Comparison between Erik Erikson's And Sigmund Freud’s Theories of Human Development

The Comparison between Erik Erikson's And Sigmund Freud’s Theories of Human Development
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The Comparison between Erik Erikson's And Sigmund Freud's Theories of Human Development
Development continues to happen in people until they depart the world. Therefore, it is significant to understand the development process and its influence on human life. Understanding human development enables human beings to know what changes and requirements are needed. Besides, psychosocial development is also essential for meeting individual and societal needs. Erik Erikson and Sigmund Freud represent some famous proponents of human development theories. Freud is known as the father of Psychology, and he is known for psychosexual theory; at the same time, Erikson is famous for psychosocial theory. Though these individuals believed that the personality of a human being develops in a series of predetermined stages, both have similar and different explanations. The paper presents a critical analysis of Erikson's and Freud's approaches to human development and compares their work by analyzing the similarities and differences.
Comparison of Erikson and Freud Theories
Freud presented the psychosexual theory in the 1900s and reasoned that the personality of human beings matures during the early period of childhood stage. According to Freud, childhood experiences can shape the personalities and behaviour of adults, such that where a child born in a violent environment witnessing violence in or outside the family can also become a violent person in the adulthood stage. Freud also understood human development as irregular. A human being must pass through thoughtful phases during childhood (Bartke, 2015). Human development can become stagnant if proper parenting is not provided; hence it must be nurtured comprehensively (Pittman et al., 2012). Freud developed five stages of psychosexual development.
Creatively, Freud centers his knowledge on the significance of feeding. He argued that the eating desire of a child focuses on different body areas known as an erogenous zone and five psychosexual stages such as Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital. The Oral stage (birth to 1 year) refers to the mouth area the child enjoys by sucking mammary glands, chewing, and swallowing (Bartke, 2015). Adults with oral fixation effects can engage in unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking and overeating to attain satisfaction, and these habits are often engaged in when the individual is under stressful conditions (Bartke, 2015). The Anal stage (1-3 years) is concerned with the anal cavity and sphincter muscles of the human bowel, where individuals can also attain pleasure. A child masters to control anal stimulation when relieving feces (Bartke, 2015). Individuals suffering from anal fixation effects can become excessively clean or disorganized (Bartke, 2015). The Phallic stage (3 to 6 years), where the child's libido is centred on the genital area, becomes a center of pleasure (Armagan et al., 2013). Such children are aware of their anatomical sex differences, leading to a conflict between resentment, erotic attraction, jealousy, rivalry, and fear (Bartke, 2015). Therefore, the theory play a significant role in understanding children development stage.
In the Latency stage (6 years to puberty), the libido of girls and boys is dormant, and further psychosexual development happens; hence sexual energy can be channeled to school work, friendship and hobbies (Kerpelman et al., 2012). On the other hand, most children's energy is used to develop talents and skills and learn new knowledge. They become so involved in playing and primarily confined to the same gender. The Genital stage (puberty to death) is the last stage of the psychosexual theory of individual development, and it commences in puberty. Individuals at that stage, especially children at puberty, become emotionally attached to the opposite or same-sex. They become aware of their sexual differences and develop the urge to explore their sexual feelings (Kerpelman et al., 2012). Parents, teachers, and guardians need to guide them appropriately during the phallic stage to protect them from issues such as early pregnancies illicit romantic relationships, among others (Kerpelman et al., 2012). Therefore, parents, teacher ansd guardians needs offere adequate social support.
Erikson studied and revised Freud's psychosexual theory into eight stages of psychosocial development. He highlighted that ego contributes positively to human development by understanding attitude, skills, and ideas at every development stage. Such values can help children become social and responsible (Surbeck et al., 2018). The psychosocial theory, children experience eight stages of development from infancy through adulthood.
The first stage of Erikson’s psychosocial theory is Trust versus Mistrust (birth to 18 months), and it relies on the quality of care. For example, poor interaction with a child can lead to distrus. Parents are encouraged to develop emotional and social attachments of children by communicating frequently and offering a friendly environment full of love and motivation to encourage the child to develop holistically (Surbeck et al., 2018). Parents should also avoid shouting or pinching children on their mistakes, but they can correct the situation with love and understanding (Surbeck et al., 2018). The children develop a greater sense of individual control in the second stage, “Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt” (2-3 years) (Surbeck et al., 2018). For example, they start walking and eating alone. Others can even refuse to be fed, preferring to eat independently (Saint-Eloi Cadely et al., 2018). Stage three, "Initiative versed Guilt" (3-5 years), happens during preschool when a child intermingles or forms a friendly association with a colleague by playing and exercising new roles (Surbeck et al., 2018). On the other hand, stage four, "Industry versus Inferitity" (6-11 years), focuses on early school years, where a child expresses the wisdom of pride in their achievements. Similarly, stage five, "Identity versus Role Confusion" (12-18 years), happen during the adolescent stage, where a child explores their independence and develops a personality (Jo, 2021). Stage six, "Intimacy versus Isolation" (19-40 years), covers early adulthood, where individuals establish an individual relationship to attain closeness with others (Surbeck et al., 2018). Stage seven, "Generativity versus Stagnation" (40-65 years), is characterized by adults contributing positively to society and the development of the next generation (Surbeck et al., 2018). Finally, stage eight, "Ego versus Integrity" (65 years to death), occurs during the old stage and is focused on adults reflecting on their lives and personal accomplishments. Therefore, the theory adequately enhances reflection.
Similarities and Differences
The chapter aims to discuss the similarities and differences between Freud and Erikson based on their concepts above. Freud claims that the most significant part of unconscious processes is an internal necessity (drives) for physical desire known as libido. He developed five stages of human development from birth to twelve and over. Similarly, Erikson insists that human development is derived from social demand and internal drives. Erikson developed eight individual development stages from the day a child is birthed to late adulthood (Surbeck et al., 2018). A child bred in a peaceful and loving environment can become a good member of society with values such as kindness, understanding, and caring. On the other hand, Erikson argues that humans develop throughout life experiences that shape their lives and developments.
Both Freud and Erikson agree that the personality of human beings advance in a series of predetermined stages though they have different explanations. For example, Freud establishes his human development theory to sex while Erikson emphasizes identity (Jo, 2021). Freud believed that the essence of individuals grows during the adolescence stage. On the other hand, Erikson mentions that the identity of people develops and evolves through their lives. Unlike Freud's notions that maturation has a crucial role, Erikson places more significance on cultural obligations (Kerpelman & Pittman, 2018). The scholars develop theories focusing on the importance of early experience though they present notable differences.
According to Freud's psychosocial theory on the oral stage (birth to one year), the primary source of pleasure is attained by mouth through suckling, eating, and tasting. However, Erikson is more concerned with how parents are responsive to th...