Our identify develops and is usually tied to various group relationships. Consider some of the challenges in the coming out process as one renegotiates these relationships. Think of some ways that group interventions can facilitate this process. Erickson theorized that the ego is shaped and transformed not only by biological and psychological forces but also by social forces. Erickson expanded the principles of psychological development beyond childhood, theorizing that personality development continues over the lifespan.
Development is invariant, sequential, and hierarchical.
Erickson identified ego strengths as well as vulnerabilities. According to Erickson, in the negotiation and resolution of a developmental crisis, each person has the opportunity for development but at each stage there is also the possibility for a negative outcome. While Erickson proposed that male and female lifecycle development differ in childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and midlife, his theory reflects the sex role stereotypes and expectations for women that marked the 1950s and 1960s. Erickson has also been faulted for overemphasizing the role of separateness, autonomy, and individuation in the life cycle, while neglecting attachment issues at every stage of development. Erickson has also been faulted for failure to capture the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities.