Erick Erikson

1. Erick Erikson

2. Little About Him: • Born in Frankfurt, Germany in June 15, 1902 • his mother married his pediatrician, his biological father was a random Danish man who left before he was born. Jewish family. • He had difficulty in school: because he was tall, blonde haired and blue-eyed Temple kids teased him for being a Nordic and at school they teased him for being Jewish. • As a teen he was a rebel, took random art classes and wandered the streets of Germany.

3. Continued • At the age twenty-five he applied for a teaching position for American students ran by a friend of Anna Fruid-later was psychoanalyzed by Anna Fruid herself. • Met Joan Serson and had 3 children • When the Nazis took power, he fled to Boston and was offered a position at Harvard Medical School. He then moved to Massachusetts, where he met psychologists Henry Murray and Kurt Lewin, also anthropologists Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, and Gregory Bateson. • Based on what they learned, Erik Erikson came up with his theories. He worked for ten years working and teaching at a clinic. He died in 1994.

4. Epigenetic Principle • Thought of the EPIGENETIC PRINCIPLE: people develop through a predetermined unfolding of our personalities in eight stages. • -adopted ideas from Sigmund Fruid-and adapted them to make new ones. • -Each stage involves certain developmental tasks that are psychological in nature • -Believed in that teaching children virtues would steer them from being malignant or maladaption. • *Malignant-too much of the bad and too little good. • *Maladaption-too much of the good and not enough bad. • Generated the concept of MUTUALITY-the interaction of generations • Fruid knew parents influence their children but Erikson pointed out the fact that children influence their parents as well.

6. Stages: • 1st stage (0-1) INFANCY or the ORAL-SENSORY stage- To develop a sense of trust without being too gullible or trustworthy. • 2nd stage (2-3) ANAL MUSCULAR stage- To develop independence without doubt or shame. • 3rd stage (3-6) GENITAL LOCOMOTOR stage- To confront a child of initiative without too much guilt. • [meaning taking a positive outlook on mistakes, taking responsibility, learning life-skills, and having a sense of purpose.] • 4th stage (7-12+) LATENCY stage- To use their imagination while still leaving themselves open to learning an education without a sense of inferiority. • [meaning children become more social, learn the feeling of success and confidence] • Narrow Virtuosity: If the imagination is restricted, where parents or teachers control their life. • Inertia: includes kids with “inferiority complexes” give up too easily and have low self-esteem. • Competency: a good balance between inferiority and industry

7. Continued: • 5th stage (12-18+) ADOLESCENCE stage-To know oneself without role confusion. • Ego identity: knowing who you are and how to fit in with the rest of society. • Role confusion: uncertainty about one’s place in society or the world. • 6th stage (20s) YOUNG ADULTHOOD stage- To achieve intimacy without isolation. • Promiscuity: Too much easy passion, therefore losing yourself in empty love. • Exclusion: Completely isolate oneself from love, friendship, community, and therefore develop hate. • 7th stage (late 20s-50s) MIDDLE ADULT stage- Some people actively involved in raising children, to have a balance of generativity and stagnation. • Generativity: the balance of love for the future, a love between equals. • Stagnation: self-absorption and uncaring. • 8th stage (50s+) OLD ADULTHOOD stage- To reach maturity and find ego integrity with little despair. • Ego-integrity: to come to terms with your life, to accept all that you have done without regret. To form the wisdom of accepting death. • Despair: Often provoked by death, loved ones die-and you have imminent fate of death.