Parental Influence in Early Childhood

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the relationship between parents and children in shaping young people's lives is well documented, with various developmental theorists to draw upon when considering how young people develop over their lifespans. The paper provides an overview of the theories advanced by two such theorists, Erik Erikson and Heinz Kohut, and identifies their respective beliefs concerning parental influence in early childhood in order to determine similarities and differences.

Outline:
Review and Discussion
Erik Erikson's Theories
Heinz Kohut's Theories
Comparison of Erikson and Kohut Theories on Parental Influence in Early Childhood
Differences in Erikson's and Kohut's Theories on Parental Influence in Early Childhood
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"From Erikson's perspective, development only takes place in people's lives when the environment places new demands on them and new conflicts then arise in their lives which they succeed (or not) in overcoming; Erikson describes this process as being when the person is faced with a choice between two approaches to coping with each crisis, an adaptive, or maladaptive approach. According to Erikson, it is only when each crisis is successfully resolved and overcome (a process that also requires a change in the individual's personality), then that person will achieve a sufficient amount of strength to deal with the next stages of development (Shaver & Tarpy, 1994). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Austrian, S. G. (2002). Developmental theories through the life cycle. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Bornstein, M. H. (2002). Handbook of parenting, Vol. 3. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Cohler, B. J., & Galatzer-Levy, R. M. (1993). The essential other: A developmental psychology of the self. New York: Basic Books.
• Holden, G. W. (1997). Parents and the dynamics of child rearing. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
• Shaver, K.G., & Tarpy, R.M. (1994). An introduction to psychology. New York: MacMillan.

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