Introduction
Erik Erikson theory on growth and development deals with the psychosocial development of a person from birth to death, (McLeod, 2018). Each stage of the theory is based on some milestones that are made by a human being in their growth. The theory is divided into eight distinctive stages that a person undergoes in their growth, (Chung, 2018). Each stage of development is characterized with a conflict. A person is required to handle the conflict. If the conflict is well handle the individual will emerge better equipped psychological and will be able to handle issues properly. If not properly handled, a person is unable to gain essential skills that are required in life. Each stage in Erikson’s theory is a build up to the next stage.
Trust VS Mistrust
The first stage of the psychosocial theory is the trust vs mistrust. This stage takes place between birth to the age of 18months. At this stage an infant is dependent on the caregiver for everything. The most important act here is on feeding. At this stage the care givers should ensure that a child is given constant, reliable, and reliable care, (McLeod, 2018). If the care is properly given, then the infant will develop a sense of trusting people and processes. This makes them to feel more secure in life.
On the other hand, if the care given to the child is not proper the infant grows with mistrust, (McLeod, 2018). They will not be able to trust people that are around her later in life. The infant ends up being insecure in life and in most cases they are withdrawn and rare interacts with the other people, (McCrae and Costa Jr, 1997). They also end up be anxious in life even when not under any threat. They end up not having confidence. The child also finds it difficult to start things later in life. This ends up affecting relationships later in the life of a person.
This stage corresponds to the oral stage of psychosexual theory of Sigmund Freud, (Orenstein and Lewis, 2020). According to Sigmund Freud at this stage the infant erogenous parts are at the mouth area. They get satisfaction through suckling their mother’s breasts or putting things on their mouth. If not well handle the infant ends up being maladjusted.
Though I cannot really tell how this stage was handled and my care giver I can predict it through some of the traits that I have developed as person and which are acquired at this stage. One thing I can say is that I received good care which made me to be confident in life. I have also good relationship with people and I feel a sense of belong. Being able to initial issues when in a group is another indicator that shows I received the best care at this stage. I am one optimistic person in life. This shows that I properly passed through the trust vs mistrust stage of psychosocial stage.
Autonomy vs Shame, doubt
This is the second stage of psychosocial theory. This stage takes place between the age of 18months to the age of three years. At this stage the child is concentrating on developing motor skills, (McLeod, 2018). The children are learning to control their control on their ability to move. The children here are also developing a sense of independence. At this stage parents and caregivers should exercise caution on how their handle the physical capabilities of their children.
At this stage the child is becoming more mobile they are also learning how to put on clothes and shoes on their own. The care giver should give them time to do these things without interfering. However, caution should be exercised not to let the child fail in this activity too much as this will make them develop a feeling of despair.
If the stage is handled well the child develop a virtue of will. Encouraging them to try doing things on themselves develops confidence in the child. It also makes them to be more independent in future life. This will enable them to be able to survive life on their own. Parents should avoid criticizing their children for failure in this stage. Doing so makes the child develop doubts on their ability to do things. A child who is not handled properly in this life ends up feeling shame and are afraid to initiate new things in life least they are criticized.
This stage corresponds with anal stage of psycho-sexual theory, (Orenstein and Lewis, 2020). In this stage children are taught on toilet usage. It’s very for a child to soil him/herself at this stage. If the parent criticizes them they end up developing low self-esteem. Gross (1992), at this stage parents should aim at their children developing self-esteem and mastering self-control.
This stage I may also not be able to narrate what really happened. However, from traits that I have I may be able to say how it was. Having high esteem shows that my parents were able to give proper training at this stage. Though it may not have been perfect as sometimes I find it difficult to initiate new things. This shows that the stage was not perfectly handled.
Initiative vs Guilt
The third stage of psychosocial theory is initiative vs guilt. It takes place between the age of three years to the age of six years. This is the age that most children are starting pre-school. At this stage, children are more active in play with other children, (McLeod, 2018). This stage is characterized by vigorous action. The parents may end up think that their actions are very aggressive, (Bee, 1992).
At this stage there is a lot of interaction between the children and their peers both at home and in school. They start making up games, planning activities and initiating activities. At this stage the child start developing interpersonal skills. If they are allowed to initiate activities, then they end up developing the ability to initiate things. They also develop a sense of being secure and becomes good leaders and decision makers. If this actions are stopped the child ends up developing a sense of guilt.
