fei75766_ch07_206-241.indd 209  02/06/20 11:52 AM
Chapter 7    Erikson: Post-Freudian Theory209
“Don’t lietopeople youshould carefor,”and“Don’t pitonefamily member against 
another.” Tocompound thesituation, when Neildiedatabout age20,theEriksons, 
whowereinEurope atthetime, called SueandJonandinstructed them tohandle all
thefuneral arrangements forabrother theyhadnever metandwhotheyonlyrecently 
knew existed (Friedman, 1999).
Erikson alsosought hisidentity through themyriad changes ofjobsandplaces 
ofresidence. Lacking anyacademic credentials, hehadnospecific professional iden-
tityandwasvariously known asanartist, apsychologist, apsychoanalyst, aclinician, 
aprofessor, acultural anthropologist, anexistentialist, apsychobiographer, anda
public intellectual.
In1933, withfascism ontheriseinEurope, Erikson andhisfamily leftVienna 
forDenmark, hoping togainDanish citizenship. When Danish officials refused his
request, heleftCopenhagen andimmigrated totheUnited States.
InAmerica, hechanged hisname from Homburger toErikson. Thischange was
acrucial turning point inhislifebecause itrepresented aretreat from hisearlier Jewish 
identification. Originally, Erikson resented anyimplication thathewasabandoning his
Jewish identity bychanging hisname. Hecountered these charges bypointing outthat
heusedhisfullname—Erik Homburger Erikson—in hisbooks andessays. However, as
timepassed, hedropped hismiddle name andreplaced itwiththeinitial H.Thus, this
person whoattheendoflifewasknown asErikH.Erikson hadpreviously beencalled 
ErikSalomonsen, ErikHomburger, andErikHomburger Erikson.
InAmerica, Erikson continued hispattern ofmoving from place toplace. 
Hefirstsettled intheBoston areawhere hesetupamodified psychoanalytic prac-
tice.With neither medical credentials noranykindofcollege degree, heaccepted 
research positions atMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and
theHarvard Psychological Clinic.
Wanting towrite butneeding more timethanhisbusyschedule inBoston and
Cambridge allowed, Erikson tookaposition atYalein1936, butafter21/2years, he
moved totheUniversity ofCalifornia atBerkeley, butnotbefore living among and
studying people oftheSioux nation onthePineRidge reservation inSouth Dakota. 
Helaterlived withpeople oftheYurok nation innorthern California, andthese expe-
riences incultural anthropology added totherichness andcompleteness ofhiscon-
ceptofhumanity.
During hisCalifornia period, Erikson gradually evolved atheory ofpersonality, sep-
aratefrombutnotincompatible withFreud’s. In1950, Erikson published Childhood  and 
Society, abook thatatfirstglance appears tobeahodgepodge ofunrelated chapters. 
Erikson himself originally hadsome difficulty finding acommon theme underlying such
topics aschildhood intwoNative American tribes, thegrowth oftheego,theeightstages 
ofhuman development, andHitler’s childhood. Eventually, however, herecognized that
theinfluence ofpsychological, cultural, andhistorical factors onidentity wastheunderly -
ingelement thatheldthevarious chapters together. Childhood and Society, which became 
aclassic andgaveErikson aninternational reputation asanimaginative thinker, remains 
thefinest introduction tohispost-Freudian personality theory.
In1949, theUniversity ofCalifornia officials demanded thatfaculty members 
signanoathpledging loyalty totheUnited States. Such ademand wasnotuncom -
monduring those dayswhen Senator Joseph McCarthy convinced many Americans 
that Communists andCommunist sympathizers werepoised tooverthrow theFinal PDF to printer