When Erik Erikson came to America he did not have an academic degree. Not only did he not have a degree, but the language was also one of the more difficult factors for him. English was not his first language so it took him so time to adapt. Besides from Eriksons more difficult beginning in America, there is no developmental theory that is more known than his 8 stages of development. In the book, Ideas and identities: The life work of Erik Erikson, Wallerstein say, No single psychoanalyst has had a more profound impact on our twentieth-century culture and world than him(p.). This is a great example of how many people saw Erik Erikson as a very dedicated and clever psychoanalyst. Besides Eriksons great success in the psychoanalysis world, there were some people that were not convinced about all of his work. David Rapaport said Erikson belonged in the ego psychology world.
Erik Erikssons first step into psychology started in Vienna a
t the psychoanalytic institute. Because of his interest in child psychoanalysis, it became his choice of degree. After his studies in Vienna, he chose to immigrate to the United States in 933. He started as a teacher at Harvard Medical School and later on, he chose to start a Yale University. After his years at Harvard Medical School and at Yale University he became more interested in child development. He also started to become more interested in how to influence society. At the beginning of his theories, he started to study American Indian kids in order to get information for his new theories. He started his career concentrating on young people and further on this led to his development of the identity crises. In 950 he published his first book, Childhood and Society. Very quickly the book became a well-known classic all over the world. Further on Erikson wrote multiple books that explained the development in life and in society.