Eriksons Eight Stages of Life - Essay Example

Autobiography based on Erikson’s Eight Stages of Life Autobiography based on Erikson’s Eight Stages of Life Erickson’s eight stages of life are the stages in which every human being has to pass through from childhood to adulthood. According to Erickson, at every stage a person masters new challenges and that for the person to get to get the next stage they have to master the previous stage. In connection to this, the main aim of this paper is to write an autobiography based on Erikson’s eight stages of life. Trust vs. Mistrust (0-18months) This is a stage that occurs between birth and roughly 18 months of age. The stage is also known as Oral Sensory Stage. According to Erikson, the trust versus mistrust stage is the most significant phase in a person’s life. The infant depends entirely on his or her caregivers hence the value of care that the child receives plays a vital role in the determining the child’s character (Erickson, 1963). It is at this stage that the child learns whether or not he / she can trust the people around him / her. Does the caregiver attend to the needs of the baby when he cries? Does anyone comfort the child when he / she is frightened? The child learns to trust the people who are taking care for him or her when these needs are consistently met. If his / her needs are not consistently met, the child will mistrust the people around him. A child who successfully develops trust feels safe and secure in the world. Caregivers who are not consistent, emotionally unavailable or rejecting contribute to feelings of mistrust in the children they care for. Mistrust will result to fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and random (Erickson, 1963). During my infancy I was attached to my mother to the extent that I never wanted to let her go. Whenever my mother was away, I would cry and start suckling my fingers. I used to feel like anyone else apart from my mother was meant to harm me. With time I started getting used to my elder sister who would always attend to me whenever I cried. When I was one year old, I started investing in relationships with almost everyone at home, I had developed non-suspicious attitudes, was welcoming to touch, could easily let mother go and share my possessions. I had developed trust. Autonomy vs. Shame/ Doubt (18 months- 3years) At this stage children are focused on gaining a greater sense of self-control. The child learns to master skills such as walking, talking, feeding and other fine motor skills. The child also learns to say "NO!" which is a vital skill of the will. It is important to gain a sense of individual control over the world at this phase of development. The child develops a sense of control and a feeling of freedom on acquiring toilet training or learning to control ones body functions. Other necessary actions comprise of gaining more control over toy preferences food choices and clothing selection. A child who succeeds to complete this stage feels secure and confident, while those who do not succeed are left with a sense of inadequacy and self-doubt. A child is however very vulnerable at this stage. If a child is shamed when learning valuable skills or toilet training, the child may feel great shame, and doubt of ones capabilities and this consequently lowers the childs self-esteem (Erickson, 1963). At this stage of development I successful acquired most of the skills. Before I acquired toilet training, I could pass my wastes anywhere especially behind our house. My mother would regularly train me to use a potty and punish me if I did contrary to her instructions. I had difficulties walking on my two feet without leaning on something. My siblings and my mother would laugh at me. This could explain why I have little confidence in performing motor tasks such as dancing and running to date and I always predict failure. All the same, I succeeded in acquiring a sense of independence, ability to resist being dominated and assertiveness. I was able to resolve the conflict and acquire autonomy. Initiative vs. Guilt (3years- 6years) This phase occurs in the preschool years. Initiative versus guilt stage is characterized by children beginning to assert their control and power over the world through directing social interaction including play. They also begin to use the exploring word WHY? At this stage, children should begin to assert their power and control over the environment by taking initiative through organizing activities, accomplishing tasks and overcoming challenges (Erickson, 1968). Children at this stage are motivated to copy adults. It is important for caregivers at this stage to encourage exploration and to help children make appropriate choices. Caregivers who are dispiriting or dismissive may make children feel ashamed and become excessively dependent upon the help of others. Play and imagination takes on an important role at this stage. Giving children freedom and encouraging them to play reinforces their sense of initiative. When efforts to participate in physical and imaginative play are discouraged by caregivers, children start feeling that their self-initiated endeavors are a source of embarrassment. Succeeding in this stage leads to a sense of purpose, while failure instills a sense of guilt (Erickson, 1963). Between the 3-6 years I would comfortably engage in play and storytelling with my peers. I used to like acting where we would take the roles of our parents and storytelling. I was