Personal Social Identity
Personal and Social Identity Research Essay
There are many theories which help to understand the various aspects of how a person develops their personal and social sense of self. Two theories of personal development are Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Erik Erikson’s 8 Life Crisis.
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Abraham Maslow started his theory after finding two mentors in New York, and he began to study them and take notes on their behavior, this began his lifelong research about mental health and human potential which led him to create the concepts of the Hierarchy of Needs. This hierarchy of needs includes Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Belongingness and Love Needs, Esteem Needs …show more content…
Erikson states that a crisis is a “turning point, a crucial period of increased vulnerability and heightened potential”. According to Erikson, individuals develop a “healthy personality” by mastering “life’s outer and inner dangers.”
As shown in the table below, every individual is confronted in each of Erikson’s eight stages with a major crisis that must be successfully resolved if healthy development is to occur. The interaction that takes place between an individual and society during each stage can change the course of personality in either a positive or a negative direction. Developmental Stage | Social Setting | Summary | Infancy | Family | Trust vs. Mistrust – Whether children come to trust or mistrust themselves and other people depends on their early experiences. If a child is cuddled and fondled, the child develops a sense of the world being safe and dependable place. On the other side, if a child’s life is chaotic and unpredictable, the child would approach the world with fear and suspicion. …show more content…
Inferiority – Children who are rewarded with recognition for their achievements gain a sense of industry. Those who rebuff or ignore children’s efforts are strengthening feelings of inferiority. | Adolescence | Peer groups and out-groups | Identity vs. Role Confusion – Adolescents try many roles as they grope with romantic involvement, vocational choice, and adult statuses, in the process, they must develop a sense of self, a centered identity. If they fail this, they will become trapped in confusion. | Young Adulthood | Partners in friendship and sex | Intimacy vs. Isolation – Intimacy is the capacity to reach out and make contact with other people, to share with and care about another person. Isolation is the habit of withdrawal and isolation. | Adulthood | New family: work | Generativity vs. Stagnation – Stagnation is a condition where people are preoccupied with their material possessions or physical well-being. Generativity is basically selflessness and thinking about the welfare of society and future generations. | Old Age | Retirement and impending death | Ego Integrity vs. Despair – This is the stage where the person either feels the sensation of satisfaction of their life, or others reflect on their lives and feel despair.
There are many theories which help to understand the various aspects of how a person develops their personal and social sense of self. Two theories of personal development are Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Erik Erikson’s 8 Life Crisis.
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Abraham Maslow started his theory after finding two mentors in New York, and he began to study them and take notes on their behavior, this began his lifelong research about mental health and human potential which led him to create the concepts of the Hierarchy of Needs. This hierarchy of needs includes Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Belongingness and Love Needs, Esteem Needs …show more content…
Erikson states that a crisis is a “turning point, a crucial period of increased vulnerability and heightened potential”. According to Erikson, individuals develop a “healthy personality” by mastering “life’s outer and inner dangers.”
As shown in the table below, every individual is confronted in each of Erikson’s eight stages with a major crisis that must be successfully resolved if healthy development is to occur. The interaction that takes place between an individual and society during each stage can change the course of personality in either a positive or a negative direction. Developmental Stage | Social Setting | Summary | Infancy | Family | Trust vs. Mistrust – Whether children come to trust or mistrust themselves and other people depends on their early experiences. If a child is cuddled and fondled, the child develops a sense of the world being safe and dependable place. On the other side, if a child’s life is chaotic and unpredictable, the child would approach the world with fear and suspicion. …show more content…
Inferiority – Children who are rewarded with recognition for their achievements gain a sense of industry. Those who rebuff or ignore children’s efforts are strengthening feelings of inferiority. | Adolescence | Peer groups and out-groups | Identity vs. Role Confusion – Adolescents try many roles as they grope with romantic involvement, vocational choice, and adult statuses, in the process, they must develop a sense of self, a centered identity. If they fail this, they will become trapped in confusion. | Young Adulthood | Partners in friendship and sex | Intimacy vs. Isolation – Intimacy is the capacity to reach out and make contact with other people, to share with and care about another person. Isolation is the habit of withdrawal and isolation. | Adulthood | New family: work | Generativity vs. Stagnation – Stagnation is a condition where people are preoccupied with their material possessions or physical well-being. Generativity is basically selflessness and thinking about the welfare of society and future generations. | Old Age | Retirement and impending death | Ego Integrity vs. Despair – This is the stage where the person either feels the sensation of satisfaction of their life, or others reflect on their lives and feel despair.