Developmental Stages: Implications for Adult Progress

I want to write about some scholarly ideas that have greatly influenced my thinking about life and values, and seem to me to support and tie closely to certain gospel themes about marriage, family, and personal development and progression.  These ideas were presented to me during my graduate studies in social work, and concern the pattern of successful human development that tends to maximize a person’s happiness, functionality, and positive contribution to society over their entire lifetime.  They have their basis in the theories of child and human development of Erik Erikson, who was a prominent psychoanalyst and Harvard University professor of psychiatry a number of years ago.  The summary and interpretation that follow are my own.  While I am not in general a fan of psychoanalysis and find some of its concepts and vocabulary strained and even offensive, the general thrust of Erikson’s work has meaning to me.

Erikson proposed that in the process of human social development there were eight steps, “the eight ages (or stages) of man.”  Building on Freudian theory of childhood processes, Erickson’s thought encompassed the entire human experience, ranging from birth through old age.

Erikson conceptualized each stage as having a specific learning or developmental target.  Failure to successfully master that target leaves a person vulnerable to later problems and less capable of achieving later development.  For example, the initial stage posited by Erikson, which relates to the infancy time period, he called “Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust." It is profoundly influenced by the world in which the baby finds itself.  Does the baby learn that his or her outside world provides consistency, continuity, and goodness that is reliable?  If not developing this basic trust, the child may predictably have more difficulty in mastering the learning and development required in subsequent stages of life.

These eights stages, stated by Erikson in terms of both the ideal target development and its opposite, with the approximate ages to which the stage applies, are:
1) Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust         Infancy
2) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt    Early childhood
3) Initiative vs. Guilt                             Pre-school
4) Industry vs. Inferiority                      Early school/Pre-teen
5) Identity vs. Role Confusion              Adolescence
6) Intimacy vs. Isolation                       Young adulthood
7) Generativity vs. Stagnation             Full adulthood
8) Ego Integrity vs. Despair                 Elderly

I am particularly interested in the adult stages.  First, regarding the culmination of the adolescent period, in the ideal youths have discovered their own purpose or mission, a place where they can make a contribution.  Ideally also, their identity matches their physicality and sexual DNA and they are comfortable with this connection.  This period is quite self-focused however, but important in its preparation to take on adult roles and responsibilities.  The next periods test and stretch the person’s ability to get outside oneself and largely focus on expansion of the person’s human relationships. 

Stage 6, Intimacy vs. Isolation, as defined by Erikson is “the capacity to commit...to concrete affiliations and partnerships, and to develop the ethical strength to abide by such commitments, even though they may call for significant sacrifices and compromises” (Erikson, p. 263, Childhood and Society).  To me, the culmination of this stage is the entering into and maintaining a marital relationship which is mutually satisfying and supportive to both parties.  Unfortunately, we see a number of chronological adults who are remain too weak in their identity or too adolescently self-loving to initiate a relationship that can progress unto marriage or that have failing marriages for the same reasons.  To me, being able to establish a marriageable relationship is an important mark of the achievement of adulthood, and may take some time to achieve.  I, for one, required a number of years past my teens to reach a point in my social and personal development where I could form such a relationship.  And that is just a starting point in learning how to more fully give oneself to and support and strengthen such a relationship.

Stage 7, Generativity vs. Stagnation, according to Erikson includes productivity and creativity, but is primarily “the concern in establishing and guiding the next generation,” and is the central role in teaching and instituting constructive human development (Erikson, pp. 266-267).  Like a college graduation speaker said recently, in effect, “Graduation speakers often challenge the graduates to change the world.  But I will tell you how to really change the world.  Raise children who will change the world.” 

Generativity then, ideally, involves for a person the continuing enlargement beyond the Stage 6 level, of close human relationships and the giving and sacrifice of oneself to the benefit of these developing persons.  Such generativity requires additional growth in the “ethical strength” to place others’ needs and growth ahead of one’s own interests, or perhaps to make the former one’s primary interest.  A byproduct of this performance, of course, is the enhancement of one’s own development as a person and as a social being. Seemingly, this essential growth cannot occur in any other way.

Reference: Erik H. Erikson, Childhood and Society, 2nd Ed.   New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1963.

Two Priesthoods, Objectives, Ordinances, Covenants, Principles and Their Reminders

Moroni gives faith, hope, and charity a significant position in the gospel framework when he quotes the Savior saying that faith, hope, and charity “bringeth unto me.” (Ether 12:28) This reminded me of a concept taught by Bruce Hafen in the book that we read two years ago, The Contrite Spirit, (chapter 6) where he distinguishes between gospel matters belonging to the Aaronic as compared to the Melchizedek priesthoods.  He cites numerous scriptures that teach us of a preparatory gospel and also of higher ordinances and principles.  The first level is foundational and we never lose the need to practice those things but we also need the higher level to have the atonement of Christ fully efficacious in our lives and to become like he is.

