Erik Erikson’s theory of social development By Ryan, Mathieu, Sam and Becky

Biography He was born in Frankfurt, Germany. On June 15, 1902 He was born from an affair his mother had. Moved to America in 1933 Was bullied when he was a child He became the first child psychoanalyst in Boston

Theory His theory of the different stages that people go through and that each stage has two sides to them. hope - Basic Trust vs. Mistrust - Infant stage. Does the child believe its caregivers to be reliable?

Theory cont.. will - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt - Toddler stage. Child needs to learn to explore the world. Bad if the parent is too smothering or completely neglectful. purpose - Initiative vs. Guilt - Kindergarten - Can the child plan or do things on his own, such as dress him or herself. If "guilty" about making his or her own choices, the child will not function well.

Theory cont.. competence - Industry vs. Inferiority - Around age 6 to puberty. Child comparing self worth to others (such as in a classroom environment). Child can recognise major disparities in personal abilities relative to other children.

Theory cont.. fidelity - Identity vs. Role Confusion - Teenager. Questioning of self. Who am I, how do I fit in? Where am I going in life? love (in intimate relationships, work and family) - Intimacy vs. Isolation - Young adult. Who do I want to be with or date, what am I going to do with my life? Will I settle down?

Theory cont.. caring - Generativity vs. Stagnation - the Mid- life crisis. Measure accomplishments/failures. Am I satisfied or not? The need to assist the younger generation. Stagnation is the feeling of not having done anything to help the next generation.

Theory cont.. wisdom - Ego Integrity vs. Despair - old age. Some handle death well. Some can be bitter, unhappy, dissatisfied with what they accomplished or failed to accomplish within their life time. They reflect on the past, and either conclude at satisfaction or despair.

Video RAU RAU

Critique Gary Direnfield writes on Erik Erikson’s “Integrity vs. Despair”. Integrity vs. Despair is the final stage of human development. Integrity – That which, at the end of your life, makes you feel good about your life. Despair – That which, at the end of your life, makes you feel bad about your life.

Critique cont.. In essence, at the end of one’s life, when one looks back upon one’s actions, which outweighs the other? The end goal of life is to die with integrity, rather than to die with despair. This forces us to evaluate our every action to decide whether or not it contains integrity, or despair, and how it will affect us in our dying days.

Critique cont.. Gary Direnfield suggests that, while this is the final stage in our development, it is also one that we must plan and prepare for our entire lives. “Integrity in death may require correcting for previous choices and behaviours to date. The point is, start now.”

Bibliography articles/Guiding_Principle.pdf articles/Guiding_Principle.pdf