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Grace (age 8) Learns to Cook: Middle Childhood: Industry vs. Inferiority
Grace feels frustrated because adults treat her like a baby. Her dad starts asking her to help in the kitchen. Soon, Grace knows how to make several dishes all by herself. She's proud that she can contribute to the family in a real way. At this stage, kids become capable of doing real work and are eager to master skills that will help them contribute and participate in their culture. If encouraged, children are able to work hard and be proud of themselves. If not, they feel inferior. -
Grace (age 23) Quits her Job: Emerging Adulthood: Identity vs. Identity Confusion
Grace felt lucky to land a data entry job that let her support herself. Later, she worried she had sacrificed her dreams and committed her life to work that didn't reflect who she was. She quit her job and backpacked through Europe hoping to discover herself and what she wanted out of life. Erikson put this stage in adolescence, but now it occurs in emerging adulthood. Young people drift and experiment, hopefully coalescing an identity to form a base for the commitments of adulthood. -
Grace (age 47) Begins Advocacy Work: Middle Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation
Grace has a fulfilling career as an occupational therapist. She decides to commit her free time to advocacy work to make the systems that serve her clients more effective. She hopes to make her community more equitable for future generations. In middle adulthood people think about the legacy they will leave. Rather than continuing to focus on their own needs (which leads to stagnation), generative people shift focus to caring for others and improving the lives of younger generations.
