Industry versus Inferiority - Essay Example

Industry vs inferiority Before speaking about child psychology it is worth mentioning that this branch takes a special place in sciences connected with psychology. The theory by Erik Erickson about division of the life cycle into eight stages is a huge contribution to the theories of psychoanalysis and to psychology in general. In contrast to Freud, Erickson considers that though a person’s character is formed in childhood, but preserves an ability to be changed in future with every stage of life. Erickson’s theory is a ground for many other researches in the world of psychology. It is interesting to notice that Erickson’s expression “the crisis of identification” is familiar to every American and is widely used. The attention, that Erickson paid to the problems of youth and maturity, helped much to get rid of the opinion about the irreversible personality formation (Personal Encounter: Psychodynamic development). Speaking about Erickson’s contribution to psychology I’d like to mention his three points that make his theory peculiar: 1. Erickson considers that the psychological stages of self-development exist along with the Freud’s phases of psychosexual development. 2. Erickson stated that the development of any personality does not finish in teenager-age, but goes through the whole life. 3. Erickson stated that every stage has its own operation factors, the ability to accept positive and negative meanings. Though every stage of life cycle is very important for character formation, the forth stage is the most prominent. According to the classical psychoanalysis it can be called latent phase. At this time the love of son to his mother and jealousy to father is in latency. As an example a common child can be taken. It is a boy from usual family. It is interesting to notice that at this age the ability for deduction is developing. Besides, the child is more interested in organized plays and lessons. Erickson states that this phase is characterized by the industry from one hand and by the feeling of inferiority from another one (Evans, 1969). The child is fond of making things and it is really interesting for him to know how the things are made and what that consist of. The best reading for this age is ‘The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Dephoe. It helps to interest the child in technical creative activity. It is worth mentioning that parents, who see no sense in the child’s technical creative activity, can cause the child to have the feeling of inferiority. The environment of the child is not limited at this age. Along with the family other social institutes play a great role in character formation. Here Erickson makes the frames wider – going to school, communicating with peers has a great impact on child’s psychology. The child, not being prominent for his keenwittedness, can be shocked by school, though his industry is approved at home. Sometimes children who do not do well at school have a great feeling of inferiority. And there can be an opposite variant – is the child is not approved at home can feel well at school. So it is obvious that character formation at this period depends not only on parents but on people who surround the child. So it is possible to state that such point of view on at the personality formation gives much responsibility to the very person and society (Kendra Van Wagner). The roles of school and parents are the integral parts of personality formation. It is worth mentioning that these two concepts are not interchangeable parts of the process. Parents follow the child from the first stage of their life and that is why they are of a great account. Parents are the examples of life models for every child and they form the greatest part of their future life. School meets child at the forth stage and the child already has some peculiar features. The goal of school if whether to develop these features whether to help the child to get rid of them in case they are negative. It is very important if school and parents work in cooperation. This is connected with the fact that the child spends more time at school, when they come home and there is nobody there, they can do whatever they want. Usually parents are able to see the child in the evening and that is not enough time to have a great impact. That is why there should be a close contact between school and parents. This fact will definitely help to reduce the feeling of inferiority. Sometimes the feeling of inferiority is caused by peer’s opinions. The child’s peers are at the same situation and they are also influenced by school and their parents, but they may have different values and that is why sometimes their activity or the way of communication can cause, or limit on the contrary, the feeling of inferiority (Erickson, 1964). Many children really suffer because of the feeling of inferiority and it is a very important issue nowadays. This problem is not still solved and demands quick solution. To limit the feeling of inferiority parents should: be in close contact with their child; be interested in their child’s hobbies; develop the child’s self-confident; play different games that help child to become sociable; have a close contact with school and to be interested in their child’s activity there. The concept of industry has an opposite meaning to the concept inferiority. In this case industry can be interpreted as an ability to cooperate with environment. In many cases industry can be worked out. In conclusion it should be mentioned that Erickson’s theory is not opposite to Freud’s one. It is a developed and increased theory. Sometimes Erickson is criticized for extra optimism, which is used in his view at mankind and its ability to recover. The theories invented by Erickson have made psychoanalysis younger. It is worth mentioning the most important points of the stage four of psychological development: “To bring a productive situation to completion is an aim which gradually supersedes the whims and wishes of play; The fundamentals of technology are developed; To lose the hope of such "industrious" association may pull the child back to the more isolated, less conscious familial rivalry of the Oedipal time; The child can become a conformist and thoughtless slave whom others exploit.” (Psychosocial Theory: Erikson) References Erickson Erick H., Insight and Responsibility: Lectures on the Ethical Implications of Psychoanalytic Insight, W. W. Norton & Company (1964) Evans Richard I. Dialogue with Erick Erickson , E. P. Dutton (1969) Kendra Van Wagner, Eriksons Theory of Psychosocial Development http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/psychosocial_2.htm Personal Encounter: Psychodynamic development http://inst.santafe.cc.fl.us/~mwehr/PEDevErikStage4.htm Psychosocial Theory: Erikson http://www.haverford.edu/psych/ddavis/p109g/erikson.stages.html Read More