ded as important, but it is Erikson who highlights the forces within a much broader social environment, including peers, teachers and schools which are highly important according to Erikson. Erikson, then, moves more towards the nurture side of the nature - nurture debate than did Freud, viewing nurture as equally important in development. This nurture outlook highlights the emphasis on environmental forces within Eriksons model. Experiences in life, changes achieved through learning, the influence of methods of child rearing, societal changes and culture all have an exceptionally important role on human development according to Erickson. In addition, Eriksons theory encompasses the whole of the human life-span, outlining the stages that occur, which will be looked at more closely later on. Erikson also regards the individual as having responsibility during each stage of development and that they also have the opportunity to achieve a positive and healthy resolution to the crisis experienced. Erikson, therefore, puts less emphasis on the id and instead places more emphasis on the ego. In his view, human beings are rational creatures whos thoughts, feelings, and actions are largely controlled by the ego and it is the egos development in which he is interested in. Before we go any further it is important to look at Eriksons psychosocial model in more detail in order to understand the following evaluation. Eriksons model consists of eight stage of development, with each stage unfolding as the individual goes through the life cycle. Each stage consists of a crisis that must be confronted. The term epigenetic principle was used by Erikson to describe the process that guides development through the life cycle. Within this it is urged that everything that grows has a blue print, each having a special time of ascendancy, until all of the parts have arisen to form a functional whole (Siglemann and Shaffer 1992). It has been attained that Erikson...
