The Life Cycle

Running Head : The Life Cycle

Erikson 's Life Cycle : the Epigenesis of Identity

[Student 's Full Name]

[Name of University]

Erikson 's Life Cycle : the Epigenesis of Identity

Introduction

As an individual grows older , he or she would encounter and go through stages and events that would somehow change their personality either temporarily or permanently . This was the basis of Erik Erikson 's personality theory . According to him , it is a constant and life-long process which develops and changes over time . In this , the summary of Erikson 's personality

will be presented and compared against Freud 's theory of personality

Erikson 's Life Cycle Theory

Erikson (2007 ) believed that each individual must struggle with the demands of both his or her emotions as well as the environment . For him the development of an individual 's identity begins during the adolescent years since it is during this time that the individual has already developed physically , has a sense of mental maturity and social responsibility

In terms of considering an individual to have a well-developed personality , Erikson (2007 ) agreed with Marie Jahoda that the individual must be able to master his environment and view himself or herself is correct based on what society considers as such . He incorporated the epigenetic principle in his development of his own theory of personality and identity . The epigenetic principle states that any organism that grows and develops , it has an established plan . It is from this established plan that each part of the organism develops and grows over the course of time until the organism and its parts become a complete and functioning whole

Initially , the epigenetic principle is used to describe the development of the fetus in the mother 's womb . During the nine months of conception , the fetus develops its different organs , limbs and other parts which will be essential for the fetus ' survival outside the womb after birth . Erikson (2007 ) believed that the same process continues on after the birth of the baby and throughout its life . Instead of developing and growing parts and organs , the baby , as it grows interacts with the outside environment , his or her immediate family and the society in general . Through this , the individual would gradually face and meet opportunities and limitations mandated by society . As the individual matures , he or she develops his or her sensory capacity as well as social capacities

Through the interaction of the individual with society , inner conflicts would be experienced . These inner conflicts affect how the individual 's personality develops . Also , guidance experienced by the individual as he or she grows up would result in the individual to learn to trust and obey laws which lead to significant interactions between the individual and the members of society . Therefore , the development of the personality of an individual is based on the individual 's readiness to interact and be aware of his or her surroundings and those that comprise it (Erikson 2007

Comparison to Freud 's Personality Theory

Erikson (2007 ) was trained by...