At this stage the child is also very inquisitive, (McLeod, 2018). The tend to ask a lot of questions out of curiosity. This questions may appear embarrassing, trivial or sometimes a nuisance. If the parents push them away the child ends up feeling as a bother to the parents. This makes the child to develop a sense of guilt, (McCrae and Costa Jr., 2018). If the guilt is too much the child ends up withdrawing from interactions with other people. This may make them to be less creative. Success in this stage helps on to develop a sense of purpose. On the other hand, if this stage is not well developed they end up having a sense of guilt.
At this stage my childhood was a very nice one. I remember being very inquisitive. I could ask questions to my parents and uncle that up to date baffles me. I find some of the questions to be embarrassing. On the side of interpersonal skills, I was very popular among my peers. Most of the times I used to lead them when playing. I had many friends in my neighborhood who we used to go to school together with. We would also play different games at the community playground. My parents were very support and could answers even if some of them were very embarrassing at no any time did they ever rebuke me for asking questions. One of the people who was really always to answer my questions was my uncle. Being fresh from college he really had a lot of stories and never lacked an answer for any of my questions. Looking back today I realize not every answer was true.
Industry vs inferiority
This is the third stage of psychosocial theory. This stage occurs between the age of six years and twelve years, (Mcleod, 2018). This are school going years of a child. This means that at this stage, children are learning reading, writing and arithmetic. They are also learning on how they can do things on themselves. It is at this stage that a teacher becomes an important component in the life of child, (Chung, 2018). The teach them some skills that they will use late in life.
Peer groups also starts to take an important role in the life of a child. In most case the child will want to get approval from the peers by demonstrating their abilities in different things. The views of their peers are highly regarded. Their approval leaves a child with a feeling of pride and accomplishment.
Positive reinforcement at this stage is required in order to encourage the child. Ones they do an activity and they are rewarded they feel a sense of accomplishment. This makes them feel that they are competent to perform the given task, (Mcleod, 2018). If on the other hand, they fail, a feeling of despair sets in. such a child feels inferior, (Mcleod, 2018).
Having being a bright student I thing this stage was relatively easy for me to handle. I did not find it very difficult to perform in class. However, I was not very good in reading and sometimes I felt like quitting. I would hate the teacher asking me to read comprehensions in the classroom as I found it embarrassing not being able to read as fluently as the other students. This might have been caused by my grade one teacher who was not very patient with me. When it came to mathematics and sciences I was always the best student in our classroom. I remember being given many presents for being a top performer. One of those presents (a cup) is still in my house up to date. My parents were always happy with my performance though they never awarded me. Due to my performance I commanded some kind of respect among the peers.
One thing that always made inferior is when it came to playing. I was not a good player for any game especially where physical strength was involved. I usually felt a less person during games time though I would compensate for the feeling when it came to class work. Most of the times during games I would sit and watch as the better players participated.
Identity vs Role confusion
The fifth stage of the psychosocial theory is identity vs role confusion. This stage occurs at the of twelve years to the age of twenty years. This are the adolescent years and are usually characterized with a lot of activities both physically and emotionally. At this stage the child is trying to seek their identity. This is done through exploration of beliefs, personal values and goals. This being a transition stage between childhood to adulthood the child is long on ways that they can fit in the society.
At this stage the adolescent wants to reexamine the values that has already be cultivated into them. They also want to re-examine who they are by looking into their identity as a person in the society. There are also some body changes that takes place at this point. This changes may end up the adolescent to feel confused and uncomfortable. According to the psycho-sexual theory children at this stage starts feeling a lot of sexual desires and attraction to the opposite sex. This stage also brings out the sexual orientation of the child. For example, if there was some kind of sexual abuse to the child when growing they may end up being attracted to members of the same sex.
If properly handled the child emerges out with the virtual of fidelity. This means that one will be able to be committed to others both in relationships or other places. If the stage is not well handle the child ends up having role confusion. This means that a child is not aware of what he/she wants to be in future. They also end up not knowing their place in the society. This gives them an identity crisis throughout their adult life.
