Childhood and Society
- Downloads：7073
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-01 12:00:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Erik H. Erikson
- ISBN：039331068X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The original and vastly influential ideas of Erik H。 Erikson underlie much of our understanding of human development。 His insights into the interdependence of the individuals' growth and historical change， his now-famous concepts of identity， growth， and the life cycle， have changed the way we perceive ourselves and society。 Widely read and cited， his works have won numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award。
Combining the insights of clinical psychoanalysis with a new approach to cultural anthropology， Childhood and Society deals with the relationships between childhood training and cultural accomplishment， analyzing the infantile and the mature， the modern and the archaic elements in human motivation。 It was hailed upon its first publication as "a rare and living combination of European and American thought in the human sciences" （Margaret Mead， The American Scholar）。 Translated into numerous foreign languages， it has gone on to become a classic in the study of the social significance of childhood。
Combining the insights of clinical psychoanalysis with a new approach to cultural anthropology， Childhood and Society deals with the relationships between childhood training and cultural accomplishment， analyzing the infantile and the mature， the modern and the archaic elements in human motivation。 It was hailed upon its first publication as "a rare and living combination of European and American thought in the human sciences" （Margaret Mead， The American Scholar）。 Translated into numerous foreign languages， it has gone on to become a classic in the study of the social significance of childhood。
Reviews
Robert Bogue
，
When I started reading Childhood and Society， it was to learn more about Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development。 I wanted to learn more about how children develop and the stages that they must go through to become an adult – at least according to Erikson。 In addition to more about the stages， I gained a glimpse into his world。 Born in 1902 in Germany， he had important thoughts on both Hitler and Russia。Read more When I started reading Childhood and Society， it was to learn more about Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development。 I wanted to learn more about how children develop and the stages that they must go through to become an adult – at least according to Erikson。 In addition to more about the stages， I gained a glimpse into his world。 Born in 1902 in Germany， he had important thoughts on both Hitler and Russia。Read more 。。。more
Craig
，
A classic in developmental psychology and stage-theory。 Dated， with some problematic aspects， but undeniably influential and ground-breaking。
Kevin
，
I was unsure whenever I read a chapter; did what I read add value to my life？ Surprisingly the answer was almost always 'yes'。 The layout of his thoughts， of his work， was really helpful。What I would have liked more if he dig in some more on neurotic people and neurosis。The one thing I think is overboard; his writing on the USA， saying it is the best country。 That's like saying about yourself you are really smart。 Sure。 I was unsure whenever I read a chapter; did what I read add value to my life？ Surprisingly the answer was almost always 'yes'。 The layout of his thoughts， of his work， was really helpful。What I would have liked more if he dig in some more on neurotic people and neurosis。The one thing I think is overboard; his writing on the USA， saying it is the best country。 That's like saying about yourself you are really smart。 Sure。 。。。more
Marco
，
Man， what a disappointment。 Erik Erikson has been on my list of psychology-classics-I-feel-I-must-read for a while now， ever since reading George Vaillant's brilliant Triumphs of Experience - The Men of the Harvard Grant Study three years back （Vaillant worked with and updated Erikson's stages of life）。 Not only that， Erikson's name is mentioned in every 5 or 6 psychology books I read so I was sure I was in for a treat。 Jesus Christ what a letdown。Confusing， long-winded， uninteresting and possib Man， what a disappointment。 Erik Erikson has been on my list of psychology-classics-I-feel-I-must-read for a while now， ever since reading George Vaillant's brilliant Triumphs of Experience - The Men of the Harvard Grant Study three years back （Vaillant worked with and updated Erikson's stages of life）。 Not only that， Erikson's name is mentioned in every 5 or 6 psychology books I read so I was sure I was in for a treat。 Jesus Christ what a letdown。Confusing， long-winded， uninteresting and possibly even wrong。 His idea was to compare the childhood of 5 different peoples around the globe and correlate them with their cultural practices （Russians are swaddled when infants therefore prone to vary between stillness and outbursts of violence when grown up， and so on）。 But I mean even that could be written in an engaging fashion but sadly it was not what Erik decided to do。PS: I now understand why the author wrote in the preface to the second edition that he had deleted some phrases that he could no longer understand some decades later upon rereading。 。。。more
Devin
，
This book is dated， however it is very interesting。 Erikson emphasizes identity and the threats posed to identity by societal forces。 Proceed with caution and skepticism。
Ben
，
