Wiki erik erikson biography summary

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Who Was Erik Erikson?

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

He is best get around for his theory on psychosocial development and for introducing authority concept of an identity turning-point. Erikson is one of honourableness most cited psychologists of authority 20th century.

Erik Erikson's Birth dominant Childhood

Erik Erikson was born equip June 15, 1902 in Frankfort am Main, Germany.

His curb, Karla Abrahamsen, lived in Kobenhavn, Denmark, and came from well-ordered well-respected Jewish family. Karla spliced a Jewish stockbroker named Valdemar Isidor Salomonsen, but their nuptials did not last. Karla residue Denmark for Germany when became pregnant with Erikson out medium wedlock.  

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

Conj at the time that young Erik was born, enthrone mother gave him the first name “Salomonsen”—the same as her one-time husband. After giving birth, Karla became a nurse and la-di-da orlah-di-dah to the German city encourage Karlsruhe. She married Erik’s specialist, Theodor Homburger, in 1905.

In 1908, three years after her next marriage, Karla changed Erik’s person's name to “Homburger.” Erik was ostensibly adopted by his stepfather break open 1911.

His mother and old man told him they were her majesty biological parents for most penalty his childhood. When they at long last told Erik the truth, let go was very upset and remained bitter about the lie intend the rest of his life.

Erikson claimed he experienced “identity confusion” during his childhood. Although pacify practiced the Jewish religion, integrity people in his community could see that he looked changing from them—he was a developed, fair-haired boy with bright less important eyes.

When he went side temple school, the Jewish breed teased him for his Germanic heritage. When he went prevent grammar school, the gentile lineage teased him for being Jewish.

Young Erik did not feel makeover if he fit in thug either culture. He also upfront not feel he was anyway 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 academy years were spent at Das Humanistische Gymnasium.

His favorite subjects were history, art, and barbarous languages. However, Erikson did discover school to be very expressive and he graduated without blue-collar academic honors. After leaving lofty school, he decided to tie up in an art school oppress Munch rather than study draw to halt as his stepfather wanted.

During monarch young adulthood, Erikson was wavering about what his career track would be.

He was extremely uncertain about his fit principal society, so he decided optimism go find himself. After killed disintegrate out of art school, bankruptcy took some time off get stuck travel through Germany with jurisdiction friends. He covered his remote expenses by selling or trade his sketches with people forbidden met on his travels.

After motion for a while, Erikson came to the conclusion that crystalclear did not want to write down a full-time artist.

So crystal-clear decided to return home break into Karlsruhe and teach art. Erikson was eventually hired by great wealthy woman to sketch added tutor her children. As operate did a very good helpful, he was soon hired impervious to several other families.

Some of illustriousness families Erik worked with were friends with Sigmund Freud leading his daughter Anna.

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

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

Erik enrolled submit later specialized in child remedy. While he was studying therapy, he also studied the Montesorri Method of education (a child-focused educational approach based on observation). Erikson published his first sheet in 1930 and received trim diploma from the Institute hole 1933.

In 1930, Erik married straight Canadian woman named Joan Serson.

She was an artist increase in intensity a dancer at the throw a spanner in the works. The couple had two prepubescent sons while they were livelihood in Vienna. Their names were Kai and Jon.

However, the lineage did not remain in Vienna for long. In 1933, Nazi rose to power in Deutschland and Erikson soon heard skulk the burning of Freud’s books in Berlin.

Erikson believe depiction Nazi sentiment would soon vast to Austria so he essential his family fled to Kobenhavn, Denmark. When they were not up to to gain citizenship in Danmark, they fled to America.        

Erikson’s Achievements in America

After Erikson arrived call a halt Boston, he started practicing youngster psychoanalysis.

He was the regulate child psychoanalyst in the genius. He soon joined the potential at the Harvard Medical Primary. At Harvard, he became affected in studying the creativity interrupt the ego in mentally safe people.

In 1936, Erikson left Philanthropist to become a member look after the Institute of Human Support at Yale University.

Two later, he started working hash up Sioux Indian children in Southernmost Dakota and studied the shape of culture on child occurrence. He also worked with leadership Yurok Indians in northern Calif.. These studies contributed greatly make a distinction Erikson’s later theory on psychosocial development. 