This was one of the most turbulent years in my life. The first thing came with the body changes that I started experiencing. I started developing pimples on my face. This made me feel a little bit uncomfortable. I would feel shy even going to school with that face. Luckily our teachers explained to us that that was a normal occurrence.
The other thing that occurred at this stage was trying to get a personal identity. Having being brought up in a Christian family where going to church every Sunday was a must, I started feeling bored with the church. I wanted to be like my peers who did not attend church services. At some time, this brought about a lot of conflicts between my parents and I. however, with time they left me to choose what to do.
It’s also at this stage that I started having attraction to the other members of opposite sex. At first I was very shy and could not want anybody to know my real feelings. A time continued the feelings became some much and I could not resist the temptation of having a girlfriend. This made it easy for me to gel well with my peers who also had girlfriends. One thing that am really thankful up to date for is the assistance given by teachers during this stage.
Being brought up in a cosmopolitan area, the cultural confusion was really too much. There was too much to learn from. One of the issues learnt at this stage is the hip-hop culture. We would like to dress and look like the hip-hop stars that we show on the television. We also would mimic the way they talked and walked. This was one way of fitting in the neighborhood.
Intimacy vs Isolation
The sixth stage of psychosocial theory is intimacy vs isolation. This stage occurs from the age of 20 years to the age of 40 years, (Mcleod, 2018). Here most people will have completed their basic education and attained legal age. This stage is characterized by maturity of the sexual organs of a person. A person at this age is ready for relationship with people of the other sex. Failure to give yourself for relationship will leave on being isolated, (Shawn and Palkovits, 1998).
In this stage I have experience having relationships with the members of the opposite sex. Some of the relationships have been very good. However, I have experienced some heartbreaks from people whom I thought would truly love me. My trusting nature has found me loving and trusting people easily. In one incidence it ended up in tears after I was betrayed by the person I thought loved me a lot.
Conclusion
In conclusion using the psychosocial theory of development I can say that my growth has been relatively handled well. However, not all the stages were properly handled. Some of the childhood experiences are still very influential in my life today. My peers had a very big role in the development where I would do things in order for me to fit among them. Culturally the different cultures influenced my growth by acquiring different habits depending on the type of interactions encountered.
Erik Erikson theory on growth and development deals with the psychosocial development of a person from birth to death, (McLeod, 2018). Each stage of the theory is based on some milestones that are made by a human being in their growth. The theory is divided into eight distinctive stages that a person undergoes in their growth, (Chung, 2018). Each stage of development is characterized with a conflict. A person is required to handle the conflict. If the conflict is well handle the individual will emerge better equipped psychological and will be able to handle issues properly. If not properly handled, a person is unable to gain essential skills that are required in life. Each stage in Erikson’s theory is a build up to the next stage.
Trust VS Mistrust
The first stage of the psychosocial theory is the trust vs mistrust. This stage takes place between birth to the age of 18months. At this stage an infant is dependent on the caregiver for everything. The most important act here is on feeding. At this stage the care givers should ensure that a child is given constant, reliable, and reliable care, (McLeod, 2018). If the care is properly given, then the infant will develop a sense of trusting people and processes. This makes them to feel more secure in life.
On the other hand, if the care given to the child is not proper the infant grows with mistrust, (McLeod, 2018). They will not be able to trust people that are around her later in life. The infant ends up being insecure in life and in most cases they are withdrawn and rare interacts with the other people, (McCrae and Costa Jr, 1997). They also end up be anxious in life even when not under any threat. They end up not having confidence. The child also finds it difficult to start things later in life. This ends up affecting relationships later in the life of a person.
This stage corresponds to the oral stage of psychosexual theory of Sigmund Freud, (Orenstein and Lewis, 2020). According to Sigmund Freud at this stage the infant erogenous parts are at the mouth area. They get satisfaction through suckling their mother’s breasts or putting things on their mouth. If not well handle the infant ends up being maladjusted.
Though I cannot really tell how this stage was handled and my care giver I can predict it through some of the traits that I have developed as person and which are acquired at this stage. One thing I can say is that I received good care which made me to be confident in life. I have also good relationship with people and I feel a sense of belong. Being able to initial issues when in a group is another indicator that shows I received the best care at this stage. I am one optimistic person in life. This shows that I properly passed through the trust vs mistrust stage of psychosocial stage.
