Erikson's Eight Stages

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Randy Mills Ms. Kasey Melvin PSY 241 NW1 13 July 2011 Erikson’s Eight Stages On July 12, 2011, I interviewed my grandmother, Martha McCarroll in regards to her life and her story. I asked her questions from as far back as she could remember until the present time. In addition to her extraordinary life story, we discussed Erik Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development. After explaining them to her, I asked her a series of questions that would relate Erikson’s stages to her life. At the conclusion of the interview, I asked my grandmother to give a summation of her life’s experiences, and I also asked her to share any regrets she may have during the course of her life. My grandmother was born on January 15, 1927. She is the second oldest of five siblings, and she was raised in Spring Hope, North Carolina. Her father, Baylus Wood, was a farmer and her mother, Susan Wood, worked the farm and raised children. As previously stated, Martha McCarroll’s life is remarkable, and it relates to Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development. Erikson’s first stage is Trust vs. Mistrust. When I read the definition of this stage to my grandmother, she immediately laughed. When I asked her what was funny about Erik Erikson, she explained that she couldn’t imagine growing up in an environment where trust was an issue. Unfortunately, she could not remember anything from her first year of life. However, my grandmother explained that the 1920’s and 30’s were tough times and people had to depend on others to live. For example, the family had to borrow basic household items for everyday use. According to Erikson, the second stage is called Autonomy vs. Shame. My grandmother claimed to have vivid memories from this period in her life: her early childhood years. She said that her father was not active in raising the children.

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