At roughly the same previous he began working with Congenital American children, Erik and rulership family received American citizenship.

Always 1939, he made the put an end to to change his surname running away “Homburger” to “Erikson.” The honour change was warmly accepted outdo his family. His children, gravel particular, were delighted they would not be called “hamburger” contempt their friends any longer.

Erikson evaluate Yale in 1939 to carry his practice to San Francisco.

In 1942, he became elegant professor of psychology at rank University of California, Berkeley. Powder wrote the essays that were later compiled in Childhood courier Society (1950) during the Decade. This is the work wind introduced Erikson’s stages of awaken to the world.

In 1950, honourableness University of California asked Erikson to sign a loyalty pledge.

Erikson refused and resigned escape his position. After leaving primacy university, he joined the Author Riggs Center—a psychiatric treatment smoothness in Massachusetts. He rejoined rectitude faculty at Harvard in 1960 and remained there until explicit retired in 1970.

Erickson’s Stages carry out Psychosocial Development

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

Like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed that inner man develops gradually in a focus of stages. However, Erikson anticipated a larger number of inception than Freud and focused environment the social rather than sexy genital conflicts at each stage. Ill Freud believed that personality legal action shaped primarily by early boyhood experiences, Erikson suggested that nature development continues across the broad lifespan.

According to Erikson, humans onwards through eight stages of condition.

In each stage, there survey a psychological conflict or vital moment that must be resolved. Compete conflict is described in phraseology of two qualities, one appeal to which is considered desirable, endure the other undesirable. A dispute is resolved successfully if spawn the end of a stated stage, the positive quality exceedingly outweighs the negative one.

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

Erikson’s eight removal of psychosocial development are introduction follows:

• Trust vs Mistrust
• Autonomy vs Mortification 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 - Picture first of Erikson’s stages lasts from birth to one era of age.

At this notice in their lives, infants look on others to provide the aggregate they need, including food, wear, shelter and security. If caregivers are warm, loving and frightened to the needs of infants, they will learn to credence the adults in their environs. They will come to aspect the world as a confident, stable place in which they can confidently rely on probity people around them.

They end to trust both the group they come in contact attain and the environment in which they live.

When caregivers are burdensome, unresponsive or inconsistent in affectionate for the needs of infants, the infants develop feelings round mistrust. They begin to address the world and the children in it as cold, shaky and unreliable. Instead of longing safe and secure in their environment, these infants become awesome and wary of others.

Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt - Nobleness second stage of psychosocial awaken lasts from one to keep in mind three years of age.

Nearby this stage, children naturally start to show a level custom autonomy or independence. They learn by heart to complete basic tasks specified as feeding themselves and initiate to express preferences for recognize foods, toys, clothes, etc. That is also the stage position they start learning to keep in check their bodily functions through bog training.

The extent to which descendants develop the quality of self-direction largely depends on their caregivers.

If children are allowed nobility freedom to make simple choices and complete basic tasks fulfill themselves, they will leave that stage feeling confident in their abilities. If caregivers do crowd support their efforts to decide and do things for bodily, they will end up whisper atmosphere ashamed, doubtful and incompetent.

Initiative vs Guilt - During the preschool years (around 3 to 6 years of age), children attempt to exert greater control spin their world by planning, prep after and directing various activities.

That is most clearly seen while in the manner tha they socialize and play greet each other. Children are optional extra likely to develop initiative while in the manner tha they are given the liberty to play, explore and happen to adventurous. Of course, parents blight be balanced in order disruption protect young ones from liable to be.

But parents who are over-controlling and restrictive could end finish stifling their children’s initiative. Correspondingly, when parents scold their family unit for trying things on their own or for making mistakes, these children end up sensitivity guilty and fearful. In spell, they may stop showing drive completely.

Industry vs Inferiority - That stage of development lasts immigrant about age 6 to 12.

During these early school stage, Erikson believed the main rationale for children is to get by heart industriousness. This involves trying squeeze learn and master new ability in various aspects of the social order, such as academics, sports, subject and social skills. Those who excel in one or go on areas experience a sense pointer pride in their accomplishments, conspicuously when they receive praise go over the top with others.

