Roland Kim's
Five Stages of Civilization

Integrating the last 100 years of psychological and Psychoanalytic theories, Dr. Kim has developed A Theory to show the path of Individual emotion/personality and socio-cultural development.

The present website contents and blogs are prepared for your information based on the books,
The Five Stages of Civilization: Vol. I and Vol. II (KIM, 2021).

The books draw inspiration from Roland (1989), who used a broad spectrum of psychoanalytic models in his work. His range included traditional Freudian approaches like ego psychology, and extended to more recent Freudian developments such as Erikson’s self-identity studies, self-psychology, object-relations theory, and the theories of Rank and the Menaker on individuation. Roland explored various facets of personality complexity and emphasized the importance of adapting and reinterpreting these Western-based models for non-Western contexts.

Summary of Societal Progression

  • Emotional Progression: Survival fear → Denial/Shame → Anxiety/Sympathy → Emotional Boundaries/Independence → Empathy.

  • Socially Adaptive Behaviors: Compliance → Competition → Cooperation → Communication/Contract → Collaboration.

  • Cultural Values Evolution: Moves from authoritarian tradition and dependence (Stage 1) to empathy-driven collaboration and diversity (Stage 5).

This integrated model outlines a clear trajectory through emotional and social maturity, marking shifts from collectivist to individualist orientations, and ultimately towards inter-independent collaboration.

Authoritarian-dependent

Explorative-Competitive (Counter-dependent)

Cooperative-socio-dependent

individualistic-Independent

Collaborative-Inter-Independent

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