Erik Erikson James Marcia and Ego Identity Status in Early Adolescents Jessica Lambert 1 Who am I Where am I going What do I believe in and why What do I want to do with my life 2 Erik Erikson 1902 1994 Born illegitimately in 1902 in Germany Ethnically Danish Jewish May have also been part German but biological father is uncertain Struggled in school and after finishing high school alternately traveled around Europe and took a few college level art classes trying to figure out his life At the age of 25 was given a position teaching children at a school founded by Anna Freud and Dorothy Burlingham in Vienna and began to study child psychoanalysis with Anna Freud Married at 27 then in 1933 took his wife and children and moved from Germany to Boston to escape Hitler In the United States worked as a psychoanalyst taught at universities including Harvard and conducted original research Continued teaching until his death in 1994 3 Erikson was a Freudian yet he found Freud s theory of development imperfect particularly because its focus on body zones is too specific and hence limiting Erikson believed that for each libidinal zone we can also speak of an ego mode a more general mode of activity Crain 279 Erikson also added stages to Freud s theory for Erikson development continues on some level even into old age 4 For Erikson there are eight stages of human development not only five as according to Freud At each stage something new is introduced and the individual is faced with an unique crisis specific to this stage Each successive step is a potential crisis because of a radical change in perspective Crisis is used here in a developmental sense to connote not a threat of catastrophe but a turning point a crucial period of increased vulnerability and heightened potential and therefore the ontogenetic source of generational strength and maladjustment The most radical change of all from intrauterine to extrauterine life comes at the very beginning of life But in postnatal existence too radical adjustments of perspective must all be accomplished in their own good time With them the interpersonal perspective also changes rapidly and often radically D ifferent capacities use different opportunities to become full grown components of the ever new configuration that is the growing personality Erikson 1968 5 The 8 stages of life according to Erikson 1 The oral stage incorporation and biting or grasping first passive taking in then active taking trust vs mistrust 2 The anal stage holding on and letting go autonomy vs shame and doubt 3 The phallic Oedipal stage intrusion initiative vs guilt 4 The latency stage industry vs inferiority 5 Puberty the genital stage new social conflicts and demands ego identity vs role confusion 6 Young adulthood adolescent is self centered centered with who he is and how the world sees him intimacy and solidarity vs isolation 7 Adulthood generativity vs selfabsorption and stagnation 8 Old age life review ego integrity vs despair 6 The Ego Identity Crisis The crisis in the life of the adolescent is that of forming an egoidentity a clear sense of who one is what one s place in the world is what one wishes to do with one s life what one believes etc There are many domains in identity formation not all will reach identity achievement status at the same time For example an adolescent will not necessarily reach identity achievement in the domains of religion political views desired college major etc at the same time in fact he probably will not 7 With a good initial relationship to skills and tools and with the advent of puberty childhood proper comes to an end The rapidly growing youths faced with the inner revolution of puberty and with as yet intangible adult tasks are now primarily concerned with their psychosocial identity and with fitting their rudimentary gifts and skills to the occupational prototypes of the culture The integration of an identity is more than the sum of childhood identifications It is the accrued confidence that the inner sameness and continuity gathered over the past years of development are matched by the sameness and continuity in one s meaning for others as evidenced in the tangible promise of careers and life styles The adolescent s regressive and yet powerful impulsiveness alternating with compulsive restraint is well known In all of this however an ideological seeking after an inner coherence and a durable set of values can be detected The particular strength sought is fidelity that is the opportunity to fulfill personal potentialities in a context which permits the young person to the true to himself and to significant others Erikson 1968 8 In times of unrest the adolescent mind becomes an ideological mind in search of an inspiring unification of ideas Youth needs to be affirmed by peers and confirmed by teachings creeds and ideologies which express the promise that the best people will come to rule and that rule will develop in the best people A society s ideological weakness in turn expresses itself in weak utopianism and in widespread identity confusion Fidelity then is the ability to sustain loyalties freely pledged in spite of the inevitable contradictions of value systems It is the cornerstone of identity and receives inspiration from confirming ideologies and ways of life Erikson 1968 9 Ego Identity Status is determined by Exploration Commitment Exploration is determined by knowledgeability activity directed toward gathering information evidence of consideration of alternative possible identity elements emotional tone desire to make an early decision Commitment is determined by knowledgeability activity directed toward implementing the chosen identity element emotional tone identification with significant others projection into one s personal future resistance to being swayed 10 4 possible identity statuses with regard to a particular domain Foreclosure low exploration Diffusion low exploration low commitment lack of commitment to any career little or no urgency is felt may demonstrate knowledge but lack enthusiasm and hope may be apathetic Identity diffusion in the domain of family vs career priorities is more characteristic of younger adolescents high commitment expresses a genuine commitment to one vocation without ever having seriously considered alternatives this selection often made at an early age activities and knowledge tend to be restricted to this prematurely chosen field emotional tone is one of assurance anticipates no