Erik Erikson and Adult Learning Essay

Born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany, Erik Erikson was regarded as a major(ip) bow in contemporary psychoanalysis. Erikson was interested in arts so he moved to Florence after finishing high school. In 1927, he taught arts in a school psychoanalytically influenced children school spearheaded by Dorothy Burlingham and Freuds daughter, Anna, in Vienna (Erikson Institute, 2003).This move would have a major influence in the life and works of Erik Erikson. Upon recognizing that he has skills with children, Anna Freud, Sigmunds daughter, placed him infra her wings and began teaching him. Eventually, he trained and eventually received certificate from Vienna psychoanalytic Society. After getting certified by female horse Montessori School, he underwent training in psychoanalysis at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. In 1936, he became a member of the Institute of Human Relations, which is a branch of the Psychiatry Department of Yale University (Erikson Institute, 2003).Major Contribution in mental scienceErik Erikson became famous because of his eight stages of development. According to him, every stage in a mans life is accompanied by certain psychological conflicts. He theorized that the development of personality of an soul is a life languish process. The events they encounter in the latter stages of life depose treat earlier childhood problems. His eight stages of development explained why an individual who was not fitted to resolve a childhood problem finds it difficult to resolve it during maturity (Erikson Institute, 2003).Each stage of life is important because how well the child performed during the earlier phase determined how they mickle cope with the next stages. Erikson called this the epigenetic principle (Boeree, 2006).Erik Erikson authored some(prenominal) books that explained his theory, the most not satisfactory of which is Childhood and Society which was released in 1950. In 1969, Erikson win the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for his book Gandhis Truth, which delved on the application of the eight stages of development in the latter portion of an individuals life cycle(NNDB, n.d).Stage Six Intimacy vs. IsolationThis is the 6th stage in Erik Eriksons stages of psychosocial phases of development. It takes place from 18 to 30 geezerhood old. In general, the child faces the dilemma of achieving intimacy or staying isolated. This stage likewise involves a struggle for promiscuity, which is a trait of universe too stringent for comfort and not being able to follow through with the momentum, versus exclusion, which is characterized by rejection of relationships (Boeree, 2006).Intimacy, according to Erikson, is the ability to develop social relationships with other people every as a partner, friend, or member of a community. If the child was able to develop a clear picture of themselves during the early stages, they should no long-run be intimidated by other people (Sante Fe residential distri ct College, n.d).According to this stage, when an individual has established a strong sense of identity, they can start expanding to the people around him. Intimacy is best seen in a persons capacity to enter relationships, making friends, getting married, and ultimately settling down. An individual who successfully pass through this stage can experience feels comfortable with relationships and has a strong sense of commitment (Santa Fe Community College, n.d).On the other hand, the consequence of being unsuccessful in completing this stage of development is isolation. The individual is not comfortable with being with friends, entering relationships, or being intimate with another person. Isolation results from the misery to establish self-identity (Niolon, n.d).A child who experiences isolation prefers to be alone excludes themselves from the order of others. The end result of isolation, in the context of Eriksons stages of development, is loneliness, despair, or depression. pe ople who are unable to successfully pass this stage prefer functional on lowly jobs which offer below minimum wage (AllPsychOnline, 2004).ReferencesAllPsychOnline(2004 demonstrate 21). Eriksons Stages of Psychosocial Development. Retrieved June 26 2008 from Boeree, G. Erik Erikson. Retrieved June 26 2008 from Erikson Institute(2003 May 1). Erik Erikson(1902-1994). Retrieved June 26 2008 from NNDB(n.d). Erik Erikson. Retrieved June 26 2008 from Niolin, R(n.d). Eriksons Psychosocial Stages of Development. Resources for Students and Professionals. Retrieved June 26 2008 from Santa Fe Community College(n.d). Self-Reflections on Young Adulthood exploitation Eriksons Theory of Psychosocial Development. Retrieved June 26 2008 from