Erik H.

Erikson (1902-1994)
Developmental Psychologist and Psychoanalyst
 Erik erikson’s Significant Life Experiences

Erik Erikson is best known for his famous theory of psychosocial development and the
concept of the identity crisis. His theories marked an important shift in thinking on
personality; instead of focusing simply on early childhood events, his psychosocial
theory looks at how social influences contribute to our personalities throughout our
entire lifespans.

"Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of
being alive. If life is to be sustained hope must remain, even where confidence is
wounded, trust impaired."—Erik Erikson, The Erik Erikson Reader, 2000

Erikson’s Childhood

Erik Erikson was born on June 15, 1902, in

Frankfurt, Germany. His young Jewish
mother, Karla Abrahamsen, raised Erik by
herself for a time before marrying a
physician, Dr. Theodore Homberger. The
fact that Homberger was not his biological
father was concealed from Erikson for many
years. When he finally did learn the truth,
Erikson was left with a feeling of confusion
about who he really was.

"The common story was that his mother and

father had separated before his birth, but
the closely guarded fact was that he was
his mother's child from an extramarital
union. He never saw his birth father or his
mother's first husband." — Erikson's
obituary, The New York Times, May 13, 1994
 Erikson’s Identity

This early experience helped spark his

interest in the formation of identity. He
would later explain that as a child he
often felt confused about who he was
and how he fit into his community.

His interest in identity was further

developed based on his own
experiences in school. At his Jewish
temple school, he was teased for being
a tall, blue-eyed, blonde, Nordic-
looking boy who stood out among the
rest of the kids.

At grammar school, he was rejected

because of his Jewish background.
These early experiences helped fuel his
interest in identity formation and
continued to influence his work
throughout his life.

Erikson’s Young Adulthood

It's interesting to note that Erikson never received a formal degree in medicine or
psychology. While studying at the Das Humanistische Gymnasium, he was primarily
interested in subjects such as history, Latin, and art.

His stepfather, a doctor, wanted him to go to medical school, but Erikson instead did a
brief stint in art school. He soon dropped out and spent time wandering Europe with
friends and contemplating his identity.
Erikson’s late Adulthood
At the age of 25, Erikson met Anna
Freud at a party and soon became a
psychoanalysis patient of hers. In 1933,
during Hitler’s reign in Germany, the
burning of Freud's books in Berlin and
the potential Nazi threat to Austria,
Erikson and his family left Vienna and
moved to Copenhagen; they were
unable to regain Danish citizenship and
so they emmigrated to the USA. Erikson
had a widespread interest area; he
studied combat crises in troubled
American soldiers in World War II, child-
rearing practices among the Sioux in
South Dakota and the Yurok along the
Pacific Coast, the play of disturbed and
normal children, the conversations of
troubled adolescents suffering identity
crises, and social behaviour in India.

Erikson’s Family
 Erikson met a Canadian dance instructor named Joan Serson who
was also teaching at the school where he worked. The couple married in
1930 and went on to have three children. His son, Kai T. Erikson, is a noted
American sociologist.

Erikson moved to the United States in 1933 and, despite having no formal degree, was
offered a teaching position at Harvard Medical School. He also changed his name from
Erik Homberger to Erik H. Erikson, perhaps as a way to forge his own identity. In addition
to his position at Harvard, he also had a private practice in child psychoanalysis.

Erikson’s Later Years

Ultimately, he held teaching positions at

the University of California at Berkeley,
Yale, the San Francisco Psychoanalytic
Institute, Austen Riggs Center, and the
Center for Advanced Studies of the
Behavioral Sciences.

He published a number of books on his

theories and research, including
"Childhood and Society" and "The Life
Cycle Completed." His book "Gandhi's
Truth" was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and
a National Book Award.

Erik Erikson’s Contribution to Psychology

➢ Erik Erikson spent time studying the

cultural life of the Sioux of South
Dakota and the Yurok of northern
California. He utilized the
knowledge he gained about
cultural, environmental, and
social influences to further
develop his psychoanalytic
theory.
➢ While Freud’s theory had focused on
the psychosexual aspects of
development, Erikson’s addition of
other influences helped to broaden
and expand psychoanalytic theory.
He also contributed to our
understanding of personality as it is
developed and shaped over the
course of the lifespan.

➢ His observations of children also

helped set the stage for further
research. "You see a child play," he
was quoted as saying in his New
York Times obituary, "and it is so close
to seeing an artist paint, for in play a
child says things without uttering a
word.

➢ You can see how he solves his

problems. You can also see what's
wrong. Young children, especially,
have enormous creativity, and
whatever's in them rises to the
surface in free play."

Prepared by: Lady Dianne Eval