Developmental Theories
The earliest stage is characterized with the basic trust vs. mistrust dilemma. During this stage, the virtue of hope remains significant. This stage is also the stage of numinous ritualization, or the baby’s longing for the presence of the mother. Lack of affection from the mother may result to estrangement, sense of separation and abandonment. Too much numinous ritualization causes idolism, or hero worship in adult life. During the second stage of life, the child tries to learn the necessary basic skills. This striving for activities and experiences produce the necessity of autonomy vs. shame and doubt. The virtue of will becomes dominant and is characterized by the judicious ritualization, when a child begins to learn to judge itself and its actions. Perversion of the ritualization is legalism or too much emphasis on the law.
The third psychosocial stage is described through initiative vs. guilt forces. The virtue cited is purpose that results from playing, exploring, attempting and failing to discover new things and experimenting. The ritualization is dramatic as a child begins to participate in playacting, imitating adults and pretending. The ritualization’s negative pole is impersonation, or playing of roles not representing the true personality. The fourth dilemma is industry vs. inferiority. This stage, the school stage, is described with the formal ritualization, as the child learns to strive for quality and perfection. The distorted sense of formal ritualization is formalism, or “the repetition of meaningless formalities and empty rituals”.
The fifth stage, adolescence, is marked with the struggle for identity vs. confusion. A person now begins to acquire a sense of uniqueness, a sense of self. However, a person may also begin to suffer from confusion or overlapping of roles. During this stage, the phenomenon “identity crisis” is also highlighted. The virtue of fidelity and the ritualization of ideology also develop. But if distorted, ideology may turn into totalism. Young adults also deal with intimacy vs. isolation dilemma. They seek intimate relationships and social interactions. The virtue of love becomes dominant as they develop in mutuality with a loved partner. The ritualization is affiliative or sharing, but may be perverted into elitism or exclusivity.
The seventh stage is characterized by generativity vs. stagnation, when adults are concerned with helping the later generations. The virtue of care develops and expressed by concern for others. The ritualization at this stage is generational, and distortion of this ritualization is authoritism. The last stage is labelled with integrity vs. despair. It is partnered with wisdom. The ritualization is termed integral but also corresponds to a ritualism called sapientism.