The “Sense of Industry” Stage, Essay Example

The “sense of industry” stage and its antagonism to the “sense of inferiority” stage can be viewed as a crucial formative period in which issues of identity crisis may initially develop. As Frick (1991) recapitulates these concepts, “it is during this stage that ego maturity crystallizes around the conviction that “I am what I learn.” (p. 62) Accordingly, the conviction that one has failed to learn imbues the ego with such a sense of inferiority. Nevertheless, this process is misunderstood if grounded entirely in the subjective ego. The “sense of industry” stage is invariably relational: factors such as academic performance and social skills will determine the extent to which such industry is realized, insofar as the child understands that their industry is essentially recognized by others. Accordingly, the contrasting sense of inferiority can be said to follow from the absence of such recognition – support, for example, of parents, is in this regard crucial to encourage industry.

In both cases, the crucial element is such recognition and support: how others perceive and relate to the subject is formative of identity. Thus, when Erikson (1970) describes identity as “a subjective sense as well as an observable quality of personal sameness and continuity, paired with some belief in the sameness and continuity of some shared world image”, (p. 13) the meaning of “subjective sense” is misunderstood if it posited as radically subjective. Sameness and continuity and the shared world image are not wholly the constructions of the ego, but rather can be viewed as the product of working through the tension between industry and inferiority. In the case when industry is affectively recognized by the Other, the world image becomes open: the subjective sense of identity will seem open to possibility, i.e., this identity will be allowed to be affirmed in different ways. The closing of this world image is an absence of possibility, which can be traced back to an absence of recognition and the predominance of a sense of inferiority.

In relation to pedagogy, it is thus precisely the encouragement of teachers, parents, and peers, which recognizes industry, and thus possibility remains fundamentally open. From this perspective, identity is not some stable subjectivity, but is rather the very possibility for industry and the recognition and support of subjective industry.

Works Cited

Erikson, E.H. (1970. Reflections on the Dissent of Contemporary Youth. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 51, 11-22.

Frick, W.B. (1991) Personality Theories: Journeys Into Self. An Experiential Workbook. New York: Teachers College Press.