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Personal portrait Essay Erickson hypothesized that the personality of a person develops in universal and observable patterns corresponding to the ways a human fetus develops. 1 He said that trust is developed in infancy. If one has been nurtured with trust around him, a child learns to trust others. Erickson gave emphasis on the mother’s positive and loving care for the child through constant touch. Erickson believed that if one grows with nurturing love and attention, a child will develop the sense of trust with people around him. He will grow up and live life confidently knowing that he is safe. If one may observe, an infant is constantly looking for her mother, he grows anxious and begins to cry if he cannot see his mother. This is so because the mother’s presence comforts the infant, giving him the feeling that with her mother beside him, he will be safe. He knows instinctively that his physical and emotional needs will always be attended to by her mother. A child who did not develop the sense of trust in infancy can become frustrated because she will grow up learning to doubt others, thus creating negativity within him. When this child grows up, developing relationships may pose a problem. I am with the belief that my mother has nurtured me with the love and care in my infancy. For now that I am grown, it is easy for me to trust people and believe what other people say. Relating with others has never been a problem and knowing that I can count on others for support and assistance makes me try out things and endeavors with excellence in mind. My mother once told me that I had always been a pleasant child. I readily smile when touched; always ready to be cheered and giggle when tickled. So I suppose my mother nurtured me well in infancy, for I was a contented and adorable baby. The second psychosocial stage of Erickson is the Early Childhood. This is between the ages of 18 months to 3years. This is the group of toddlers. Most people are charmed by toddlers, especially when they act or speak like adults. A child in this stage loves to role-play and ask endless questions. They love to explore and investigate things that capture their interest that is why they tinker with their toy and ends up destroying it. It is at this stage when the child’s curiosity is at its peak, thus, all their questions should be answered clearly. It is the age when they learn to walk, run and jump, thus, they hate to be cuddled and restrained. Any attempt to withhold them from any mishap would earn a resounding NO! from them. This is the word they love to say over and over again. A parent should balance encouragement and restrain because an overprotective mother could wreak havoc on a son’s ego. He might grow up becoming overly dependent on others. Also, a child who is criticized for behaviors may grow up to have low self-esteem, afraid to try things because of fear of being criticized or ridiculed. I must have been a handful for my docile mom for she tells me the joys of my childhood days, how small but terrible I was; how I loved to explore and run and scream with gusto, I had my fill of playing that I always end up tired and helpless at the day’s end. She said I was such a ball of curiosity. I loved to learn. My thirst for knowledge is immense, which must have been triggered by my mother’s relentless ability to let me be. Learn things the way I want to, used my senses in developing ideas, and gather experiences that would be ingrained in my mind till now. The next stage is the play age known as the initiative vs. guilt. This occurs between ages 3-6 years. It is during these years when a child learns initiative and develops sense of responsibility and independence. Thus it is necessary that a child should be guided to learn the skills necessary to develop their self-concept and discipline. Parents can teach the child through examples. It is important that parents realize that a child in this stage should develop a positive moral concept thus; the standards parents impose must be realistic and doable for the child. He should be given tasks which are adept to his motor skills such as sweeping the floor, washing the dishes, setting the table etc. Giving him tasks to perform builds his self-confidence and enhance his understanding of responsibility. The 4th stage of Erickson, developmental theory is the industry vs. inferiority. This comprises the age of 7 to 12 years. In this stage, the child learns that if he does well in school, he can win the appreciation and admiration of his parents, friends and teachers. The opinions of others are important to him. Thus a child shows industry in finishing his school works and exerts efforts to show efficiency. According to Allen and Marotz (2003), children at this age are becoming more aware of themselves as individuals. They work hard at being responsible, being good and doing it right. 