TitleAnalysis of Two Real Life People in Different Stages of Erikson’s Theory
So many people often ask themselves “what if I only knew then what I do now” as a reflective gesture which personally I rephrase as “What if I was born with a life instruction manual along with a thousand pages F.A.Q (Frequently Asked Questions) on every stage of my Social Development?” Well sometimes that may seem like a wish that we would love to have granted upon pressing the reset on the age button in our life but when it comes down to a serious approach to life’s issues those wishes are just that wishes. One thing that I accepted at an early age of adulthood was the fact that the paths, decisions, mistakes and failures which every human being encounter’s is the foundation of what makes us who we are, not an instruction manual with the answers. Social Development as explained in Erikson’s Stages accurately depicts the issues and contributing factors on how everyone enters and leaves the stage of development. To become more personalized with the stages of Erikson’s Social Development I have carefully chosen two close family or close acquaintances from my life that are facing/dealing with the issues of two different stages of the Theory. Any name which is used has been altered for privacy but age and information provided is authentic.
- Fidelity: Identity vs. Role Confusion (Ages 13-19)18 Male with an Identity Crisis or False Sense of Who He Is (Criss)
Criss is currently a close member of my family and he is about to graduate from high school and just turned the age of 18. Up until high school Criss was identified by sports, more specifically soccer due to his excelled skillset and apparent sights on scholarships. As he became more familiar with the extreme differences between Junior High and High school his self-image became more of an established soccer player to an unpopular, anxious and nerdy individual. This was during grade 10 and immediately began taking severe tolls on his attendance, self-respect, relationships and ultimately by the end of grade 10 caused Criss to quit his decade long career of high level soccer at the young age of sixteen. He was always incredibly smart and a problem solver so without wait began to rebuild himself into the image which he believed would get him everything he wanted like girls, popular friends, parties and quickly lost sight of his past. Currently Criss is friends with all drug dealers, lost weight due to his own use and is the schools go-to guy for everything. The issues and concerns he is currently facing are drug use, not knowing who he really is and in six months will be considered an adult while he still believes the good times and so called friends will last forever. The problem he is facing is what is known in Erikson’s theory as not enough time to freely experiment and explore in the proper environment which now has Criss concluding this stage as a young adult with a false sense of who he is for years to come.
- Care: Generatively vs. Stagnation (Ages 40-64)55 Female reflecting on “Can I make my Life Count” (Rose)
Rose is a loyally devoted wife of over forty years to her husband, a mother of four children and grandmother to over six. Rose fits perfectly in this stage as strongly Generatively but due to the fact she has was not given a chance at an education and has been working since the age of fourteen she frequently is reflecting on if she has made her life count. What I see is that reflection being the only boundary in a happy and peaceful retirement. Although this can be a question many of us ask ourselves throughout the various stages this stage is perhaps the most insisting of an answer. While Rose sees no real material gain in her life she then get\s down on herself and does not realize how much she has contributed to her family and society through sweat, blood, tears and strength. I believe in time she will be proud of her achievements whether how indirect or small they may seem when in fact she is one of my heroes and strongest women I have ever had the privilege of being around.
