Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development highlights on the social-cultural development. He has categorized this theory into eight stages that individuals go through as they adjust to a new environment. It describes the different stages of a person from childhood to adulthood. These stages are (Engler, 2014);
Trust versus Mistrust(birth-18months)
This stage starts at infantry. An infant needs to learn how to trust especially the people living around him or her. The first people to teach infants trust are the parents. If a child learns to trust, it becomes easy for them to deal with the threats around him or her because he or she believes that his or her parents will take care of them.
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Autonomy versus shame and doubt
Children at this stage fall between 18months and 3 years. This is when a child gradually learns how to take care of their selves. The child is taught how to feed and change his or her clothes. Failure to do this may drive the child into feelings of shame especially after watching their counterparts of the same age carry out the same activities with no help.
Initiative versus guilt
The child tends to be between the ages of 3 and 5 years. At this stage, a child begins to put into practice what he has learned in school or at home. This is when they become creative by interacting with other children through games and going on an adventure. Failure to do so will lead to guilt.
Industry versus Inferiority
Children at this stage are aged between 9 and 12 years. At this stage the child is mature, and his or her levels of self-awareness are high. The child thus becomes more competitive and wants to accomplish what their counterparts have accomplished. The reverse tends to bring a feeling of inferiority.
5. Identity versus role confusion
At this stage, the child is between 12 and 18 years old. This is the stage where one tries to find their identify as a person. One tends to discover who they are and the meaning of their personhood. The people around them tend to play a significant role in this process.
Intimacy versus Isolation
This is mostly for people in their 30s. At this stage, one is worried about finding the right partner. Failure to identify the right partner may drive the person into fear and feelings of loneliness.
Generativity versus Stagnation
At this stage, a person is an adult in their 40s or 50s who by this time have a family, career and is contributing or giving back to society. Failure to accomplish these goals is often perceived as stagnation in life.
Ego, Integrity versus Despair
People at this stage, one is aged between 55 and 65 years. This is a stage where one reflects on the life they have lived and whether or not they accomplished what they wanted to achieve in life. It is usually a stage for people in their 60s who have retired.
Qn.1
As a student, I thus fit in stages 5 (Identity versus role confusion stage). I can identify with this stage because I can now make my own decisions. I can figure out who I want to be and how I want my life to turn out in future. I am also concerned about what other people think about my life choices, especially my parents and friends (Strayhorn, 2016).
Qn.3
Students who are in third grade are often aged between 8 and 9 years. Hence stage 3 will be the most beneficial stage to a third-grade teacher because at this stage, the most significant relationships happen in schools and our neighborhoods. The child is also at their peak of discovering new skills and knowledge. Therefore, it will be important for a teacher to understand this stage to help the child become creative by learning new knowledge and numerous skills. This will help build their competence and self-esteem as they learn to carry tasks on their own (Knight, Z2017).
References
Engler, B. (2014). Personality theories: An introduction. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Knight, Z. G. (2017). A proposed model of psychodynamic psychotherapy linked to Erik Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy.
Strayhorn, T. L. (2016). Student development theory in higher education: A social psychological approach. New York: Routledge.
