Psychology Process Essay

Although psychological pi nonpareilers such as Jung and Freud dominated some(prenominal) of the early dialogue regarding psychoanalytical theory in the early by mid twentieth century, the contribution of Erik Erikson to raw psychological science has proven to be no less enduring than it was originally regarded as shank. Some cause suggests that Eriksons theories of the eight stages of personal development have enjoyed a more(prenominal) widespread acceptance among contemporary twenty-first century thinkers and scholars than many of his predecessors and colleagues.Erikson was a pi wizer in adult psychoanalytic theory he stands alone as the one thinker who changed our minds about what it means to live as a person who has arrived at a chronologically mature localization and yet continues to grow, to change, and to develop. (Hoare 3) because Eriksons theories went beyond those extended by Freud and others, his contributions to modern psychological science are still regarded as i mportant second-stage psychoanalytic theory. Although for Freud humans were psychosexual creatures (Hoare 4). ,for Erikson the human psyche presented a much more complex and evolving entity, one which developed over a series of specifically defined stages, and the in(predicate) or unsuccessful sailplaning through these stages, which numbered eight, indicated whether or not an individualist had successfully attained a working self-identity. Perhaps Eriksons break-through hunting lodge psychoanalytic theory were at least partially based upon his personal life-experiences. Certainly within the context of Eriksons theories of identity development, ones personal experience played a crucial role in the development of identity.As his many biographers have noted, Erikson lived in dramatic propagation (Hoare 4). and in his life he experienced two world wars and, later, life story in the United States, saw the origin and first use of atomic weapons. (Hoare 4). whether or not these hist orical experienced shaped his intellectual pot is debatable. What is less ambiguous is whether or not Eriksons personal life, outside of any historical context, influenced his theories and it certainly did. Eriksons early life natural on June 15, 1902, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (Hoare 7).Erikson first lived alone with his get under ones skin and then later, The two lived among his mothers artist friends, who provided early identifications for him (Hoare 7). The incident that Erikson was essentially an artist rather than a pure scientist allowed him to bring a sensitivity to his psychological studies and theories which many scholars believe was previously lacking in psychology. It is well known that Erikson in nineteen sixty-three postulated eight stages that must(prenominal) be encountered successfully and lived through in the development of the self (Hattie 118). the navigation of these eight stages produced an enduring self-identity which continued to develop adn meet cha llenges right on through until personal death. (Hattie). The specific stages were looked at by Erikson as challenges and one either won or lost them. Such a resource was radical when Erikson proposed it and his ideas are still regarded, by some, as quite radical today. For example, Christian educational theorists belive that not only Erikson, but many of the psychoanalytic theorists of the twentieth century have replaced the traditional role of ministers, and other mentors and social influences over the upbringing of children in Western society. These people believe that the phraseology of the psychologist frames virtually all public discussion Anthropologists and sociologists are homogeneouswise absent from the discussion. (Hunter 5).a and this is viewed as being highly detrimental to educational strategies and programs.However, despite the criticism of groups like these, Eriksons theories continue to be deeply referenced and relied upon by modern psychologists, and he is rever ed as the primary thinker in psychology who extended the recognition of the development of self-identity beyond the early stages of adolescence and envisioned a paradigm which covered the evolution of the self over the entire era of an individual life. Works CitedHattie, John. Self-Concept. Hillsdale, NJ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1992.Hoare, Carol Hren, ed. Erikson on Development in Adulthood New Insights from the Unpublished Papers. New York Oxford University Press, 2002.Hunter, James Davison. When Psychotherapy Replaces Religion. state-supported Interest Spring 2000 5.