good at organizing imaginative plays and not physical ones. My parents supported whenever I wanted to play and even suggested that I should go play with my friends even when I never had such plans. As a result of this, I ended up becoming a self starter, accepting challenges, setting goals and working towards achieving them. However I was unable to move my body freely. All the same I was able to overcome the conflict and become acquire initiative. Industry vs. Inferiority (6-12years) This stage is also referred to as latency. School and social relations play a key role during this period of a child’s life. During this stage, children become competent of carrying out progressively more complex tasks. Following this, they strive to master new skills. Children who are commended and encouraged by their parents and teachers develop a feeling of competency and believe in their skills. This is also an exceptionally social stage of growth and if children experience unsettled feelings of inadequacy and inferiority among their peers, they can have severe problems in terms of competence and self-esteem (Erickson, 1968). The most significant relationship at this point is with the school and neighborhood. Performing well in school and formation of friendships helps children develop a feeling of competence or industry. Otherwise they experience inadequacy. Children at this stage must learn that conceiving a plan is important but implementing the plan is even more important. Those children who manage to get the right balance between industry and inferiority acquire the virtue of competency (Erickson, 1963). I was able to make a number of friends both with schoolmates and my neighbors during my first years in school. I was also able to acquire a number of skills such as drawing, reading, writing and solving problems that helped me to perform well in school. My parents would praise me for my good performance and additionally buy me gifts. My classmates would also admire me because of my excellence and proclaim it. These raise my self confidence and I believed in my abilities. However I was not a very good performer in Mathematics but with the assistance of my teachers I was able to deal with the academic demands. I was also able to deal with the social needs that were presented by the new social environment. Ability to strike a balance between industry and inferiority fostered a sense of competence in me. Identity vs. Role Confusion This stage occurs after childhood, when children transit to adulthood. Children change their focus to the future in terms of relationships, housing, career and such. They desire to fit in the society and get a sense of belonging. Children now become more independent and start making some decisions on themselves (Newman B and Newman, 2003). Adolescents re- examine themselves and try to get their identity as well as what they are capable of doing. They try to learn their roles and position in the society. Identity at this stage includes both sexual identity and occupational identity. During this stage, adolescents experience some changes in their bodies, which may make them uncomfortable for some time, until they adapt to the changes. Adolescents who succeed in this stage develop a virtue of fidelity I that they can commit themselves to others despite there being differences in ideologies (Newman B and Newman, 2003). Adolescents explore possibilities and eventually form their identity depending on the results of their explorations. If they fail to establish their identity, they suffer from role confusion. Such adolescents cannot make decisions regarding their sexual orientation, vacation as well as the role in the society. Adolescents respond to role confusion by trying to experiment different lifestyles. Forcing adolescent into an identity may make them rebellious and unhappy. During my adolescent, my identity was more of occupational than sexual. This was mainly because I attended a school where I had very tight friends who were very competitive academically. I spent much time with my friends revising and helping each other in our weak areas. However, I was a poetess and spent my free time writing and reciting poems. Iwo many trophies in the school music festivals and was recognized as he best poetess. This helped me boost my courage and confidence since I had to stand in front of many people as I recited poems. At one point, I was interviewed in a media house after composing and reciting a poem on corruption. Intimacy vs. Isolation This stage comes after identity vs. role confusion. The main events that occur in this stage are love and relationships. Young adults begin to share themselves more intimately with other young adults. Young adults at this stage try to determine whether they are capable of loving. They seek to explore relationships with people apart from their family members, aiming at commitments that will last for longer times (Newman B and Newman, 2003). However, this stage depends much on the previous stage. If a person did not develop a sense of identity, they may not as well succeed in this stage. Love is the principal virtue that is developed at this stage. Young adults who are successful in this stage have comfortable relationships, and they develop a sense of commitment to their partners quickly. They are able to reciprocate love and are willing to make sacrifices for their relationships (Newman B and Newman, 2003). However, those who avoid intimacy and fear commitment as well as