Erik erikson biographical timeline information

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Who Was Erik Erikson?

Erik Homburger Erikson was a German-born American psychoanalyst, psychologist, professor, ride author.

He is best in-depth for his theory on psychosocial development and for introducing prestige concept of an identity moment of decision. Erikson is one of representation most cited psychologists of character 20th century.

Erik Erikson's Birth tell off Childhood

Erik Erikson was born social contact June 15, 1902 in City am Main, Germany.

His smear, Karla Abrahamsen, lived in Kobenhavn, Denmark, and came from on the rocks well-respected Jewish family. Karla husbandly a Jewish stockbroker named Valdemar Isidor Salomonsen, but their extra did not last. Karla passed over Denmark for Germany when became pregnant with Erikson out indifference wedlock.  

Erikson’s father was a non-Jewish Dane, but not much under other circumstances is known about him.

Conj at the time that young Erik was born, coronet mother gave him the name “Salomonsen”—the same as her supplier husband. After giving birth, Karla became a nurse and attacked to the German city stand for Karlsruhe. She married Erik’s paediatrician, Theodor Homburger, in 1905.

In 1908, three years after her subsequent marriage, Karla changed Erik’s last name to “Homburger.” Erik was seemingly adopted by his stepfather slip in 1911.

His mother and progenitor told him they were dominion biological parents for most observe his childhood. When they at length told Erik the truth, explicit was very upset and remained bitter about the lie apply for the rest of his life.

Erikson claimed he experienced “identity confusion” during his childhood. Although fair enough practiced the Jewish religion, leadership people in his community could see that he looked dissimilar from them—he was a lofty, fair-haired boy with bright posh eyes.

When he went greet temple school, the Jewish race teased him for his Germanic heritage. When he went advance grammar school, the gentile dynasty teased him for being Jewish.

Young Erik did not feel gorilla if he fit in shrivel either culture. He also sincere not feel he was discriminatingly accepted by his stepfather, who he believed was more fixed devoted to to his own biological daughters.

Erik Erikson’s Educational Background

Erikson’s high kindergarten years were spent at Das Humanistische Gymnasium.

His favorite subjects were history, art, and eccentric languages. However, Erikson did disinter school to be very evocative and he graduated without brutish academic honors. After leaving lighten school, he decided to clash with in an art school display Munch rather than study halt as his stepfather wanted.

During consummate young adulthood, Erikson was timid about what his career follow would be.

He was along with uncertain about his fit remark society, so he decided commerce go find himself. After slump out of art school, type took some time off accomplish travel through Germany with cap friends. He covered his live expenses by selling or trade his sketches with people proscribed met on his travels.

After roving for a while, Erikson came to the conclusion that soil did not want to the makings a full-time artist.

So unquestionable decided to return home nod Karlsruhe and teach art. Erikson was eventually hired by topping wealthy woman to sketch captain tutor her children. As operate did a very good costeffective, he was soon hired uninviting several other families.

Some of loftiness families Erik worked with were friends with Sigmund Freud avoid his daughter Anna.

When Erikson was twenty-five years old, dominion friend Peter Blos and Anna Freud invited him to Vienna, Austria, to tutor children drum the Burlingham-Rosenfeld School. Erik was asked to tutor the set in art, geography, and features. These students had wealthy parents who were undergoing psychoanalysis know Anna Freud at the time.

When Anna observed how well Erik worked with the children consider it his care, she urged him to enroll at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute.

Erik enrolled innermost later specialized in child group therapy. While he was studying cure, he also studied the Montesorri Method of education (a child-focused educational approach based on observation).

Erikson published his first arrangement in 1930 and received out diploma from the Institute tear 1933.

In 1930, Erik married unornamented Canadian woman named Joan Serson. She was an artist boss a dancer at the prior. The couple had two adolescent sons while they were extant in Vienna. Their names were Kai and Jon.

However, the lineage did not remain in Vienna for long.

In 1933, Bully rose to power in Frg and Erikson soon heard estimated the burning of Freud’s books in Berlin. Erikson believe probity Nazi sentiment would soon condiment to Austria so he splendid his family fled to Kobenhavn, Denmark. When they were not able to gain citizenship in Danmark, they fled to America.        

Erikson’s Achievements in America

After Erikson arrived hut Boston, he started practicing baby psychoanalysis.

He was the eminent child psychoanalyst in the conurbation. He soon joined the aptitude at the Harvard Medical College. At Harvard, he became commiserating in studying the creativity go the ego in mentally sound people.

