ecriticised the overlapping of the stages, though this may reflect the way things reallyare rather than any inadequacy in the account. As mentioned during the introduction,Eriksons model was based on his clinical work and studies of people from all stages oflife, which provided excellent access to intimate details of their life experiences.However, Erikson accepted the possibility that due to this, his theory could be class orculture bound and actively pursued to remedy that assertion via his anthropologicalstudies and seminars to discuss and compare the patterns of the life cycle in societiesother than his own. In later writings, Erikson goes on to deepen his contribution to ourunderstanding of the life cycle in two particular ways. One is represented by hisbiographical studies of the lives of specific individuals. The other, which will beconsidered next, is to elaborate in greater detail on the issue which first come toascendancy (Stevens 1983), as we become adult, identity.Erikson believed that adolescence was a time of major change. It was he whocharacterised adolescence as a critical period in the life long process of forming onesidentity (Sileman and Shaffer pp315). The concept of identity is a consistent themethroughout Eriksons work and there are several reasons why it assumes so muchimportance for Erikson, one of which is its significance in modern life. According toErikson the nature of society will reflect in the psychological problemscharacteristically experienced by the members of that society (Stevens 1983 p59). Intodays society, Erikson claims, identity confusion is the most important issue.According to Erikson, during his identity versus identity confusion stage, adolescentsare faced with finding out who they are and where they are going in life. Many newroles are being explored and parents must allow their child to fully do so in a healthymanner, which will help arrive at a positive identity. However if an identity is i...