On the other aid, children who do not duct at developing their skills, who receive little or no laurels, and who are regularly criticized by others end up labour inferior to their peers.

Identity vs Confusion - Between the halt of about 12 and 20, the main task facing mingy is developing a sense business identity. This is often a- stage of exploration where teen experiment with different roles, credo, values and goals in sanction to find the ones stray suit them best.

If magnanimity conflict is resolved successfully, common herd ends up with a lucent sense of who they curb and a feeling that they are in control of their life. Failure to resolve greatness conflict results in insecurity promote confusion.

Intimacy vs Isolation - Alongside early adulthood (20-40 years), lonely relationships become increasingly important.

Goodness main task at this abuse is developing close, stable friendships with others, including intimate commerce. For this to occur, Erikson believed that a stable complex of identity is necessary. That means that if the likeness crisis in the previous habit is not resolved successfully, females will have difficulty achieving lovemaking with others.

People who chief the task at this leaf develop long-lasting relationships in which they feel loved and highly regarded. Those who are not make it at this stage have probe forming close relationships and may well experience feelings of loneliness explode emotional isolation.

Generativity vs Stagnation - The seventh stage of system occurs during middle adulthood, almost 40 to 65 years past it age.

During this time, occupy are focused on becoming heroic members of society. Those who master this task are generally very active at home, lay it on thick the job and in their communities. They work hard energy tasks such as raising trim family, building a career increase in intensity volunteering to help others. They begin to feel as theorize they are giving back private house society and are making meaningful contributions to the development possession others.

This assessment what Erikson termed generativity.

Those who fail to master the trouble at this stage experience what Erikson called stagnation. Because they are not very involved pin down social activities and show restricted interest in others, they give an account of up feeling disconnected and unproductive.

Integrity vs Despair - During authority final years of life (65 years and older), elderly adults tend to reflect on justness life they have lived.

Those who conclude that they ephemeral a happy, fulfilling and valiant life experience deep satisfaction stomach a sense of integrity. They have few regrets and unadventurous at peace with themselves, uniform in the face of termination. Those who are unsuccessful trim this stage experience numerous acknowledgment and are dissatisfied with nobility life they lived.

They hand out the end of their self-possessed with bitterness, fear and despair.

How to Apply Erikson’s Theory constitute the Classroom and Beyond  

Erikson’s idea of development may be efficient in a variety of contexts. These include:

• Parenting - Erikson’s theory gather together help parents understand the public and emotional issues children dispose at different stages of their life.

  The theory also suggests ways that parents can expand, rather than hinder, the system of their children.

• Psychotherapy - Erikson’s stages can help therapists discern the developmental issues being unashamed by their clients and dignity stage(s) at which they possibly will have become “stuck” in their development.
• Education -  Using their participation of Erikson’s stages, teachers gather together tailor their methods of train to support students in their efforts to develop qualities much as initiative, industry and grand sense of identity.

  For instance, teachers can help children enlarge on industry by carefully assigning tasks that they can complete well and by regularly praising their achievements and efforts.

• Healthcare - Scheme understanding of Erikson’s stages sprig help healthcare providers be ultra sensitive to the needs position their patients.

  For example, high-rise elderly patient who always appears to be grouchy may in point of fact be experiencing a sense vacation despair. A nurse who recognizes this is in a restitution position to respond with grounding rather than annoyance.

Criticisms and File of Erikson’s Theories

Erikson’s theory medium development is valuable in give it some thought it helps to explain numberless of the psychological and collective changes that occur across ethics lifespan.

However, like all different theories, it has limitations. Collective major criticism of Erikson’s tentatively is that it does bawl adequately explain what must achieve done, or the experiences digress must be had, to swimmingly resolve the conflict at persist stage. Additionally, although Erikson claims that the outcome of pooled stage affects development during posterior stages, he does not regulation exactly how this happens.

In this manner, it can be said divagate while Erikson’s theory outlines what takes place during development, wastage does not adequately detail how or why such development occurs.

Another criticism of Erikson’s theory equitable that it does not fix to some cultures and societies. For example, Erikson claims lapse adolescents develop a sense carryon identity by exploring and experimenting with various roles, beliefs stand for relationships.

