Book review of ‘Childhood and Society’ by Erik Erikson – Book review, Literary and Psychological Analysis, Reflections on reading the book
[The author’s name]
Abstract
This paper will present you with the book review of ‘Childhood and Society’ by Erik Erikson. The review will focus on the analysis of its context in literary and psychological terms, its contribution to the field of psychology as well as on the reflections deriving from its reading. A short presentation of the book’s structure will be given providing you with a highlight of the basic elements of each chapter. Emphasis will be given on the psychological theory developed in this book on behalf of Erik Erikson, a widely acknowledged psychologist and psychoanalyst who has developed his own theory on psychological development of humans. Erik Erikson was born in Germany but his parents were Danish. It was in his own childhood that Erikson came face to face with the problem of defining one’s identity within a social context in which a person is to be developed. Experiencing sarcasm and irony on behalf of his classmates concerning his Scandinavian identity, Erikson started reflecting on the aspects of defining one’s identity. His first studies were on the field of art and it was during his teaching years as an art teacher in a private school in Vienna when he met Sigmund Freud’s daughter, Anna. This was the beginning of his entering the field of psychology. Erikson devoted his life ever since in the studies of psychological development, of the formation and development of one’s personality and taught in Harvard and Berkley. His book ‘Childhood and Society’ was the outcome of his working years in these Universities in the field of psychology. The book presents its readers with his beliefs concerning the developmental stages of one’s psychological world and familiarizes them with the term ‘identity crisis’, a term first coined by him. ‘Childhood and Society’ published in 1950 gave him credit not only within the psychology field but within the wider range of the educational community. His writing style, his approach on the above-mentioned issues and his sharing the results of his studies and researches have contributed significantly in the field of psychology and education. Erik Erikson has been characterized as the psychologist of hope since he actually develops a theory which seems to believe in the power of free will and the tendency of people to seek internal balance. Taking into consideration the saying of Marcus Tullius Cicero ‘A room without books is like a body without a soul’, concerning the significant role of reading books in one’s personal evolution, this essay aims at presenting you with the significance the book ‘Childhood and Society’ holds in people’s approach to children’s development in terms of helping them to deal effectively with all problems involved in such a complex procedure. ‘Childhood and Society’ opens up new ways of looking into the matter of psychological development, a development which is constantly under research.
Key words: psychological development, identity crisis, childhood, social life, developmental stages
Book review of ‘Childhood and Society’ by Erik Erikson – Book review, Literary and Psychological Analysis, Reflections on reading the book
‘Childhood and Society’ is divided in four (4) parts, each of one consists of chapters. The structure of the book is such that an analytical insight is given to the development of one’s personality and character in psychological terms. Part I ‘Childhood and the modalities of Social Life’ consists of two chapters, Chapter 1 titled ‘Relevance and Relativity in the Case History’ and Chapter 2 ‘The theory of Infantile Sexuality’. In Part II ‘Childhood in two American Tribes’ consists of Chapter 3 ‘Hunters across the Prairie’ and Chapter 4 ‘Fishermen along a Salmon River’. Part 3 ‘The Growth of the Ego’ includes Chapter 5 ‘Early Ego failure, Jean’, Chapter 6 ‘Toys and Reasons’ and Chapter 7 ‘Eight ages of Man’. The last Part of the book, Part 4 consists of the last 4 chapters, Chapter 8 ‘Reflections on American Identity’, Chapter 9 ‘The Legend of Hitler’s Childhood’, Chapter 10 ‘The Legend of Maxim Gorky’s Youth’ and Chapter 11 ‘Conclusion, Beyond Anxiety’.
In Parts I and II (Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4) Erikson opens his thoughts telling his readers that ‘child psychology has struggled for so long to be scientific yet so consistently failed’. This failure according to Erikson makes it extremely difficult for any systematic method to be developed in order to study child psychology. Even the progress which has been made raises new challenges and conflicts in the discussions it generates. Giving the example of neuroses which is difficult to be understood and accepted as a disease, Erikson decides to build his arguments and thoughts beginning with the description of a specimen of pathology, the beginning of ‘violent somatic disturbance’. Sam is the study case of his research who proves to suffer from this kind of disturbance instead of epilepsy as it was first diagnosed. In Chapter 2 Erikson presents us with his research findings on childhood sexuality. Studying the case of two children ‘deadlocked in a fight’ Erikson sees the infantile organism as containing powerful sexual and aggressive energy.
In Part II ‘Childhood in two American Tribes’ Erikson presents us with the findings of his research upon American Indians. The first outcome of his research is that ‘primitive child –training systems are not stuck in infantile stages’. Erikson reports the discussion developed with Jim’s father. Jim is the study case, a child belonging to the tribe of Sioux. The discussion developed with Jim’s father concerns their differences from the white ones in reading their children. In Chapter 4 ‘Fishermen along a Salmon River’ Erikson goes on with presenting us with the results of his studies of a second American Indian tribe, a tribe of fishermen acorn gatherers on the Pacific Ocean, the Yurok who are diametrically opposed to the customs and lifestyle of the previously studied tribe of the Sioux. The Yurok have adopted a cynical behavior towards the whites and seem to be closely attached to themselves, preserving their close bonds to the frames of their own system of organizing their lives. Erikson presents us with the traditional ceremony of their fish dance as proof of showing their difference in their behavior and personality, compared to the others. Child’s training in the Yurok tribe begins from the moment of birth.