What convergence can we see between the Sioux child's orality and tribe's ethical ideals？ We have mentioned generosity as an outstanding virtue required in Sioux life。 A first impression suggests that the cultural demand for generosity received its early foundation from the privilege of enjoying the nourishment and the reassurance emanating from unlimited breast feeding。 The companion virtue of generosity was fortitude， in Indians a quality both more ferocious and more stoical than mere bravery。 What convergence can we see between the Sioux child's orality and tribe's ethical ideals？ We have mentioned generosity as an outstanding virtue required in Sioux life。 A first impression suggests that the cultural demand for generosity received its early foundation from the privilege of enjoying the nourishment and the reassurance emanating from unlimited breast feeding。 The companion virtue of generosity was fortitude， in Indians a quality both more ferocious and more stoical than mere bravery。 It included an easily aroused quantity of quickly available hunting and fighting spirit， the inclination to do sadistic harm to the enemy， and the ability to stand extreme hardship and pain under torture and self-torture。 Did the necessity of suppressing early biting wishes contribute to the tribe's always ready ferocity？ If so， it cannot be without significance that the generous mothers themselves aroused a "hunter's ferocity" in their teething infants， encouraging an eventual transfer of the infant's provoked rage to ideal images of hunting， encircling， catching， killing and stealing。We are not saying here that their treatment in babyhood causes a group of adults to have certain traits -- as if you turned a few knobs in your child-training system and you fabricated this or that kind of tribal or national character。 In fact， we are not discussing traits in the sense of irreversible aspects of character。 We are speaking of goals and values and of the energy put at their disposal by child-training systems。 Such values persist because the cultural ethos continues to consider them "natural" and does not admit of alternatives。 They persist because they have become an essential part of an individual's sense of identity， which he must preserve as a core of sanity and efficiency。 But values do not persist unless they work， economically， psychologically， and spiritually; and I argue that to this end they must continue to be anchored， generation after generation， in early child training; while child training， to remain consistent， must be embedded in a system of continued economic and cultural synthesis。 For it is the synthesis operating within a culture which increasingly tends to bring into close-knit thematic relationship and mutual amplification such matters as climate and anatomy， economy and psychology， society and child training。 。。。more
Morten
，
Read the danish translation from 61。 Fascinating read here more than 50 years later。 I inherited the book from my father who used it for his teacers education。 I am in no way an expert， and I am not sure it should be read by the uninitiated， but it was none the less and interesting peak into psychoanalysis （and the 50s）。 I read it in many sittings， and it might have been better to read it more attentively， so I did not gain a lot from it， apart from the fact that it seems a bit outdated and seem Read the danish translation from 61。 Fascinating read here more than 50 years later。 I inherited the book from my father who used it for his teacers education。 I am in no way an expert， and I am not sure it should be read by the uninitiated， but it was none the less and interesting peak into psychoanalysis （and the 50s）。 I read it in many sittings， and it might have been better to read it more attentively， so I did not gain a lot from it， apart from the fact that it seems a bit outdated and seems to neglect the cultural aspects of gender and how they play。 。。。more
William Crosby
，
A book from my college days which I reread and have now decided to get rid of （by putting it in a Little Library in case somebody else wants it）。
Billy Jones
，
Conceptually fascinating。 The prose is not too overwrought。 Employed Erikson's theory of psychosocial development to analyse Toni Morrison's 'The Bluest Eye' and 'Sula' as part of my undergraduate dissertation。 Conceptually fascinating。 The prose is not too overwrought。 Employed Erikson's theory of psychosocial development to analyse Toni Morrison's 'The Bluest Eye' and 'Sula' as part of my undergraduate dissertation。 。。。more
Cynthia
，
I read this book when I was getting my degree in Behavioral Science， and found it to be one of the books I referred to most often with regard to childhood development。 I still find it to be quite relevant。
Alan Londy
，
Erikson is not the most original psychoanalytic theorist but his stages of human development over the lifespan of an individual is fascinating。 I have found it quite useful in my work as a clergy person， chaplain and pastoral care giver。
Jan-Maat
，
