Analyzing Erikson's Childhood

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On June 15th of 1902, Erik Homberger Erikson was born in Frankfurt, Germany. His mother was Karla Abrahamsen, a jewish woman, and his biological father was a Danish man who left Karla while she was pregnant with her son. After being abandoned, she married pediatrician, Dr. Theodor Homberger. After Erik was born, the three of them left Frankfurt and moved to Karlsruhe, another large city in Germany ("Psyography”). Erikson did not enjoy the traditional schooling system; he claimed the arts was his calling. He studied different types of art and several different languages in the beginning. After high school graduation, Erikson deciding to travel Europe, but soon returned back to Germany to enroll in a school of the arts. Years later in 1933, …show more content…

Role Confusion, children discover their identity. Erik claims that he had trouble discovering his own identity because he was a blond haired and blue eyed jewish boy, which contradicted everything in the 1900s. Erickson went through role confusion before he could figure out his true identity. When becoming an adult, Intimacy vs. Isolation, the sixth stage appears. According to Erikson, this stage can only arise if one is able to find their identity in the previous stage. This is where people begin to explore relationships with other in search of a long-term commitment such as marriage. Avoiding commitment and intimacy can lead to depression or simply a life without one consistent person. Erikson’s seventh stage is Generativity vs. Stagnation which is finally bringing your life together by having children and a stable job. Without these expected accomplishments, one may feel like they haven’t done anything with their lives. The eighth and final stage of Erikson's stages of psychosocial development is Ego Integrity vs. Despair. At the age of about 65, one tends to reflect on their life, and what they have accomplished. If satisfied, wisdom is gained and death is accepted with no fear. On the contrary, if feelings of unproductivity and guilt about one’s past occur, depression and hopelessness is a very common feeling

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