Answer to Question 1
Much of Erikson's theory was based on personal experience rather than on the type of controlled research favored by American psychologists. His ideas about when and under what conditions identity formation occurs, for example, may have stemmed from his own indecision about choosing an occupation.
Erikson's description of the process of identity formation appears to be accurate for societies that allow adolescents the time and conditions to explore alternatives regarding career, ideological beliefs, and interpersonal relationships. Adults in some societies make these decisions for adolescents.
Carol Gilligan and others argue that Erikson's sequence of industry versus inferiority, identity versus role confusion, and intimacy versus isolation is more descriptive of male development. Girls are at least as concerned with their interpersonal relationships as they are in developing a sense of industry and they appear to work through the crises of identity and intimacy simultaneously rather than in succession.
Answer to Question 2
A