Theories of Human Values essays

Theories of Human Values essays 1. Erik Erikson is responsible for developing the epigenetic principle. This principle is a stage theory that describes human development and growth from birth to death. Unlike Freud's stage theory, Erikson's epigenetic principle extends into adulthood and describes the theories through which one must pass in order to develop psychosocially. Each of Erikson's stages has an optimal time frame during which it occurs. The stage consists of a challenge, or "crisis" that the individual must resolve in order to develop as a healthy person. The stages are progressed through in sequence, with the initial stage dealing with the development of trust as an infant, and the final stage (in old age) posing the challenge of integrity versus despair. The first stage of the epigenetic principle is the trust/mistrust dichotomy that appears shortly after birth and typically lasts until age one. In this period, the infant is faced with the crisis of developing trust (appropriately), usually trust in the mother. In the second stage, from about two to three-years-old, the toddler goes through a stage of autonomy versus shame. If resolved in a healthy manner, the child will learn autonomy and move into the stage of initiative versus guilt. This stage typically lasts from age three to six. The stage of industry versus inferiority is typical of children from six to twelve years old and is resolved in a healthy manner by learned industriousness. The final stage before adulthood is one of identity versus role diffusion in the teenage years. The "identity crisis" that can develop in youth is symptomatic of an unresolved challenge in this stage. According to Erikson, adults also progress through stages of development that take them from an intimacy/isolation crisis in their 20s, through a generativity/stagnation challenge in middle age to a final crisis The epigen...