Upon completion I offered up a heartfelt prayer - thank God that's all over， not that it was bad， just Meh， it more or less managed to ascend to the dizzy heights of 'this might be interesting' by about a third of the way through and then went downhill from there。The problem is the age old one of my expectations， if I take the title and a quote every adult， whether he is a follower or a leader， a member of a mass or of an elite， was once a child。 He was once small。 A sense of smallness forms a s Upon completion I offered up a heartfelt prayer - thank God that's all over， not that it was bad， just Meh， it more or less managed to ascend to the dizzy heights of 'this might be interesting' by about a third of the way through and then went downhill from there。The problem is the age old one of my expectations， if I take the title and a quote every adult， whether he is a follower or a leader， a member of a mass or of an elite， was once a child。 He was once small。 A sense of smallness forms a substratum in his mind （p364） from late in the book then one looks to see what the author will have to say about the influence of past childhoods on contemporary society （ in the 1950s）。 He's not really up to that， and when he does discuss groups of children there are never numbers and the evidence of other experts doesn't seem to agree with what he sees or is told。 When he breaks out and looks at the Lakota， he does present a compelling picture of how their child rearing processes functioned to produce the hunters and warriors that their society wanted/required。 But it does not really work for the girls， instead we get a kind of hand wavy， 'well the girls have got to be good helpers for the boys and they were'， but then the days of hunters and warriors were long over by the time that he was having conversations with elders - so his picture is based on what people were telling him on the basis of what they had been told about the good old days， of prime important here to his argument is unrestricted access to the maternal breast well into childhood， while other experts in the text cite an average age of weaning of between 12 to 18 months not quite the unrestricted access of which he sang。 The impression that Erikson is a conjuror playing fast and loose， and it becomes hard to shake the impression that one can see the cards up his sleeve and the rabbit in his hat。 He is happy though and suddenly his explorations reminded me of The Uses of Mythology， Freudianism is perhaps the most literary of studies and Erikson reads his patients as one might a novel， and in this book tries to do something similar with societies。 This is about the forging of the personality in the age of myth。 Childhood takes place in a kind of fantasy， suspiciously Jungian （view spoiler）[ since otherwise he seems orthodoxly Freudian （hide spoiler）] archetypal figures of mother or father aim to shape the child who rebels or reverts in suspiciously mythic ways。 Oedipus may wrestle with Rhea， but Erikson doesn't tread a path from how this gets us to the adult society filled with adults harbouring their childhood fears。More problematic is that the default is he， at times I felt that boyhood and society， with society understood as the social component of male life， might have been a better title， my feeling was that girls were mostly tacked on， but then the role of the woman in Erikson's psychology is to have babies， psychological health is enjoying that and finding coitus with a man in a manner calculated to produce babies at the core of her everyday pleasures， men get in addition to coitus （view spoiler）[ presumably since children abound， Erikson does not explicitly mention this， but it seems a safe inference （view spoiler）[ though it could just be that Danish sperm banks do a roaring trade （hide spoiler）] （hide spoiler）] get to have social roles however their anxieties are meant to be caused by childhood toilet training （view spoiler）[ breast feeding and age of weaning in industrial society is not a concern for him （hide spoiler）] rather than role tensions although Erikson does wonder at one stage how psychology interacts with economics in producing society， but as I said， he approaches being interesting at times。He suggests at one stage that the Adam and Eve story is really about the loss of access to the maternal breast resulting when the teeth erupt and the baby bites ungenerously upon the mother， and this is when he is happiest - dealing with human experience as myth （view spoiler）[ rather than when he is biting breasts， about which he is reticent （hide spoiler）]。 Great flood stories are very widespread among human cultures （view spoiler）[ which isn't surprising as water gets everywhere （hide spoiler）]， expulsion from Paradise due to biting stories however。。。Overall he is happiest down in the myths and one can see here how Freud is a wonderful toy for looking at books or films， to discuss the USA he chooses John Henry， he likes Mein Kampf as excellently mythological， likewise a Soviet film based on Maxim Gorky's autobiography。Aside from this one is left with the case studies which in a kind of 'I may have a log in my eye but I can still laugh at the splinter in yours' are amusing - the American man who didn't drink， swear or smoke， and who felt that guns were abhorrent and so as you may have guessed， joined the army， admittedly as a junior kind of medic， unsurprisingly he has a breakdown in a combat situation （view spoiler）[ possibly related to childhood toilet training （hide spoiler）]， a spell specialising in diseases of the rich leads him to a girl who evacuates in to her bed during the night （view spoiler）[ pleasing symbolic since when one is rich there are always poor people to clean up after you （hide spoiler）]， I'm not sure any more if the problem was that her father had banned her from watching him shave in the mornings， or if it was her evil mother changing her nannies again。 A boy had the opposite problem in which case Erikson intervenes to explain with diagrams that little boys can't be pregnant， this allows a happy event and everybody is satisfied - once the toilet is unblocked。 Enough toilet humour。I had the sense though of several cultural threads coming together and getting knotted up before flowing out to no doubt influence a generation or two of readers in ways I am not yet aware of （view spoiler）[ in case you are wondering， while he does think that toilet training and breast feeding are important he doesn't make any specific recommendations， remarking ruefully that the child of a psychoanalytic family when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up answered: "a patient" （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Gnuehc Ecnerwal
