ocial environment, including peers, teachers and schools which are highlyimportant according to Erikson. Erikson, then, moves more towards the nurture sideof the nature - nurture debate than did Freud, viewing nurture as equally important indevelopment. This nurture outlook highlights the emphasis on environmental forceswithin Eriksons model. Experiences in life, changes achieved through learning, theinfluence of methods of child rearing, societal changes and culture all have anexceptionally 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. Eriksonalso regards the individual as having responsibility during each stage of developmentand that they also have the opportunity to achieve a positive and healthy resolution tothe crisis experienced. Erikson, therefore, puts less emphasis on the id and insteadplaces more emphasis on the ego. In his view, human beings are rational creatureswhos thoughts, feelings, and actions are largely controlled by the ego and it is theegos development in which he is interested in.Before we go any further it is important to look at Eriksons psychosocialmodel in more detail in order to understand the following evaluation. Eriksons model consists of eight stage of development, with each stageunfolding as the individual goes through the life cycle. Each stage consists of a crisisthat must be confronted. The term epigenetic principle was used by Erikson to describethe process that guides development through the life cycle. Within this it is urged thateverything that grows has a blue print, each having a special time of ascendancy, untilall of the parts have arisen to form a functional whole (Siglemann and Shaffer 1992).It has been attained that Eriksons psychosocial model consists of eight stagesof development which continue thoughout the life-span of an in...
