - while my general personality and character traits have stayed constant, my general being and sense of self has changed. Even since coming to India at the beginning of the year my sense of identity has changed. Shifting family situations, friend groups, personal priorities and personal experiences have all contributed to my change in identity. While I have not gone through an identity crisis, I don't think I need to to establish my sense of self firmly. I am not sure if I am completely done establishing myself, and I have a feeling I will not be done until sometime after I have been in college and experienced that aspect of life.
The other three stages are Intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and integrity vs. despair, which span respectively from 20 - 25, 25 - 65 and from 65 till death.
The table attached displays how Erikson's stages correlate with Freuds.
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