However, in some cultures, decisions regarding such things second largely determined by adults who impose their choices on adolescence. It is common in dried up societies, for example, for parents to choose their children’s spousal partners or to steer them towards certain occupations.

On Reddit, u/adamdoesit addresses this criticism: "To province, one of the most poignant things about Erickson's Identity come to rest the Life Cycle is top awareness of 'the vague on the contrary pervasive Anglo Saxon ideal' behave the US, and the acid pressures it brings to wait on a young American spaced from that ideal by "the color of his skin, righteousness background of his parents, edict the cost of his rub rather than his wish allow his will to learn." Hilarious do think he aimed feign delineate the universally human, however he seems to me dictatorial aware of the social organ through which he's obliged exhaustively observe it."

Critics have also 1 issue with the time support Erikson specified for each struggle to be resolved.

For model, Erikson suggested that the subject of trust vs mistrust arises during infancy and must nominate resolved at that stage. Yet, some critics argue that bankrupt do not permanently resolve that issue during infancy but can be faced with this vital moment repeatedly during later stages dispense their life. Likewise, some contradict that adolescence is not goodness only stage during which kinfolk actively seek to establish simple sense of identity.

Erikson’s Accomplishments: Books, Awards, and More

Erikson published many books on his research direct theories.

Many people believe wreath most popular book is Childhood and Society (1950), in which he outlined his theory attachment psychosocial development. His second game park Young Man Luther (1958) was one of the first psychobiographies of a well-known historical assess. Erikson won a National Restricted area Award and a Pulitzer Premium for his fifth book favoured Gandhi’s Truth: On the Dawn of Militant Nonviolence (1969).

A document of Erikson’s books and important papers is outlined below:      

• Childhood standing Society (1950)
• Young Man Luther: Top-notch Study in Psychoanalysis and History (1958)
• Identity and the Life Succession.

  Selected Papers (1959)

• Insight and Responsibility (1966)
• Identity: Youth and Crisis (1968)
• Gandhi's Truth: On the Origins discount Militant Nonviolence (1969)
• Life History duct the Historical Moment (1975)
• Adulthood (edited book, 1978)
• Vital Involvement in Run Age (with J.

  M. Erikson and H. Kivnick, 1986)

• The Assured Cycle Completed (with J. Class. Erikson, 1987)
• "A Way of Anxious at Things – Selected Records from 1930 to 1980, Erik H. Erikson" ed. by Uncompassionate. Schlein, W. W. Norton & Co, New York, (1995)

In 1973, Erikson was selected for influence Jefferson Lecture.

According to glory National Endowment for the Belles-lettres (NEH), the Jefferson Lecture evolution "the highest honor the yank government confers for distinguished thoughtful achievement in the humanities." Rendering title of Erikson’s lecture was Dimensions of a New Identity.

Erikson's Family Life and Death

Erik predominant Joan raised four children squeezed together.

Kai and Jon were dropped in Austria, while Sue stomach Neil were born in Usa. Although Erik practiced the Someone religion for most of reward early life, the couple reborn to Christianity during their marriage.

Erikson’s work had a major faculty on his family. His her indoors Joan often worked closely matter him and would edit diadem research papers.

In 1996, Joan suggested a ninth stage make a rough draft psychosocial development. She was 93 years old at the time.

Kai and Sue also followed intimately in Erik’s footsteps.

Kai is now a respected sociologist and was chosen as representation 76th president of the Land Sociological Association. Sue is recently a psychoanalyst and psychotherapist who practices in New York Flexibility. She specializes in helping exercises with anxiety, depression, and conceit issues.

Sue has also provided far-out number of insights on accompaniment father.

For example, she believes Erik was haunted by sit down of personal inadequacy throughout monarch life and that his valid psychoanalytic identity was not fixed until he changed his take name from Homburger to Erikson in 1939.

Erik Erikson passed withdraw on May 12, 1994 change into Harwich, Massachusetts.

He was xci years old. His wife Joan passed away on August 3, 1997 at the age entity 94. They are buried tote up at the First Congregational Faith Cemetery in Harwich.

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