Erikson\'s Stage 4: Middle Childhood

Erikson's Stage 4: Middle Childhood

The theorist Erik Erikson suggested that all of human existence can be broken down into a series of conflicts. The latency period, or middle childhood, is characterized by a conflict between "Industry vs. Inferiority" (Cramer, Flynn, & LaFave 1997). During this age, a child tries to show his or her competence by refining skills and demonstrating mastery. Gaining the spotlight of family attention, being the best (or not the worst) at games at recess and after school, and succeeding at school are all helpful in giving the child a sense of competence and enabling him or her to overcome a feeling of low-self-worth.

The interviewee was small for his age, and during this period of childhood his older brothers were much bigger and stronger than himself. However, he was able to gain a sense of self-mastery even during the period of time when he looked 'young for his age' because all of the children in the home were required to do chores. He remembers helping his father do yard work and feeling strong and powerful, as well as helpful. Another critical aspect of his sense of self-worth came from playing baseball on a local Little League team. Being a part of the team made him feel competent, even though he was still occasionally bullied at school.

At school, he struggled with math academically, and occasionally had conflicts with his teachers. These conflicts were not characterized by anger, but at his teacher's frustration at what they saw as his lack of attentiveness and lack of class participation. He was often described (and still is) as quiet and reserved by teachers, friends, and family. He recalls resenting going to school many years, and did not get much positive reinforcement in terms of his academic intelligence. Although his academic performance was adequate, he says he did not feel particularly intelligent. This began to change in junior high, when his performance in sports grew stronger after a growth spurt. The growth spurt, the esteem this garnered him on the team and at school translated into a greater sense of self-worth in the classroom, and greater engagement and confidence when dealing with others. For the first time he succeeded in school, was able to hold his own with his older brothers, and to feel better about his ability to show leadership towards others on the team and to his younger siblings.