NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
A Biography Research Paper on Erik Erikson Erik Erikson was born in Frankfurt in 1902 and spent most of his early years in Karlsruhe. His father had deserted his Jewish mother before he was even born. When he was three his mother married his Jewish doctor, Theodore Homburger. Erik assumed the name Homburger at this time.
Young Erik was physically more alike Northern Europeans than most of the children in his stepfather's temple. There he was referred to as Goy, while at his school he was seen as a Jew. His feeling of alienation resulted in a major sense of crisis in his adolescent life. The teenage Erik considered himself an artistic type and perhaps as a consequence of his estranged family life, he wandered Europe for many years before he landed a job, rather by chance, teaching children of the psychoanalytical community in Vienna. (Herman 2002) Erik eventually became part of this movement and was familiar with the major players in psychoanalytical thought at this time, including Sigmund Freud himself. Indeed, as part of his training Erik was analyzed by Anna Freud, Sigmund's daughter. It was here among this company that he first felt a sense of his own personal identity.
However, as a consequence of the threat of fascism in Europe, Erik and his wife made the decision to move to the United States in 1933. (Herman 2002) Shortly after his arrival Erik changed his name from Homburger to Erikson. He felt he would have more success and would more likely be accepted in the professional community if he did so. In America he continued his development as a psychoanalyst and became somewhat of a specialist in child and adolescent analysis. He had already carried out considerable study on childhood development in Vienna where Anna Freud had pioneered study in this area.
In the U. S. , he also completed a number of specialized studies on Native American child rearing practices as well as working extensively with war veterans suffering from various forms of combat related psychological problems. (Woodward 1994) Erikson's' interests were spread over a wide area. He studied combat crisis in troubled American soldiers in World War II, child-rearing practices among the Sioux in South Dakota and the York along the Pacific Coast, the play of disturbed and normal children, the conversations of troubled adolescents suffering identity crises, and social behavior in India (Santrock 1996: 132). Erikson was also concerned with the rapid social changes in America and wrote about issues such as the generation gap, juvenile delinquency, racial tensions, the danger of nuclear war and changing sexual roles (Santrock 1996: 134).
Erikson was also influenced by three different principles. The rise of ego psychology which believed that ego exists from birth and that behavior is not totally defensive. This places more emphasis on the external world. Ethos, which is the influence created by culture. Epigenetic Principle is the course of development which is genetically programmed (Miller 1983). Among the Oglala Lakota, it was tradition for a young boy to go off on his own on a dream quest.
The boy would be expected to have a dream on the fourth night. This dream was expected to reveal to him his lifes path. By the time the Oglala Lakota were visited by Erikson, things had changed some. As time went by, their original culture disappeared, and the new culture that the efforts of the government tried to overturn, did not provide the necessary substitution.
Erikson became aware of the massive influences of culture on behavior, or ethos. This moved Erikson to consider through lifes contradictions (Boeree 1). Erikson believed that the world gets bigger and failure is increasing. In Erikson's stages, many different values and virtues are gained. Some included are: hope / faith , will / determination , purpose / courage , competence, fidelity / loyalty , love, care and wisdom. Erikson believed that a persons personality continues developing throughout their whole life.
He broke life up into eight distinct stages. He stated in each of these stages how a person deals with certain issues and the outcome of these issues determines certain traits in their personality (Boeree 4). There are many controversies regarding Erikson's theories. With all theories, some seem to find them completely wrong and others follow them with no question. Though few didnt did not like Erikson, he is the best-known example of an ego-psychologist (Erikson Evaluation). Erikson is much more society and culture-oriented than most Freudians, and he often pushes the instincts and the unconscious practically out of the picture.
Perhaps because of this, Erikson is popular among Freudians and non-Freudians alike. Bibliography: Boeree, George C. (1997). Erik Erikson. Personality Theories, 14. Online.
Available: web Herman, Ellen. (2002). Remembering Erikson. Tikkun, (March/April): 15. 2. Miller, P. (1983). Theories of Developmental Psychology. San Francisco: W.
H. Freeman and Company. Santrock, J. (1996). Child Development. Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark Publishers. Woodward, Kenneth L. (1994) Erik Erikson: Teaching others how to see.
America. (August 13 - 20): 171. 4
Free research essays on topics related to: erikson, stages, erik, child rearing, anna freud
Research essay sample on Anna Freud Child Rearing
