Analyzing Erikson's Psychosocial Theory

564 Words2 Pages

Erik Erikson's theory which is called the psychosocial theory emphasizes individual developmental stages that emphasize how humans are able to be a part of society through going through each individual stage. Within each stage, he explains what the person's attitudes and skills should look like and how they are contributing to society at a certain age. There are eight stages that make up his psychosocial theory which include trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, and integrity vs. despair. Due to this paper only focusing on the kindergarten years of children, the two stages that will be focused on are …show more content…

For example, when children begin to go to kindergarten between the ages of five and six, they begin to learn more about themselves and others around them. "Social relationships and roles change dramatically as children enter school, join programs, and become involved with peers and adults outside their families" (Eccles, 1992, pg. 31). Kindergarten is a drastic change for all children due to being unaware of extensive social interactions and being in the process of learning more about themselves and the world around them. Eccles (1992) also explains the importance of Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial through explaining how kindergarten children start to develop "a sense of Industry" through learning through their peers and interactions with others (Eccles, 1992, pg. 32). In order to help promote industry in the classroom, it is important for teachers to create activities that help children learn about their abilities and help facilitate their self-esteem. These activities need to include a variety of domains to help promote development in all areas. Teachers can promote social/emotional development through providing experiences in which children are able to interact with their peers and have conversations. For example, having a dramatic play center helps promote social interactions between teachers and their

Open Document