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Parenting According to Erikson, personality is the object of influence of both social and historical forces. In contrast to Freud's theory, Eriksonians personality or The I is examined as an independent identity structure. As far as Erikson believed that childhood is extremely important for the personality development, his epigenetic theory embraced the development of child based on psycho-social crisis resulting from physiological development and requirements put on the personality by society and his parents. Erikson defines eight stages of the personality development. One of the stages is Initiative/Guilt stage. The purpose of this paper is to answer the questions How does a child develop a sense of initiative and What are possible implications of it? .
The Initiative/Guilt stage (Age: 4 - 5) How does the child develop a sense of initiative? The child starts to be interested in the outer world. He starts to transfer his cognitive activity beyond the limits of his own body. The child starts to take an active interest in what is going on. Gradually the child learns the structure of the world and the way he can influence it.
The world consists both from real and imaginary objects and people. Probably, all parents notice that children mix up with dreams and reality. Fears and nightmares are quite typical for the Initiative/Guilt stage. The parents should be extremely attentive to their children. They should listen to the childs tales and complaints for imaginary evils. When the parents act in that way, they understand the world their child lives in.
The parents should remember that the world is actually created by them. In case cognitive activity of the child is generally effective, the child learns to communicate with people and objects constructively. A child develops purpose, and sets goals and acts in ways to reach them (Niolon, n. p. ) in case the parents support childs attempts to show initiative. In such a way a child develops a sense of initiative.
So, what is the meaning of effective cognitive activity for developing a sense of initiative? It doesnt mean permissiveness to do whatever they like. However, it means that the parents should take an active part in their childs life. A child can make a lot of mistakes during the period when they are 4 - 5 years old. Yet, it doesnt mean that the parents should shout on a child or reproach a child for inadmissible behavior. The parents should explain why the child is not allowed doing something.
The child has a lot of questions and he wasnt to get the answers. In case the parents ignore childs questions or initiative behavior, his cognitive and creative demands, interrupt his questions, cut the child short, give abrupt answers (such as Because, I dont know, Ask the Dad, etc), answer with chilly you need, yes, no, the child feels himself in communicatory vacuum. As a consequent result, the child starts to feel sense of guilt over the goals contemplated and the acts initiated in exuberant enjoyment of new locomotor and mental powers (Doug n. p. ). In result of incorrect treatment from the parents side, the child enters the stage of conflict of development. It can be expressed in various situations, one of which can be defined as follows: Can I ever become an independent from my parents and unveil the scopes of my potential? .
In such a way, when the parents punish their children for attempts to show initiative, the children can develop a sense of guilt. A sense of guilt, in its turn, can result in inhibition. Doug Davis and Alan Clifton also claim that the residual conflict over initiative may be expressed as hysterical denial, which may cause the repression of the wish or the abrogation of the child's ego: paralysis and inhibition, or overcompensation and showing off. Finally, too much purpose and no guilt (Niolon, n. p. ) can result tin ruthlessness and the child may achieve his goals without caring who he steps on in the process (Niolon, n. p. ).
Bibliography: Davis, D. and Clifton, A. The Epigenetic Psychosexual Stages, Haverford ' 95. Retrieved October 9, 2006. web Niolon, R. Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development in Resources for Students and Professionals.
Retrieved October 9, 2006. web
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Research essay sample on Develop A Sense Sense Of Guilt
