Experiences in Life

Experiences in life, changes achieved through learning, the influence of methods of child rearing, societal changes and culture all have an exceptionally important role on human development according to Erickson. In addition, Erikson’s theory encompasses the whole of the human life-span, outlining the stages that occur, which will be looked at more closely later on. Erikson also regards the individual as having responsibility during each stage of development and that they also have the opportunity to achieve a positive and healthy resolution to the ‘crisis’ experienced. Erikson, therefore, puts less emphasis on the id and instead places more emphasis on the ego.
In his view, human beings are rational creatures whose thoughts, feelings, and actions are largely controlled by the ego and it is the ego’s development in which he is interested in. Before we go any further it is important to look at Erikson’s psychosocial model in more detail in order to understand the following evaluation. Erikson’s model consists of eight stage of development, with each stage unfolding as the individual goes through the life cycle.
Each stage consists of a ‘crisis’ that must be confronted. The term epigenesis was used by Erikson to describe the process that guides development through the life cycle. Within this it is urged that everything that grows has a blue print, each having a special time of ascendancy, until all of the parts have arisen to form a ‘functional whole’ (Siglemann and Shaffer 1992). It has been attained that Erikson’s psychosocial model consists of eight stages of development which continue throughout the life-span of an individual. This idea of ‘discontinuity’ suggests that development occurs via a series of abrupt changes that develop from one stage to another.
Presumably Erikson believes that an individual experiences a rapid period of change and reorganization before being elevated to a new and more advanced stage of development. Continuity theorists... [continues]

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