In one biography, Erik Erikson is referred to as an architect of identity. He was trained in psychoanalysis, and one of his main scholarly interests was [Page 352]describing the nature of humankind. He engaged in personal and cultural observations in his theoretical writings about identity formation. His major contribution was the formulation of an elaborate life-span theory of identity formation based on eight life stages. Each stage is based on age-appropriate and culturally defined crises, or turning points, which demand that the individual choose between dialectic and opposing developmental outcomes. Each stage outcome provides a contribution to identity formation in the form of ego strengths.

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development has been useful in helping teachers and educators to understand child development for more than ...