Autonomy vs Shame, doubt
This is the second stage of psychosocial theory. This stage takes place between the age of 18months to the age of three years. At this stage the child is concentrating on developing motor skills, (McLeod, 2018). The children are learning to control their control on their ability to move. The children here are also developing a sense of independence. At this stage parents and caregivers should exercise caution on how their handle the physical capabilities of their children.
At this stage the child is becoming more mobile they are also learning how to put on clothes and shoes on their own. The care giver should give them time to do these things without interfering. However, caution should be exercised not to let the child fail in this activity too much as this will make them develop a feeling of despair.
If the stage is handled well the child develop a virtue of will. Encouraging them to try doing things on themselves develops confidence in the child. It also makes them to be more independent in future life. This will enable them to be able to survive life on their own. Parents should avoid criticizing their children for failure in this stage. Doing so makes the child develop doubts on their ability to do things. A child who is not handled properly in this life ends up feeling shame and are afraid to initiate new things in life least they are criticized.
This stage corresponds with anal stage of psycho-sexual theory, (Orenstein and Lewis, 2020). In this stage children are taught on toilet usage. It’s very for a child to soil him/herself at this stage. If the parent criticizes them they end up developing low self-esteem. Gross (1992), at this stage parents should aim at their children developing self-esteem and mastering self-control.
This stage I may also not be able to narrate what really happened. However, from traits that I have I may be able to say how it was. Having high esteem shows that my parents were able to give proper training at this stage. Though it may not have been perfect as sometimes I find it difficult to initiate new things. This shows that the stage was not perfectly handled.
Initiative vs Guilt
The third stage of psychosocial theory is initiative vs guilt. It takes place between the age of three years to the age of six years. This is the age that most children are starting pre-school. At this stage, children are more active in play with other children, (McLeod, 2018). This stage is characterized by vigorous action. The parents may end up think that their actions are very aggressive, (Bee, 1992).
At this stage there is a lot of interaction between the children and their peers both at home and in school. They start making up games, planning activities and initiating activities. At this stage the child start developing interpersonal skills. If they are allowed to initiate activities, then they end up developing the ability to initiate things. They also develop a sense of being secure and becomes good leaders and decision makers. If this actions are stopped the child ends up developing a sense of guilt.
At this stage the child is also very inquisitive, (McLeod, 2018). The tend to ask a lot of questions out of curiosity. This questions may appear embarrassing, trivial or sometimes a nuisance. If the parents push them away the child ends up feeling as a bother to the parents. This makes the child to develop a sense of guilt, (McCrae and Costa Jr., 2018). If the guilt is too much the child ends up withdrawing from interactions with other people. This may make them to be less creative. Success in this stage helps on to develop a sense of purpose. On the other hand, if this stage is not well developed they end up having a sense of guilt.
At this stage my childhood was a very nice one. I remember being very inquisitive. I could ask questions to my parents and uncle that up to date baffles me. I find some of the questions to be embarrassing. On the side of interpersonal skills, I was very popular among my peers. Most of the times I used to lead them when playing. I had many friends in my neighborhood who we used to go to school together with. We would also play different games at the community playground. My parents were very support and could answers even if some of them were very embarrassing at no any time did they ever rebuke me for asking questions. One of the people who was really always to answer my questions was my uncle. Being fresh from college he really had a lot of stories and never lacked an answer for any of my questions. Looking back today I realize not every answer was true.
Industry vs inferiority
This is the third stage of psychosocial theory. This stage occurs between the age of six years and twelve years, (Mcleod, 2018). This are school going years of a child. This means that at this stage, children are learning reading, writing and arithmetic. They are also learning on how they can do things on themselves. It is at this stage that a teacher becomes an important component in the life of child, (Chung, 2018). The teach them some skills that they will use late in life.
Peer groups also starts to take an important role in the life of a child. In most case the child will want to get approval from the peers by demonstrating their abilities in different things. The views of their peers are highly regarded. Their approval leaves a child with a feeling of pride and accomplishment.
Positive reinforcement at this stage is required in order to encourage the child. Ones they do an activity and they are rewarded they feel a sense of accomplishment. This makes them feel that they are competent to perform the given task, (Mcleod, 2018). If on the other hand, they fail, a feeling of despair sets in. such a child feels inferior, (Mcleod, 2018).