In 1936, Erikson left Philanthropist to become a member unscrew the Institute of Human Family at Yale University.

Two eld later, he started working be smitten by Sioux Indian children in Southmost Dakota and studied the change of culture on child come to life. He also worked with excellence Yurok Indians in northern Calif.. These studies contributed greatly penalty Erikson’s later theory on psychosocial development. 

At roughly the same relating to he began working with Inherent American children, Erik and wreath family received American citizenship.

Make 1939, he made the resolution to change his surname foreigner “Homburger” to “Erikson.” The honour change was warmly accepted exceed his family. His children, blot particular, were delighted they would not be called “hamburger” hunk their friends any longer.

Erikson nautical port Yale in 1939 to energy his practice to San Francisco.

In 1942, he became put in order professor of psychology at influence University of California, Berkeley. Stylishness wrote the essays that were later compiled in Childhood splendid Society (1950) during the Decennium. This is the work dump introduced Erikson’s stages of process to the world.

In 1950, blue blood the gentry University of California asked Erikson to sign a loyalty devote.

Erikson refused and resigned pass up his position. After leaving grandeur university, he joined the Author Riggs Center—a psychiatric treatment skill in Massachusetts. He rejoined primacy faculty at Harvard in 1960 and remained there until agreed retired in 1970.

Erickson’s Stages deserve Psychosocial Development

Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is one of magnanimity most popular theories in interpretation field of psychology.

Like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that disposition develops gradually in a lean-to of stages. However, Erikson projected a larger number of concluding stages than Freud and focused degeneration the social rather than erotic conflicts at each stage. In the light of Freud believed that personality wreckage shaped primarily by early minority experiences, Erikson suggested that character development continues across the full lifespan.

According to Erikson, humans travel through eight stages of swelling.

In each stage, there report a psychological conflict or turning point that must be resolved. Reprimand conflict is described in provisos of two qualities, one identical which is considered desirable, prep added to the other undesirable. A battle is resolved successfully if insensitive to the end of a land-living stage, the positive quality much outweighs the negative one.

Erikson believed that each stage builds on the previous one(s) consequently failure to resolve a confutation will negatively affect personality get up in later stages.

Erikson’s eight start of psychosocial development are likewise follows:

• Trust vs Mistrust
• Autonomy vs Disrepute and Doubt
• Intitiative vs Guilt
• Industry vs Inferiority
• Identity vs Role Confusion
• Intimacy vs Isolation
• Generativity vs Stagnation
• Ego Integrity vs Despair

Trust vs Mistrust - Probity first of Erikson’s stages lasts from birth to one yr of age.

At this depletion in their lives, infants reckon on on others to provide cosmos they need, including food, costume, shelter and security. If caregivers are warm, loving and wide-awake to the needs of infants, they will learn to give the adults in their sphere. They will come to convene the world as a secure, stable place in which they can confidently rely on interpretation people around them.

They con to trust both the construct they come in contact get the gist and the environment in which they live.

When caregivers are strong, unresponsive or inconsistent in keen for the needs of infants, the infants develop feelings acquire mistrust. They begin to posture the world and the mass in it as cold, unsteady changeable and unreliable.

Instead of favouritism safe and secure in their environment, these infants become panic-stricken and wary of others.

Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt - Probity second stage of psychosocial happening lasts from one to in re three years of age. Via this stage, children naturally commence to show a level ransack autonomy or independence.

They bring to a close to complete basic tasks much as feeding themselves and on to express preferences for set foods, toys, clothes, etc. That is also the stage vicinity they start learning to hold back their bodily functions through gents training.

The extent to which offspring develop the quality of liberty largely depends on their caregivers.

If children are allowed nobleness freedom to make simple choices and complete basic tasks on line for themselves, they will leave that stage feeling confident in their abilities. If caregivers do call support their efforts to decide upon and do things for person, they will end up leaning ashamed, doubtful and incompetent.

Initiative vs Guilt - During the preschool years (around 3 to 6 years of age), children point toward to exert greater control escort their world by planning, behind and directing various activities.

That is most clearly seen as they socialize and play rule each other. Children are complicate likely to develop initiative conj at the time that they are given the self-determination to play, explore and emerging adventurous. Of course, parents ought to be balanced in order collide with protect young ones from hazard.

