How to Coach Yourself and Others Techniques For Coaching | Page 244
Erikson's concept crucially incorporated cultural and social aspects
into Freud's biological and sexually oriented theory.
Erikson was able to do this because of his strong interest and
compassion for people, especially young people, and also because his
research was carried out among human societies far removed from the
more inward-looking world of the psychoanalyst's couch, which was
essentially Freud's approach.
This helps Erikson's eight stages theory to be a tremendously powerful
model: it is very accessible and obviously relevant to modern life, from
several different perspectives, for understanding and explaining how
personality and behaviour develops in people. As such Erikson's theory
is useful for teaching, parenting, self-awareness, managing and
coaching, dealing with conflict, and generally for understanding self and
others.
Both Erikson and his wife Joan, who collaborated as psychoanalysts and
writers, were passionately interested in childhood development, and its
effects on adult society. Eriksons' work is as relevant today as when he
first outlined his original theory, in fact given the modern pressures on
society, family and relationships - and the quest for personal
development and fulfilment - his ideas are probably more relevant now
than ever.
Erikson's psychosocial theory basically asserts that people experience
eight 'psychosocial crisis stages' which significantly affect each person's
development and personality. Joan Erikson described a 'ninth' stage
after Erik's death, but the eight stage model is most commonly
referenced and is regarded as the standard. (Joan Erikson's work on the
'ninth stage' appears in her 1996 revisions to The Life Cycle Completed:
A Review, and will in the future be summarised on this page.)
Erikson's theory refers to 'psychosocial crisis' (or psychosocial crises,
being the plural). This term is an extension of Sigmund Freud's use of
the word 'crisis', which represents internal emotional conflict. You
might also describe this sort of crisis as an internal struggle or
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