Erik Erikson, a student of Sigmund Freud, took Freud’s psychoanalytic approach to human development and made significant adaptations which now expands our knowledge of the human lifespan. While Freud’s approach largely focuses on biology, Erikson introduced the eight stages of development which has more of a balance between biology and social context. Each of Erikson’s stages focus on two counterpoints, or “crises”. If the child’s needs are met within each stage, they will continue with a healthy development and will experience the positive results of the stage. If the needs of the child are not met, they may face adversaries stemming from the particular stage. However, if the child does not meet the challenge of a particular stage, that is not to say that they will never gain that skill, but the older someone gets, the harder it will be.
The fourth stage, industry vs. inferiority is a very important stage on the lifespan. This stage occurs during childhood approximately from ages 7-12 (Bellack, 2011). Industry vs inferiority plays an important role in how a child performs in school. It is said that it sets the stage not only for how they perform in school, but in their job throughout adulthood, hence feeling “industrious”. In first grade, school becomes more important for most children. This is a time will they will start developing more skills, learn more, and have an urge to become a productive member of the class and society. For example, if a child is the best reader, or grasps spelling easily, they are more likely to enjoy going to school. Per Erikson, this will lead to a child feeling competent and adds to their overall well-being (Bellack, 2011). On the other hand, if a child does not read well, or feels the teachers do not like them, they will not enjoy going to school. This negativity will lead to the child feeling less competent, or “inferior”. The inferiority side of this stage produces low self-esteem and less enthusiasm about school. Feeling apathetic about school at such a young age may lead to the child being uninterested in other social interactions (Bellack, 2011).
During the ages of 7-12, social interactions become crucial to a child’s development. During the industry vs. inferiority stage, a child feels the need to gain approval by establishing that they can be valuable to society. From this, they will start to cultivate pride in their actions and accomplishments (McLeod, 2017). If the child, for some reason, cannot develop the skill they feel is required from society, they may develop a feeling of inferiority (McLeod, 2017). This stage of industry vs inferiority relates very closely with a child’s development of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-concept.
Self-esteem is the “value children place on the self and the emotional responses they have to these values” (Bellack, 2011). Self-esteem adds to a child’s own sense of self-worth and their successes. Self-esteem have various influences. During the industry vs. inferiority stage, a child’s self-esteem truly starts to develop from social interactions. When a child is in school and aware of their surroundings, they will begin to compare themselves to their peers, which will have the most significant impact on them (Bellack, 2011). This stage is crucial to the development of self-esteem. If a child feels that they are valued in school, with teachers, and among their peers they will begin to develop higher self-esteem than a child who feels the opposite. Self-esteem may stem from various sources, but social interactions are extremely significant. If a child feels that they are not a good student, does not fit in with their peers, and are not valued by their teachers it will have serious consequences on their self-esteem.
Self-concept is a set of beliefs about one’s own personality and abilities. These beliefs have developed through social interactions and personal perception. Since the industry vs inferiority stage occurs when a child is beginning school, it is the time when they will begin to develop their own self-concept (Bellack, 2011). While a child’s personal perception is important in developing a self-concept, parental influences, culture, and social exchanges are just as important. Erikson’s fourth stage represents a time where a child is finding a balance between finding themselves, and fitting in. A child is not only figuring out who they want to be, but how they want to be perceived. (Oswalt, 2008). It is a daunting task to figure out your own self-concept, while simultaneously figuring out if your peers will like this persona you have developed. If a child can successfully navigate this complex roadmap, they will have a clear understanding of who they are and how they would like to be perceived. On the other hand, if they have difficulties with this complex stage, they will feel uncertain as to who they are (Oswalt, 2008). This will greatly hinder their self-esteem and self-concept. Without successfully figuring out who they are, they might feel cut-off from their social group. According to Erikson, “when youth become stuck at this stage, they will be unable to become emotionally mature adults (Oswalt, 2008).
Self-efficacy is the concept that a child can accomplish goals and the competency to complete tasks. While this develops in the fourth stage, the groundwork is said to be laid in toddlerhood or perhaps earlier. Self-efficacy is an important concept in that it will continue to adolescence and eventually to adulthood (Bellack, 2011). Self-efficacy is directly related with Erikson’s stage of industry vs inferiority. When self-efficacy is developing, a child will believe that they can accomplish their goals and effectively complete tasks they set for themselves or are set for them. The industry side of the fourth stage is when a child will feel the desire to complete tasks and take their role as a student seriously. If they feel that they are competent in the skills they are developing in school, their self-efficacy will reflect this.
Erikson’s fourth stage of development, “industry vs inferiority” is very closely related to the development of self-esteem, self-concept, and self-efficacy. The ages of 7-12 are such a significant point in a child’s life. Self-esteem is something that you will carry with you throughout your life. If your self-esteem is high you can live a fulfilled life where you are prepared to take chances, develop meaningful relationships, and excel at a career you love. If your self-esteem is low, you may develop depression, anxiety, and not live up to your full potential. It is important for teachers and parents alike to know the role they play in the development of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-concept during this crucial stage. It is so important for a child to develop confidence in their intelligence and skills. Everyone is entitled to believe in themselves and lead a happy, healthy life.