123 School Work

Erikson s stages of psychosocial development are much more relevant to teachers than Freud s stages

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  Erik H. Erikson's (1902-1994) explanation of personality development, through his stages of psychosocial development theory, is seen to be more relevant to teachers than through Sigmund Freud's (1856-1939) stages of psychosexual development theory.
  Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development maintains that children's individual personality develops in a predetermined order (Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development, 1999). Erikson was interested in how children socialise and how this affects their sense of self. Erikson believed that at each stage of life, from birth to mature adulthood, individuals are confronted by situations that he referred to as 'crises' (French, 2003). He believed that children, and adults in later stages, respond to each crisis in either a positive or negative way depending upon their personality and how caregivers have supported them in the past (French, 2003). He believed that if children had been supported during previous crises, then it is likely that they will use their self-help and decision making skills to achieve positive outcomes (McInerney & McInerney, 2002). If they have not been supported and do not feel confident enough to use their self help and decision-making skills, the result of the crisis is likely to be negative.
  As with Erikson, Sigmund Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development are completed in a predetermined sequence and can result in either successful completion or can result in failure, leading to an unhealthy personality (Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development, 1999). Freud believed that we develop through five stages based upon a particular erogenous zone (Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development, 1999)...