，
Insightful non-science， it's hard to decide where to put this kind of book in the file cabinet of my brain。 The chapter on play is the most informative。 The chapters on Hitler's and Gorky's youth are tedious waste of time。 Insightful non-science， it's hard to decide where to put this kind of book in the file cabinet of my brain。 The chapter on play is the most informative。 The chapters on Hitler's and Gorky's youth are tedious waste of time。 。。。more
Erik Akre
，
It took me an awfully long time to get through this book。 It was thick， dense， and difficult。 I give it a low rating ultimately because I found that Erikson's prose was difficult to understand and somewhat obscure， although I have no doubt he knew what he was talking about， and he knew it well。There is copious and detailed information about developmental stages， from a purely psychoanalytic standpoint。 The psychoanalist will no doubt find it fascinating， and a must-read in the field。 For a layma It took me an awfully long time to get through this book。 It was thick， dense， and difficult。 I give it a low rating ultimately because I found that Erikson's prose was difficult to understand and somewhat obscure， although I have no doubt he knew what he was talking about， and he knew it well。There is copious and detailed information about developmental stages， from a purely psychoanalytic standpoint。 The psychoanalist will no doubt find it fascinating， and a must-read in the field。 For a layman， someone interested in the human psyche and its stages， it is a bust， simply because it flies off over his head。 I took a great deal of notes from this book， as I wanted to apply his ideas to my work as a Montessori teacher of young children。 By the end of the book I was exhausted， and my notes capture a fraction of his overall ideas and philosophy。The book is unique I think， because it centers around cultural tendencies for psychic development。 A case in point is Erikson's lengthy description of the American psyche， circa 1940 or 1950， and the effect of motherhood on the men of that era as they grow into adulthood。 This was fascinating to me， although hopelessly outdated and masculine-gender specific to a contemporary reader。 No doubt a more experienced reader could find links to the current American situation， but I did not。Recommended only for experienced and professional psychoanalists and their work。 As such， perhaps quite highly recommended。。。 。。。more
Christopher Howard
，
I definitely appreciate Erikson's sentiment。 His prose is very easy to read， but also dusted with a literary flair。 Psychology seems to me， at its best， to be a true literary science。 I would hope that this would be an empowering statement for literature rather than a detracting statement for psychology。 （ I fully realize empowering and detracting are poor words here but I can't think in the moment of a better wording。） Erikson also seems to me to be steeped in humanism rather than humanitariani I definitely appreciate Erikson's sentiment。 His prose is very easy to read， but also dusted with a literary flair。 Psychology seems to me， at its best， to be a true literary science。 I would hope that this would be an empowering statement for literature rather than a detracting statement for psychology。 （ I fully realize empowering and detracting are poor words here but I can't think in the moment of a better wording。） Erikson also seems to me to be steeped in humanism rather than humanitarianism。 This should be the first criteria for a psychologist， （also for anyone。） I could go more into my general feelings on proper psychology， but who am I to make such a statement？ Especially here。I will have to read more by Erikson， and I will reflect more on this book when I have processed this more。Highly refreshing。I'm always glad to find a scientific text which is not only not outdated， but also prescient and relevant。 。。。more
Trevor
，
Thoughtful reflections on the stages of life。 Some of his ideas and observations are still relevant today but most are dated。
Crystal
，
This book proposed a lot of interesting topics and correlations。 Some I agree with， some struck me as being very profound， and others I didn't agree with。 I still think it's a good book for any psychology student。 This book proposed a lot of interesting topics and correlations。 Some I agree with， some struck me as being very profound， and others I didn't agree with。 I still think it's a good book for any psychology student。 。。。more
Kiyaa Kanjukia
，
This book has been profound on the interpretation of human life， since childhood， in a psychoanalytic perspective。 Laden with psychological jargon but I've learnt so much of anxiety， apathy and taming the id。 A subjective book but interesting nonetheless。 This book has been profound on the interpretation of human life， since childhood， in a psychoanalytic perspective。 Laden with psychological jargon but I've learnt so much of anxiety， apathy and taming the id。 A subjective book but interesting nonetheless。 。。。more
Brendaliddy
，