relationships may feel isolated, depressed and lonely. Such people may find it hard to trust and depend on anybody. Young adults, despite being successful in their careers feel incomplete until they develop intimacy. This stage was the most troublesome in my life. During this stage, I was determined to experience love. This was particularly influenced by the movies and the shows I watched on media. Due to my good academic performance and poetry, I was well known by many people, and wherever I went, people always wanted to talk to me. I had many friends not of my sex, and quite a number of them thought we could blend well. However, after trying the first one, it failed terribly, and we always disagreed, even on petty issues. This left me thinking whether there was real love, similar to what I watched in shows and movies. However, I did not give up since later met my love, which we blend so well, and I was able to make a long-term commitment. Generativity versus Stagnation Generativity vs. stagnation is the seventh stage of psychosocial development. This stage occurs during the middle age of between 40- 65 years. At this stage, the adult main concern is to make their life count. They search for ways by which they can make their lives be remembered. They strive to participate in the future generation mainly through nurturing them. The main events at this stage are parenthood and work (Newman B., Newman P., 2003). Care is the primary virtue in this stage. Generativity means to leave a mark. It is the concern of nurturing the future generations. Adults express generativity by engaging in socially- valued work. Adults apply generativity mostly to family, work, community and relationships. When an adult succeeds in this stage, may be by raising a successful family or working for the societys betterment, they gain a sense of productivity as well as accomplishment. At this stage, adults accept and appreciate their childrens mates and friends, and give up central roles in their childrens lives. On the other hand, adults who fail to be productive feel dissatisfied and stagnated (Newman B., Newman P., 2003). Mostly, the stagnated adults are usually those who are self- centered or those who are unwilling to help the society. They concentrate more on their personal benefits. During my adulthood, I was successful in raising a well nurtured family. My two children were able to attain high levels of education, as well as self- confidence. I was able to bring out the best in them through nurturing their talents, and this makes me very proud. My eldest daughter was accredited the best female artist while my son attained an honorary degree in his studies. I also witnessed my children exchange vows with their mates, as well as start families. I was extremely happy to witness my spouse establish his own company. I also succeeded to start a movement that aims at conserving the environment. In this movement, I recruit children as well as adults who have a heart for the environment and care for the future generations. The movement planted more than five thousand trees, as well as created public awareness on the importance of conserving the environment. The movement also held several successful cities clean up exercises, and this made the society a better place. My life, therefore, was more of generativity than despair. Integrity versus despair This is the last level in Erik Eriksons psychosocial development theory. It happens during the late years of adulthood. Mostly, this happens beyond 65 years of age up to the end of life. It is an assessment stage where people evaluate whether their lives were meaningful (Newman B. & Newman P., 2003). Productivity decreases at this stage. Wisdom is the basic virtue in this stage. People either get a sense of fulfillment from the lives they have lived, or regret as well as despair on mistakes they made. However, the stage can occur out of sequence, for instance, when one is diagnosed of a terminal disease. People who are successful in this stage have few regrets, and this gives them a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Such successful individuals attain high levels of wisdom, even as they near death. Successful people attain a sense of integrity and are proud of their accomplishments (Newman B., Newman P., 2003). On the contrary, people who fail to be successful at this stage have a feeling of despair and look back with many regrets in their lives. Hey have few accomplishments and many wasted opportunities. They develop much bitterness about their lives, and they see themselves as losers in life. My life in the last psychosocial stage lay more on the integrity side. I felt a great sense of fulfillment especially because of my family. My family was the main source of joy and support in my old age. My spouse was the only person who made my days bright. My grandchildren made me proud as I watched them lay in the home compound, running after each other. The environmental conservation movement made me get a sense of self- satisfaction as I saw young people plant more trees and clean the cities. I had few regrets since I had made the best of each and every chance that i encountered. References Newman, B. & Newman, P. (2003). Development through life: a psychosocial approach. 8th Ed. Australia: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Erickson, E. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: Norton Erickson, E. (1963). Childhood and Society, 2nd Ed. New York: Norton Read More