SergioOlmosZaragoza

WaysofKnowing
FourthReadingResponse
01/20/15
Eriksonsuggeststhatforapersontodevelopanidentity,theymustgothroughvarious
stagesinchildhoodandallthroughouttheirlife.Thestagesgo:Trustvs.Mistrust,Autonomyvs.
Shame,Initiativevs.Guilt,Industryvs.Inferiority,Egoidentityvs.RoleConfusion,Intimacyvs.
Isolation,Generativityvs.Stagnation,andEgointegrityvs.Despair.Thefirstfivestagesall
happeninchildhoodtoyoungadulthood.Thelastthreehappenoverlargechunksoftimeand
endatdeath.Eachstageislinkedtooneanother,onemustfirstreachthestagetheyareatto
moveontothenextstage.Also,thefirstfivestagesaremostlyaboutdevelopingapersonsown
identitywhiletherestareaboutfindingthevalueoftheirlife.Peopledeveloptheirown
identitiestofindtheanswertothequestionWhoamI?andeverythingthatstemsfromthat.
Everystageistheretohelptheanswerthatquestionandeachstagehastwosidestoaconflictin
life.
Whenpeopledontgothroughthepositivesideofthestagetheygothroughthenegative
andsometimesdonotfullydevelopintotheirownperson.Therearepeoplewhofollowexactly
whattheirparentswantandtheyneverquestionit.Thesepeopleneveractuallydevelopan
identity,butbecomewhattheirparentsenvisioned.Theymaygothroughthepositivesideof
eachstage,butdonotcreatetheirownidentityandfollowthepathlaiddownbytheirparents.
Peoplewhogothroughthenegativesideofeachstagedonttrustanyone,areashamedof

themselves,feelguiltyaboutthemselves,feelinferiortoothers,andareconfusedaboutwhothey
areoverall.
SergioOlmosZaragoza
WaysofKnowing
FifthReadingResponse
01/25/15
ChisolmwritesthatidentityintheNavajotribestarttorespectthingsandthenlatermove
ontoresponsibilitylateroninlife.TheNavajodonotstartoutdevelopingtheirownidentity.
Theymustlearntorespectthingsofthemselvesandtheirsurroundingsearlyinlifetogetwhatis
knowasgoodthought.Iftheyhavegoodthoughts,theywillbringgoodnessinthelifeoftheirs
andthosearoundthem,andthatshowsthattheyareresponsible.TheNavajobelievethatthere
arespiritsaroundthemthatenterthebodyofachildwhenitisborn.Thespiritguidesthemat
thebeginningandtriestoteachthemandtellthemwhatisgood.TheNavajosocietyisvery
communitybasedandtheytakeintoaccounttheEarth.Theybelievethattheymustshowrespect
toalllivingthingsintheworldandthentheymoveontotheresponsibilityofthemselvesandthe
peoplearoundthem.
TheentireNavajocultureiscontrasttothetheoryproposedbyErikson.Eriksonwasall
abouttheindividualandidentitybeginningassoonassomeoneisborn.TheNavajocultureis
morecollectiveasasocietyandpeopledontdevelopanidentityassoonastheyareborn.
Insteadtheymustlearntoshowrespecttoeverythingaroundthemselvesandthentheymoveon
tothinkaboutthemselvesaroundstage5attheageoffifteentoeighteen.Parentsexpectedtheir
childrentopleasethespiritsandinreturn,thespiritswouldhelpthechildrengetgoodthought

andgoodmoralvalues.Thisleadtomuchridiculewhenthechilddidnotmeetthestandardsthat
wereexpectedofthem.However,theNavajoareaverycollectivesocietyandtheytendnotto
showmuchemotionandavoideyecontact,aseyecontactcanbeseenasbeingveryrude.
EriksonstheoryisveryindividualistandNavajoisverycollective.Theyaretwosidesofthe
samecoin.
SergioOlmosZaragoza
WaysofKnowing
ThirdReadingResponse
01/12/15
EriksoninhisarticleistryingtosuggestthattheproblemthatSamisdealingwithisa
lowtolerancetotensionduetovariousfactorsinhislife.Thefactorsallstemmedfromeventsin
Samslifethatmadehistolerancetotension,suchasthedeathofhisgrandmother,thepressure
toconformtoatownofpeoplethatwerenotJewish,andviolenceinhisownhome.This
culminationofeventstriggeredhisepilepticepisodes.Thechildwasinapartofdevelopment
thatwhentheseeventsoccurred,createdhislowtolerancetotensioninhislife.Samwasnotable
tohandlethetension,hewouldactouthisanxietyandthenanepilepticepisodewouldhit.His
triggerforhisearliestepisodeswererelatedtodeath.ItseemedSamwasnotabletohandlethe
deathofhisgrandmotherandhisparentsdidnotwanthimtohandleitatayoungage.The
parentshiditfromhimandliedtohimaboutit.However,Samwasabletofigureoutwhathad
happenedandhebecameveryconfusedaboutit.AlltheseissuesinSamslifeandathistimeof
developmentleadtohimhavingthisproblem.EriksoncalledSamsculminationofproblemsthat
leadtohislowtolerancetotensionahumancrisis(Erikson,1993,31).

Eriksonssolutionwastoapplyourselvestohiscapacitytoexaminehimself,to
understand,andtoplan.Indoingso,wemayeffectacureoraccelerateaspontaneouscure(
Erikson,1993,33).Inthisway,Samcouldbeabletoreducehisepisodesbybeingtoseethem
comingandalertinghisfamilyaroundhim.Eriksonalsohadsessionswiththemotherandthe
fatherandhelpedthemfindthattheytoowerepartsoftheirsonsepisodes.WithEriksonshelp,
Samwasabletohavehismotherasanallywhenhewouldhaveanepisodehappened.Thus,the
amountofepisodeslessenedandhisfamilywasabletoinformSamsdoctorwhenanepisode
occurredandhowtoovercomethematafasterandlessstressfulpace.