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Farah's Journey to College: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Farah (age 18) has just graduated high school and is preparing to attend her first year of college. She carefully chooses her major and surveys the various club advertisements around campus. In Erikson's fourth stage, identity vs. role confusion, adolescents become increasingly concerned with how they appear to their peers as well as how they view themselves, known as their identity. The reluctance to commit to a certain identity is known as role confusion. -
Farah Finds Love: Intimacy vs. Isolation
During Farah's time in college, she meets a young exchange student named Christoph. They soon fall in love and two later decide to get married at age 23. In Erikson's fifth stage, intimacy vs. isolation, young adults are becoming ready to commit themselves to long-term relationships. Those who do not feel a sense of isolation. -
Farah's Career and Family: Generativity vs. Stagnation
Farah and Christoph have reached the age of 40, and have a nine-year-old daughter named Katia. Farah has settled into her job as a computer hardware engineer. She is happy with her life thus far, however, feels more can be done. In Erikson's sixth stage, generativity vs. stagnation, adults feel the need to provide both in the workplace and at home, known as generativity. Failure to do so may make one feel as though they are not being productive enough with their life, or stagnation. -
Farah's Life Comes to an End: Ego-Integrity vs. Despair
Farah's life comes to an end at the age of 89 of natural causes. Knowing she had provided both financial support and loving care to her family, Farah had few regrets. In Erikson's eighth and final stage, ego-integrity and despair, people look back on their lives and determine whether their lives had made a difference in the world If a successful life was led, they view it with integrity. If they had regrets, they view their life with despair.