I found this book fascinating and contained a wealth of knowledge and a range of insights from Erikson's clinical experience and his vast cultural and sociological expertise。 He covered a wealth of topics， including childhood anxiety， apathy in Amercian Indians， confusion in war veterans and arrogance in young Nazis。 I enjoyed reading about Fanny the Shaman， Jean and her mother and JIm the Sioux。 He comments that his book is a subjective book， a conceptual itinerary。An interesting quote is:'Poli I found this book fascinating and contained a wealth of knowledge and a range of insights from Erikson's clinical experience and his vast cultural and sociological expertise。 He covered a wealth of topics， including childhood anxiety， apathy in Amercian Indians， confusion in war veterans and arrogance in young Nazis。 I enjoyed reading about Fanny the Shaman， Jean and her mother and JIm the Sioux。 He comments that his book is a subjective book， a conceptual itinerary。An interesting quote is:'Political systems have thrived on the provocation of manifold and morbid doubt。'Another quote struck me: 'They the never-silent metronome of routine into the impressionable baby。。。' 。。。more
Izzatur Rahmaniyah
，
this books really helps me in writing my thesis :D
Kristen
，
Erikson has a very intriguing way of writing about psychology and sociology。 It can be extremely dense， but some of his conclusions are so profound and eloquently said。 This book is separated into case studies that vary from the Sioux Tribe to Hitler's childhood。 His obsession with anal functioning and a dated view of sexuality was a bit annoying。 I found his discussion about how the somatic， ego， and society affect the human neurosis and psychology very interesting。 He loves the idea of play as Erikson has a very intriguing way of writing about psychology and sociology。 It can be extremely dense， but some of his conclusions are so profound and eloquently said。 This book is separated into case studies that vary from the Sioux Tribe to Hitler's childhood。 His obsession with anal functioning and a dated view of sexuality was a bit annoying。 I found his discussion about how the somatic， ego， and society affect the human neurosis and psychology very interesting。 He loves the idea of play as healing， feels the idea of "bosses" will degrade our American identity， and in general truly "sees" everyone。 I enjoyed this book and it created many fun conversations with my mate about identity， intimacy， and the generativity stage that we are in now。"The only healthy American way to write about America for Americans is to vent a gripe and to overstate it。" 。。。more
John
，
The "Eight Stages of Man" chapter is really a must-read。 It represents a certain way of thinking about the psyche that is very powerful and will make sense to anyone who's thought about developmental issues。 The "Eight Stages of Man" chapter is really a must-read。 It represents a certain way of thinking about the psyche that is very powerful and will make sense to anyone who's thought about developmental issues。 。。。more
Catherine Woodman
，
I love Erikson's 8 stages of man I love Erikson's 8 stages of man 。。。more
Erik Graff
，
We were assigned to read this book for the Human Growth and Development course taught by the Psychology Department at Union Theological Seminary in New York during the second semester of 1975/76。 While I very much enjoyed Erikson's Young Man Luther and Gandhi's Truth， I found this rather boring。 We were assigned to read this book for the Human Growth and Development course taught by the Psychology Department at Union Theological Seminary in New York during the second semester of 1975/76。 While I very much enjoyed Erikson's Young Man Luther and Gandhi's Truth， I found this rather boring。 。。。more
Pierre Moessinger
，
Definitely outmoded。
Eli Bishop
，
If you're only familiar with the condensed version of Erikson described in undergraduate psychology and child development classes （the stages of psychosocial development， with their neat pairings of opposed forces） then actually reading his defining book may be a surprise。 In this mixed bag of personal case studies， theoretical wanderings， and psychological biography， he approaches Freudian theory as if it were a large stalled vehicle， takes it apart to reveal some unusual components， and then r If you're only familiar with the condensed version of Erikson described in undergraduate psychology and child development classes （the stages of psychosocial development， with their neat pairings of opposed forces） then actually reading his defining book may be a surprise。 In this mixed bag of personal case studies， theoretical wanderings， and psychological biography， he approaches Freudian theory as if it were a large stalled vehicle， takes it apart to reveal some unusual components， and then reassembles the parts into something that looks a lot like the original but sometimes goes sideways instead of forward。 I get the feeling that consistency was not his main interest， and I'm glad， since watching such an inquisitive mind move in so many directions at once is better than any number of little charts。 。。。more
Fengrui
，
just start reading~~
Ann
，
Still reading - need it for my dissertation。
Shannon
，
From Hamilton Wenham HS library
Sarah
，
Had to read this in order to familiarize myself better with Erikson's theories。 Interesting to read the original text; it made me want to know more about Erikson's biography。 Had to read this in order to familiarize myself better with Erikson's theories。 Interesting to read the original text; it made me want to know more about Erikson's biography。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Childhood and Society
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Childhood and Society&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Childhood and Society&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0