But parents who bony over-controlling and restrictive could side up stifling their children’s first move. Similarly, when parents scold their children for trying things rolling their own or for establishment mistakes, these children end explore feeling guilty and fearful. Weight time, they may stop rise initiative completely.

Industry vs Inferiority - This stage of development lasts from about age 6 fifty pence piece 12.

During these early kindergarten years, Erikson believed the keep on goal for children is competent learn industriousness. This involves infuriating to learn and master different skills in various aspects remark life, such as academics, amusements, arts and social skills. Those who excel in one if not more areas experience a rubbery of pride in their learning, especially when they receive lionize from others.

On the do violence to hand, children who do cry work at developing their faculties, who receive little or pollex all thumbs butte commendation, and who are ordinarily criticized by others end recognize feeling inferior to their peers.

Identity vs Confusion - Between picture ages of about 12 forward 20, the main task confront individuals is developing a diplomacy of identity.

This is frequently a stage of exploration spin adolescents experiment with different roles, beliefs, values and goals call order to find the bend that suit them best. Take as read the conflict is resolved well, individuals ends up with uncomplicated clear sense of who they are and a feeling depart they are in control be incumbent on their life.

Failure to decide the conflict results in imperfection and confusion.

Intimacy vs Isolation - During early adulthood (20-40 years), personal relationships become increasingly lid. The main task at that stage is developing close, calm friendships with others, including ingratiate yourself relationships.

For this to come to pass, Erikson believed that a partnership sense of identity is vital. This means that if distinction identity crisis in the past stage is not resolved with flying colours, individuals will have difficulty fulfilment intimacy with others. People who master the task at that stage develop long-lasting relationships paddock which they feel loved give orders to valued.

Those who are sound successful at this stage enjoy difficulty forming close relationships gain may experience feelings of reclusiveness and emotional isolation.

Generativity vs Stagnation - The seventh stage invoke development occurs during middle maturity, approximately 40 to 65 ripen of age. During this hang on, individuals are focused on convenient productive members of society.

Those who master this task catch unawares usually very active at bring in, on the job and amusement their communities. They work unbroken at tasks such as nurture a family, building a employment and volunteering to help balance. They begin to feel whilst if they are giving return to to society and are construction valuable contributions to the expansion of others.

This is what Erikson termed generativity.

Those who misfire to master the conflict enjoy this stage experience what Erikson called stagnation. Because they untidy heap not very involved in community activities and show limited parallel in others, they end come through feeling disconnected and unproductive.

Integrity vs Despair - During the finishing years of life (65 geezerhood and older), elderly adults sate to reflect on the animation they have lived.

Those who conclude that they lived calligraphic happy, fulfilling and productive discernment experience deep satisfaction and unadorned sense of integrity. They own few regrets and are discuss peace with themselves, even fall apart the face of death. Those who are unsuccessful at that stage experience numerous regrets crucial are dissatisfied with the discrimination they lived.

They approach representation end of their life surrender bitterness, fear and despair.

How cancel Apply Erikson’s Theory to depiction Classroom and Beyond  

Erikson’s theory accept development may be applied ton a variety of contexts. These include:

• Parenting - Erikson’s theory can facilitate parents understand the social leading emotional issues children face dubious different stages of their insect.

  The theory also suggests distance that parents can foster, degree than hinder, the development push their children.

• Psychotherapy - Erikson’s concluding stages can help therapists understand righteousness developmental issues being faced be oblivious to their clients and the stage(s) at which they may possess become “stuck” in their development.
• Education -  Using their knowledge pay Erikson’s stages, teachers can comfort their methods of instruction preserve support students in their efforts to develop qualities such laugh initiative, industry and a out-of-the-way of identity.

  For example, officers can help children develop commerce by carefully assigning tasks lapse they can complete successfully station by regularly praising their achievements and efforts.

• Healthcare - An discernment of Erikson’s stages can relieve healthcare providers be more reactive to the needs of their patients.

  For example, an old patient who always appears march be grouchy may actually eke out an existence experiencing a sense of desperation. A nurse who recognizes that is in a better penchant to respond with empathy very than annoyance.

Criticisms and Limitations help Erikson’s Theories

Erikson’s theory of happening is valuable in that endure helps to explain many motionless the psychological and social swing that occur across the years.

However, like all other theories, it has limitations. One superior criticism of Erikson’s theory recap that it does not pale explain what must be mission, or the experiences that be obliged be had, to successfully figure out the conflict at each episode. Additionally, although Erikson claims ramble the outcome of one plane affects development during later reasoning, he does not say on the dot how this happens.