2 The child also develop his moral values at this stage. A child who is ridiculed for getting poor grades may feel shame and regard himself as inferior to others. I pride myself in the fact that going to school was never a chore. It was an activity for me each day, looking forward to meeting my friends and teachers, learning things and sharing my experiences in school. The next stage is the Identity vs. Role Confusion between ages of 12-18 years. It is the stage where one grapples with the concept of his own identity. The individual is neither a child nor an adult. The task is to discover one’s own identity separate and distinct from others. We create a special bond with our friends. Those that we can relate to and identify with. I am fortunate to have a group of friends whom I have bonded with during my high school years. We shared the same interests and always had a great time with each other. Each day does not seem enough for us to enjoy one’s company, we never seem to run out of stories to tell, problems to share with and crushes to keep. My adolescent period is where I gathered most of my great experiences in life, the essence of friendship and the worth of knowledge and what it takes to pursue one’ goal in life. The young adulthood stage of Erikson covers the 19-40 age group referred to as the psychosocial crisis of intimacy vs. isolation. According to Erik Erickson the young adult stage, Intimacy vs. Isolation, is emphasized around the ages of 19 to 34. At the start of the Intimacy vs. Isolation stage, identity vs. role confusion is coming to an end and it still lingers at the foundation of the stage (Erikson 1950). Young adults are still eager to blend their identities with friends. They want to fit in. When we arrive at stage six we should be prepared for intimacy, a close personal relationship, and isolation, the fact of being alone and separated from others. A balance between intimacy and isolation makes love possible as we must know how to be alone in order to learn to truly love. Having a balanced stage 6 will help tremendously later in the coming stages when unwelcome or unexpected isolation surfaces, for example, the death of a spouse or a loved one (Erikson, Erikson, Kivnick 1986)3 This stage speaks of commitment, of rejection and on how one is prepared for it. I for one value intimacy and commitment. I chose to be married and live a happy life together with the one I have chosen to spend it with. Once married, I intend to have it for eternity, battling all trials and hardship with the belief that love can surpass obstacles. The family values that had been inculcated in me, I want to nurture by raising a family of my own. The next stage of Erickson’s developmental theory is known as the generativity vs. , stagnation otherwise known as middle adulthood for the 40-65 years old. It is simply seeing what you have done and seeing how you have progressed as an individual. If you have lived your life well, and raised a family of your own, it is the stage when you simply give guidance to your children on how to raise their own children. It is simply witnessing the unfolding of another generation. While stagnation is that of simply stagnating. Not having lived your life well. Wasting years of life. As early as now, I intend to make my life a success, by raising a family I can be proud of, living a comfortable life that will make myself proud, and watch my children live their life in the way I have raised them. Being there for them to help them face their trials in life. Supporting them in the best way I can, and guiding them on how to deal with realities of this world. The last stage is the integrity vs. despair. This stage speaks of the individual who has aged and has gotten old. It is the time of looking back and assessing what you have done with your life, how you lived it. Is it something you can be proud of, or is one which you should be ashamed of. The adage of â€Å"reaping what you sow† is fitting here, because, it speaks of what you have sowed in life. Is there a sense of fulfillment? Like, if you have children, were you able to send them all to school? How are they now? But if one lived life less sensibly, then I suppose, despair would be in store for him in his golden days. Kohlberg’s stages of moral development discuss morality into three levels: The Pre-conventional Morality which is childhood and is defined as â€Å"obeying rules and avoiding negative consequences. † 4 Where the rules set by parents define moral law. The conventional level between the ages of 9 to adolescence, â€Å"where children begin to understand what is expected of hem by their parents, teachers etc† and the Post-conventional level which is adulthood. Where â€Å"Morality is seen as upholding the values of your group or culture. 5 Erickson’s theory of development can be compared to Kohlberg’s theory of moral development in the way a child is raised. The morality standards of the parents are the guiding principles of the parents in raising their child. For example, if punishment is used in disciplining a child, obedience can be solicited because the child fears punishment. An adolescent would behave in a manner that is expected of him, in accordance with the moral values inculcated in him. Rules will be followed in the way the individual was made to conform to it. Kohlberg’s moral development satisfies Erickson’s developmental theory that satisfying the child’s need is good and moral; that obeying expectations is seen as moral; meeting expected performance is good and moral. People in varying situations, in different culture, react differently to a given situation. Addressing a particular situation in accordance with ones values is moral. Meaning what is right or wrong is perceived in accordance with one’s personal beliefs. The implication of these development theories in gender difference, environment, cultural and ethnic influences can be shown in delimiting gender stereotypes. It is to be noticed that both young girls and boys are energetic and vigorous in their motor activities, hence, teachers should not make assumptions that â€Å"monkey bars† are only for boys or that literature depicting racial discriminations should be avoided. The theories enunciates that development is universal and that morality issue differs from each culture and race; and acting in ones own personal belief is moral, hence, should be respected and accepted as such.