Comparing Erikson's Theory Of Determinism And Child Development

“Determinism The doctrine that all events-physical, behavioral, and mental-are determined by specific causal factors that are potentially knowable” (APA, 2014). In peeling back this definition and correlating to the reading this week from Corey, I found this seemingly simple definition compresses such an extensive theory into a mighty comprehensive sentence. Theory of determinism, as promoted by Freud, establishes that human behavior is not based on free-will or choice but instead is an unconscious practice, absent of self-awareness. In a sense, humans operate in an automaton state paralyzed of free-will due to repressed memories of their early childhood. Freud maintains that “The unconscious stores all experiences, memories, and repressed material. Needs and motivations that are inaccessible – that is,
Erikson identifies personal goal setting and clarification of self-identity as part of the developmental process for elementary and secondary school-aged children. There is an instinctual desire to form meaningful relationships and figure out their place in the world which prompts students to become more introspective. As Hackney and Cormier (2013) assert, “One’s intrapersonal dimensions are interdependent with others who share one’s life space”. They are attempting to share “life space” and are forced to broaden their awareness of who they are and how they can become what they want to be in the future. I believe as Erikson in that “As one’s past has meaning in terms of the future, there is continuity in development, reflected by stages of growth; each stage is related to the other stages” (Corey, 2013, p. 69). Our personality is not static but instead in a constant state of regeneration attempting to reach our highest level of