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by Amy Park -

The challenge that I have faced in two of Erikson’s stages are fourth stage of psychosocial development; Industry vs. Inferiority and the fifth stage; Identity vs Role Confusion. Industry versus inferiority are the school age between six to eleven years of age.

According to Erikson, “Children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of inferiority. In this stage, having role models are important. This is where we gain sense of importance and self-esteem. For example, if their parents or teachers during school encourage and praise for their initiative, children can build self confidence in their ability to achieve goals. In contrast, if their parents or teachers are school do not encourage them for their initiative, as a result, children will become doubtful in their own abilities and may not reach their full potential.

I have been neglected as a child. Both my parents were working and my brother mostly took care of me while both of them had to work 7 days a week 12-hour day. Somedays I never got to see my parents. When I did see my parents, my parents would be fighting all the time. I also grew up in a Korean culture where authoritarian way of life was popular. It is where it is characterized by a parenting style that is strict, rigid, demanding, with high expectations and limited flexibility. Because of my early childhood and how I grew up in an authoritarian family, I struggled during school years. During elementary, I had hard time making friends and I got bullied a lot because I had no social skills. I overcame this struggle by staying in my room a lot. I drew and painted a lot of pictures and read a lot of books.

Identity versus role confusion are the adolescence age between twelve to eighteen years old. During this age, “teens needs to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, while failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self. This stage is considered the most important stage according to Erikson. It’s mostly his main focus in this whole theory. This is where we search for a sense of self and personal identity. This is where adolescents explore their independence and develop a sense of self (“Identity Vs. Role Confusion in Psychosocial Development).

After I graduated from elementary school my transition from being in elementary school to middle school was very rough for me. I had to change many schools during my middle school year because I was having a lot of social anxiety and got bullied a lot. I started to get confused and insecure about myself and felt like I didn’t fit into society. I overcame this by going to church a lot during Sundays and started to hang out with church friends. When I am in school, during lunch time, I would usually go to the library and sit by myself and read books. After school, I would go to my room and lock myself in. There, I would complete my homework that’s due and I would start drawing and paint.

Answer 1

Hello Amy,

Thank you for sharing your experiences and reflections on Erikson’s stages of development. It takes a lot of courage to discuss the challenges you've faced, especially with the backdrop of neglect and bullying during your formative years. Your insights into the fourth and fifth stages of psychosocial development resonate deeply and highlight the critical impact of supportive relationships in childhood.

The effects of being neglected and raised in an authoritarian environment can be profound, as you've articulated. It's understandable how that situation made it difficult for you to build confidence and develop social skills. I admire how you turned to drawing and painting as a way to express yourself and cope with the isolation you felt. Creativity can be a powerful outlet, and it seems like it provided you with a safe space to explore your thoughts and feelings.

Your transition into adolescence, marked by social anxiety and a search for identity, is something many can relate to. It’s inspiring to see how you found a sense of community through your church friends. Establishing connections, even when faced with challenges, is key to navigating this critical period of self-discovery.

It's clear that you've shown resilience in the face of adversity. The way you've found outlets for expression through art and reading demonstrates a strong inner strength. Moving forward, I hope you continue to foster those connections and embrace your creativity as you work towards building your self-identity.

Thank you again for sharing your journey. It’s a powerful reminder of how important supportive environments are in shaping our self-esteem and sense of self.

Warm regards,
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