Having being a bright student I thing this stage was relatively easy for me to handle. I did not find it very difficult to perform in class. However, I was not very good in reading and sometimes I felt like quitting. I would hate the teacher asking me to read comprehensions in the classroom as I found it embarrassing not being able to read as fluently as the other students. This might have been caused by my grade one teacher who was not very patient with me. When it came to mathematics and sciences I was always the best student in our classroom. I remember being given many presents for being a top performer. One of those presents (a cup) is still in my house up to date. My parents were always happy with my performance though they never awarded me. Due to my performance I commanded some kind of respect among the peers.
One thing that always made inferior is when it came to playing. I was not a good player for any game especially where physical strength was involved. I usually felt a less person during games time though I would compensate for the feeling when it came to class work. Most of the times during games I would sit and watch as the better players participated.
Identity vs Role confusion
The fifth stage of the psychosocial theory is identity vs role confusion. This stage occurs at the of twelve years to the age of twenty years. This are the adolescent years and are usually characterized with a lot of activities both physically and emotionally. At this stage the child is trying to seek their identity. This is done through exploration of beliefs, personal values and goals. This being a transition stage between childhood to adulthood the child is long on ways that they can fit in the society.
At this stage the adolescent wants to reexamine the values that has already be cultivated into them. They also want to re-examine who they are by looking into their identity as a person in the society. There are also some body changes that takes place at this point. This changes may end up the adolescent to feel confused and uncomfortable. According to the psycho-sexual theory children at this stage starts feeling a lot of sexual desires and attraction to the opposite sex. This stage also brings out the sexual orientation of the child. For example, if there was some kind of sexual abuse to the child when growing they may end up being attracted to members of the same sex.
If properly handled the child emerges out with the virtual of fidelity. This means that one will be able to be committed to others both in relationships or other places. If the stage is not well handle the child ends up having role confusion. This means that a child is not aware of what he/she wants to be in future. They also end up not knowing their place in the society. This gives them an identity crisis throughout their adult life.
This was one of the most turbulent years in my life. The first thing came with the body changes that I started experiencing. I started developing pimples on my face. This made me feel a little bit uncomfortable. I would feel shy even going to school with that face. Luckily our teachers explained to us that that was a normal occurrence.
The other thing that occurred at this stage was trying to get a personal identity. Having being brought up in a Christian family where going to church every Sunday was a must, I started feeling bored with the church. I wanted to be like my peers who did not attend church services. At some time, this brought about a lot of conflicts between my parents and I. however, with time they left me to choose what to do.
It’s also at this stage that I started having attraction to the other members of opposite sex. At first I was very shy and could not want anybody to know my real feelings. A time continued the feelings became some much and I could not resist the temptation of having a girlfriend. This made it easy for me to gel well with my peers who also had girlfriends. One thing that am really thankful up to date for is the assistance given by teachers during this stage.
Being brought up in a cosmopolitan area, the cultural confusion was really too much. There was too much to learn from. One of the issues learnt at this stage is the hip-hop culture. We would like to dress and look like the hip-hop stars that we show on the television. We also would mimic the way they talked and walked. This was one way of fitting in the neighborhood.
Intimacy vs Isolation
The sixth stage of psychosocial theory is intimacy vs isolation. This stage occurs from the age of 20 years to the age of 40 years, (Mcleod, 2018). Here most people will have completed their basic education and attained legal age. This stage is characterized by maturity of the sexual organs of a person. A person at this age is ready for relationship with people of the other sex. Failure to give yourself for relationship will leave on being isolated, (Shawn and Palkovits, 1998).
In this stage I have experience having relationships with the members of the opposite sex. Some of the relationships have been very good. However, I have experienced some heartbreaks from people whom I thought would truly love me. My trusting nature has found me loving and trusting people easily. In one incidence it ended up in tears after I was betrayed by the person I thought loved me a lot.
Conclusion
In conclusion using the psychosocial theory of development I can say that my growth has been relatively handled well. However, not all the stages were properly handled. Some of the childhood experiences are still very influential in my life today. My peers had a very big role in the development where I would do things in order for me to fit among them. Culturally the different cultures influenced my growth by acquiring different habits depending on the type of interactions encountered.