Parts III and IV
In Part III, Erikson provides his readers with the basic core of his theory, focusing on the growth of Ego. Erikson presents the theory of psychoanalysts who believe in the 3-leveled structure of people’s inner world. According to Freud’s founding theory the ego is the part which becomes evident to people’s social surroundings and relationships and is formed as the result of a constant fight between id, the unconscious part of one’s inner world representing his / her excessive wishes and the superego, the wishes imposed on someone according to the social context within which he lives, other’s expectations, his must to be status, what he / she is expected to do and fulfill according to his / her social status and burden of his / her origins.
Erikson shares his research findings following the study of Jean, a schizophrenic child and comes to introduce us to his more humanistic approach to the growth of ego. A question starts flirting his readers’ minds: Could society play a more important than stated up to now by preceding psychoanalysts to the growth of Ego? Then comes Chapter 6 which takes us backwards to reminding us the importance of toys and games in the growth of Ego. What is the role of toys and games in this procedure of development? How do children behave with their toys and to what extent can the toys chosen to be given to them influence the development of their Ego? Erikson using an illustration of Tom Sawyer, the hero of Mark Twain, in the beginning and then an illustration of one of Freud’s patients he comes to state that ‘play is a function of the ego attempting to synchronize the bodily and social processes within the self’. He argues that ‘those who do not work do not play’.
Chapter 7 known within the borders of the psychological community also as ‘the eight stages’ of humans comes to present us with Erikson’s beliefs in people’s development. This is the most crucial, in my opinion part of the book, since the title itself is justified and the whole structure and justification of his theory is developed. Erikson emphasizes more in contrast to the rest of psychoanalysts to the importance of the social group within which a person develops.
Children according to Erikson find themselves during their growth, their bringing up in a constant fight between the reality they face and their inner needs. There is the goal set by their reality, different at each stage of their lives’ development and their own unique or at times commonly shared inner needs and thoughts. How do children survive this fight? Is this a fight that stops at some point of people’s lives? The answer is No. Erikson believes that development psychologically speaking never stops. It begins when an infant and goes on till one reaches the ultimate stage of his / her development, the last years of older people’s lives.
Each stage of life deals with its own conflict. In an effort to highlight these conflicts between the negative and positive role developed at each stage, this essay will present you with the eight conflicts Erikson talks about. The conflicts are Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt. In the late school years the conflicts are Industry vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion. In Young Adulthood (years 18-35) the conflict is Intimacy vs. Isolation, in later adulthood (years 35-55) the conflict is Generativity vs. Stagnation while in the late years after 55 till someone’s death, the conflict is Ego Integrity vs. Despair. It is what each person gains after each conflict, it the traits of the role that prevails each person’s conflict that form one’s personality.
The reflections on the American Identity in Chapter 8 of Part 4, is part of Erikson’s plan to focus on the problems of identity in America, Germany and Russia. These problems if depicted on his behalf will help him present his readers with a more detailed description and analysis of Freud’s theory. Chapter 8 supports that America is a country of dynamism and dynamic personalities. But there is still a long way to go in order to treat people with the caution and tendency required upon their individual development. Erikson expresses a more humanistic approach to the matter of personality’s development.
In the following Chapters 9 and 10 the examples on the society’s role to the development of Hitler’s and Maxim Gorky’s personalities is analyzed. Emphasis is given on the characteristics of their countries social function and culture and to what extent they influenced these personalities’ development. Are personalities created by their societies? Do societies give birth to specific kinds of personalities? Or are societies just victims of some of its personalities - predefined by their id – traits?
In the last Chapter Erikson states his conclusions. Erikson is a humanist and believes in the power of one’s personal strength to lead him to gaining either the positive or negative role in each one of his / her internal conflicts. He argues that ‘Childhood and Society’ is ‘an attempt to reconcile historical and psychology methodologies by dealing with them jointly and as having joint laws. The smallness of the child forms a background in the mind of each person and shapes his / her challenges in life’. Last but not least special notice ought to be taken of the constant fight one is to give throughout his / her life against his / her imposed or adopted fears, against the anxiety generated by life itself.
Conclusion
‘Childhood and Society’ is one of the milestones in one’s readings upon the nature, developmental stages and existence of human beings. It is a book broadening the reader’s horizons and providing him / her with awareness on the responsibility societies carry within their frames in order to create stress- released environments which can help people experience the feeling of freedom during each one of their personal and commonly shared inner fights. There is an interaction taking place between societies and their people, between present and the past, between humanity’s future dreams and nowadays’ potential difficulties. But if there is one thing that reading ‘Childhood and Society’ provided me with is the awareness that this interaction requires high commitment on both parts to their goals which ought to be shared and become common legacy of humanity.
References
Erikson Erik, (1950) ,‘Childhood and Society’,(1st ed.) New York: Norton
