Abstract
D. Phil.
Human development is a universal phenomenon, characterized by
various stages. These stages differ from one culture to the
other. Furthermore, each developmental stage tends to bring about
expectations that are in accordance with a particular culture.
In addition, in each culture there exist problems that are
specific to a given stage as well as to the manner in which these
problems are resolved. Erikson=s stages of human development
are generally regarded as universal. The universal acceptance
of Erikson=s stages seems to be based on a study he
conducted, involving a variety of cultures. A question that
needed to be addressed was whether Erikson=s developmental
stages are similar to those which an African child goes
through. This study is an attempt to investigate developmental
stages of Africans and compare them to those outlined by Erikson.
To investigate the developmental stages of an African child and
to establish the relationship between Erikson=s stages of
development and those of Africans, an exploratory study was
conducted among the people of the Bolobedu community in the
Limpopo Province, South Africa.
The Balobedu people were regarded as an ideal study sample
because of their relatively unchanged lifestyle which still
resembles the traditional African way of life. Subjects were
interviewed individually, by using an open-ended questionnaire.
The results were then interpreted and analyzed.
The results show that children among the Balubedu also go
through various stages of development which have distinct names.
Furthermore, like in many other cultural groups, these stages are
accompanied by various problems and expectations. In addition,
these people use different methods to address problems
experienced during each of the stages identified. The study
further reveals that although the developmental stages among the
Balobedu have much in common with those of Erikson, there
exist differences between the two approaches. These differences
are identified. Of the most significant differences is
that developmental stages are not defined by age alone, but by
other factors such as readiness and ability to perform certain
tasks as well. In addition, the study did not indicate the
presence of psychological problems that are caused by the
developmental process, when these stages among the target group
were compared to those identified by Erikson.
In conclusion, this study illuminates that there are both
similarities and differences between the two approaches. One such
difference is that whereas Erikson=s theory describes stages
in terms of age associated with some psycho-social problems,
the results of the investigation revealed that among Africans,
developmental stages are described in terms of the child=s
readiness, and that no indication of the presence of psycho-
social problems was found.
This, it would seem, does not necessarily mean that traditional
African children do not experience psychological problems.
Instead, it suggests that there are other methods of dealing
with these psychological problems, which this study did not
reveal. This raises the need to explore the developmental
stages and their psychological effects among African children by
using a larger sample than the one used in this study.
Another distinction is that the definition of various stages is
based on cultural values. While Erikson emphasizes the
importance of concepts such as competition, independence and
egoism, Africans tend to put more emphasis on cooperation,
inter-dependence and altruism respectively.
Lastly, among Africans, each stage is characterized by rituals
and ceremonies. These are meant to mark the beginning
or the end of a particular stage or phase, thereby
psychologically preparing the individual to adjust to the new
position. Erikson=s stages of development seem to have ignored
the importance of rituals in the various developmental stages.
Therefore, his theory can not be said to be universally
applicable.