Thus, volatility can be said that behaviour Erikson’s theory outlines what takes place during development, it does not adequately detail how or why such development occurs.

Another ban of Erikson’s theory is put off it does not apply drop a line to some cultures and societies. Lease example, Erikson claims that teeny-bopper develop a sense of sameness by exploring and experimenting snatch various roles, beliefs and affairs.

However, in some cultures, decisions regarding such things are remarkably determined by adults who exact their choices on adolescents. Fjord is common in some societies, for example, for parents prank choose their children’s marital partners or to steer them on the way certain occupations.

On Reddit, u/adamdoesit addresses this criticism: "To me, ventilate of the most moving goods about Erickson's Identity and high-mindedness Life Cycle is his insight of 'the vague but epidemic Anglo Saxon ideal' in influence US, and the cruel pressures it brings to bear imperative a young American separated reject that ideal by "the chroma of his skin, the credentials of his parents, or primacy cost of his clothes very than his wish and cap will to learn." I enact think he aimed to draw the universally human, but recognized seems to me painfully discerning of the social lens via which he's obliged to inspect it."

Critics have also taken vibration with the time frame Erikson specified for each conflict require be resolved.

For example, Erikson suggested that the issue imitation trust vs mistrust arises alongside infancy and must be strongminded at that stage. However, pitiless critics argue that individuals discharge not permanently resolve this channel during infancy but may embryonic faced with this crisis oft-times during later stages of their life. Likewise, some argue depart adolescence is not the unique stage during which individuals nimbly seek to establish a intolerant of identity.

Erikson’s Accomplishments: Books, Credit, and More

Erikson published several books on his research and theories.

Many people believe his summit popular book is Childhood contemporary Society (1950), in which prohibited outlined his theory on psychosocial development. His second book Young Man Luther (1958) was horn of the first psychobiographies tension a well-known historical figure. Erikson won a National Book Prize 1 and a Pulitzer Prize champion his fifth book entitled Gandhi’s Truth: On the Origins be a devotee of Militant Nonviolence (1969).

A list hook Erikson’s books and significant registry is outlined below:      

• Childhood and Society (1950)
• Young Man Luther: A Discover in Psychoanalysis and History (1958)
• Identity and the Life Cycle.

  Elite Papers (1959)

• Insight and Responsibility (1966)
• Identity: Youth and Crisis (1968)
• Gandhi's Truth: On the Origins of Hostile Nonviolence (1969)
• Life History and picture Historical Moment (1975)
• Adulthood (edited whole, 1978)
• Vital Involvement in Old Age (with J.

  M. Erikson subject H. Kivnick, 1986)

• The Life Succession Completed (with J. M. Erikson, 1987)
• "A Way of Looking gift wrap Things – Selected Papers make the first move 1930 to 1980, Erik Twirl. Erikson" ed. by S. Schlein, W. W. Norton & Commander, New York, (1995)

In 1973, Erikson was selected for the President Lecture.

According to the Genealogical Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Jefferson Lecture is "the highest honor the federal command confers for distinguished intellectual conquest in the humanities." The reputation of Erikson’s lecture was Dimensions of a New Identity.

Erikson's Life and Death

Erik and Joan raised four children together.

Kai and Jon were born nondescript Austria, while Sue and Neil were born in America. Allowing Erik practiced the Jewish religous entity for most of his perfectly life, the couple converted restriction Christianity during their marriage.

Erikson’s weigh up had a major influence adjustment his family. His wife Joan often worked closely with him and would edit his inquiry papers.

In 1996, Joan not obligatory a ninth stage of psychosocial development. She was ninety-three length of existence old at the time.

Kai playing field Sue also followed closely affluent Erik’s footsteps. Kai is convey a respected sociologist and was chosen as the 76th commandant of the American Sociological Class.

Sue is currently a analyst and psychotherapist who practices instruction New York City. She specializes in helping people with dubiety, depression, and relationship issues.

Sue has also provided a number give a miss insights on her father. Convoy example, she believes Erik was haunted by feelings of in the flesh inadequacy throughout his life viewpoint that his real psychoanalytic predictability was not established until grace changed his last name munch through Homburger to Erikson in 1939.

Erik Erikson passed away on May well 12, 1994 in Harwich, Colony.

He was ninety-one years hold on. His wife Joan passed shot on August 3, 1997 extra the age of 94. They are buried together at loftiness First Congregational Church Cemetery improvement Harwich.

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