Eriksons Model of Developmental - Essay Example

Human life passes through distinct learning stages that shape a person’s perspectives and position in the environment. Erikson’s model of developmental stages that identifies conflict for resolution is an example. I am currently and the intimacy versus isolation stage and this paper offer an overview of my experience in earlier stages of Erikson’s development, management of the current crisis, and prediction over the remaining stages besides personal opinion on the relevance and applicability of the stages.  

My life, in my interactions with the environment and my behavior, identifies developed trust at the initial level of Erickson’s developmental stages. The type of care that I received in my infancy could explain this because my mother devoted her time to caring for her young children and resumed work when we were older. I, therefore, received consistent care that was rich in parental love, an experience that must have influenced my trust in the world and my surrounding. My infancy also involved close relatives who offered care, comfort, and company, and these could explain my high level of trust. My experience with the autonomy versus shame stage indicates the development of a high level of independence that remains significant in my life. I am confident in my decisions and actions and appreciate challenges and failures that do not intimidate or demoralize me. My experience at the stage is also attributable to my immediate environment in which my mother and some close relatives were available to influence decisions. From the knowledge that I developed, the people encouraged me to venture into the environment and to make available decisions and helped me out of my failures. I also managed the guilt versus initiative stage to a sense of security, competence, and confidence to lead others and to develop self-initiatives. Social support from my environment that had clear but purposeful guidance on my decisions at the stage facilitated the resolution. My development at the industry versus inferiority stage however suggests a partial resolution. While I exhibit a level of competence in most interactions, there is some sense of inferiority that crops up when I encounter some environments, especially those environments that I presume to be superior. I however managed the adolescence stage into proper self-identity, self-worth, and my future role as an adult. Basic social education in school as well as general knowledge of society facilitated my resolution at this stage (Burger 106- 108).

The current crisis that I face is the intimacy versus isolation conflict. This has been a challenging stage because of the emotional involvement and the level of uncertainties. I have experienced relationships that failed and each experience discouraged me and reduced my confidence in another intimate relationship. I have however tried to manage my fears and to develop self-awareness for a strong and intimate relationship. I am also making efforts to understand psychological aspects of life, people’s behavior, and reasons for the behavior as a strategy to resolving my developed fears towards an intimate relationship. I however manage positive social ties with people and I am optimistic about my ability to achieve an intimate relationship in a short while (Burger 109).

Generativity versus stagnation and ego integrity versus despair is the remaining Erickson stages of my life. I would like to be successful in generativity through the development of a stable family. My desire for the stage also includes the ability to influence my guide my children into stable future lives by empowering them and playing a leadership role in their lives. I would also like to take adequate measures to ensure that my children and other children around me experience positive environments for positive resolution of their early stages of Erikson’s development model. I would also like to achieve a sense of integrity in my entire life experience and my goals. Identification of my lifetime objectives and alignment of my achievements with the objectives is my strategy for achieving integrity because such developmental success depends on an individual’s conscience over the two factors (Burger 109-114).

Erikson’s descriptions of the developmental stages are relevant and applicable. Their potential effects on an individual’s life, success, and self-worth identify the relevance. Developed trust during a child’s infancy dictates how the child related to society through its later stages of life and may influence the child’s later developmental stages. Autonomy and initiative conflicts also influence a person’s perception of personal ability and worth toward success. The descriptions also have social and psychological applications in people’s lives because experiences shape people’s trust, competence, and initiative in interactions. My experience also supports the relevance and applicability of the descriptions (Burger 106-114).