This is a comparison:

AARONIC LEVEL   
Objectives:
– Enter into the path of discipleship
– Relieve us from the burden of our sins/forgiveness
– Individual salvation 
Ordinances 
– Baptism
– Sacrament   
Covenants  
– Obedience
– Discipleship (remembering Christ, witnessing of him)
– Bear others’ burdens  
Principles:
– Faith
– Repentance   

MELCHIZEDEK LEVEL
Objectives:
– Sanctification
– Endure to the end
– Bring us to Christ
– Perfection/finishing/completeness
– Exaltation (in families)
Ordinances :
– Endowment
– Temple sealings
Covenants:
– Obedience
– Sacrifice
– Gospel/higher level of relationships
– Marital faithfulness
– Consecration
Principles:
– Faith
– Hope
– Charity

These latter principles are taught explicitly in 2 Nephi 31:19-21 as being a part of the "endure to the end" phase (e.g., Melchizedek level) of discipleship--faith is steadfastness, charity is the love of God and all men.

Here is an added thought that Wendy and I had this week.  Maybe this is not a perfect analogy, but it felt good spiritually.  I loved Valerie’s blog of 10 September about the sacrament, especially about the repetitive renewal function it plays, ever 7 days reminding us of the covenant of discipleship we made earlier in our lives, not allowing us to forget our need for him and his atonement and example.   Now look at the chart above.  The sacrament is our constant reminder of the lesser gospel level (and more, of course).  But we thought, “Could not the endowment also play a similar repetitive, renewal, remembering role for the higher level matters, for the higher covenants and principles?”  We would need to be in the temple regularly for this to have the chance to happen, of course.

Have a peach of a day

3 inch + peaches--Notice that we are keeping them by a cold air vent

We'll add about 35 jars of peaches to our storage.

The last of our peach crop waiting to be processed.

Here the three trees stand, empty of fruit.

We are nearly through peach bottling season, and it has been exceptional.  Peaches dominate our little back-yard orchard.  We have three little dwarf trees which are timed to give us fresh peach-like fruit for a wonderful part of late summer, an exciting and satisfying 6-8 weeks of eating and preparation to have this delicacy available year round.  I cannot think any other fruit that compares with the results of this growing effort: peach cobbler, peach pie, peaches with ice cream, peaches on cereal, peach yogurt.  To me, if any fruit could be called Heavenly, it is peaches, particularly tree-ripened peaches.  In our small backyard orchard, we have the luxury of letting the individual fruits ripen and sweeten on the trees.  I use the same picking strategy for all three trees.  At least once or maybe twice a day, I go out to the trees.  I take hold of each individual fruit that appears to be near ripe.  I tug gently and carefully collect those fruits that come off in my hand, trying not to bruise or drop the individual fruit.  Immediately or within a day or two, we have a collection of wonderful, sweet, tasty, luscious peaches.  I have a strong sense of excitement and accomplishment when I bring the day’s peach production into our kitchen.

Our peach production starts toward the end of July with a little Nectarine tree that we dug up and brought to Spanish Fork when Wendy and I were married.  It had been a gift to Wendy from her son John, sensitive and thoughtful man that he is, a year or so before, and it thrived in its new home.  The fruit looks and tastes exactly like a peach except it has purple, shiny skin like a plum, and is more plum-like in size.  The fruit does not seem to be suitable for bottling or preservation, but it gives us our early season peach fix.

The second tree is an Early Elberta.  Its peaches start to ripen mid-August, and are available for a 2-3 week period.  Generally these peaches are small to medium in size (maybe 2 inches in diameter).  They are tasty and acceptable for bottling, although the bottled fruit seem not as solid as the fruit from tree number three.  Wendy likes the size for bottling because half a peach will fit into a standard jar.

The third tree is a Late (or regular) Elberta. Its peaches start to ripen about the end of August and like the other trees become available over a 2-3 week period.  The peaches it produces are larger and firmer than the early variety, and are perhaps the ideal bottling peach.  Its peaches this year were unusually large and beautiful.  Many of the fruits were 3 to 3 ½ inches in diameter.

Over my years of backyard orchard experience, I have decided that, at least for me, peaches are the ideal backyard orchard fruit.  Laying aside comparison of how delicious the end product is, I have found peach trees to require less maintenance than most of the other fruit trees that will grow in Utah’s climate.  You need to do just one severe pruning each Spring to manage tree growth.  Unlike apples and cherries, there is no need to get on a complicated spray schedule to avoid wormy fruit.  While there is some similarity in the maintenance of apricot trees to that of peaches, peaches have the great advantage in our climate that you are nearly assured that you will have fruit every year.

We love our peaches.