Generativity And Adult Development

Using dramatic personal narratives, Kotre expands upon Erik Erikson's concept of generativity. This concept means the variety of ways people find to be fertile in their lives, from the biological task of leaving a genetic legacy, to the emotional work of nurturing and guiding children, to teaching practical skills, transmitting values, and attempting to enrich their culture.

This volume brings together experts in generativity and related fields to provide a compelling overview of contemporary research and theory on this topic. Generativity refers to a concern for - or acting towards - the benefit of future generations as a legacy of the self; it has implications for outcomes at the individual, relational and social, and broader societal levels. Understanding the role and expressions of generativity at various stages of our lives is important to our sense of well-being and purpose, and it impacts our parenting, caregiving, and social relationships, as well as having implications for our activities and experiences in the workforce, and in voluntary activities in our communities and the wider society. The chapters in this volume explore the meaning and impact of generativity across development and across life contexts and roles. They address generativity within a particular area or life domain, or period of the lifespan, and outline key methods and findings, as well as theoretical issues and applied implications. The volume represents the first comprehensive exploration of generativity from early to late adulthood; it offers a broad international perspective and will inform research into generativity across multiple cultures.

THE DEFINITIVE RESOURCE ON MIDLIFE DEVELOPMENT Edited by Margie Lachman, a leader in the field, Handbook ofMidlife Development provides an up-to-date portrayal of humandevelopment during the middle years of the life span. Featuringcontributions from well-established, highly regarded experts, thisexhaustive reference fills the gap for a compilation of research onthis increasingly important topic. Divided into four comprehensive sections, the book addresses thetheoretical, biomedical, psychological, and social aspects ofmidlife development. Each chapter includes coverage of unifyingthemes such as gender differences, ethnic and cultural diversity,historical changes, and socioeconomic differences from a life-spandevelopmental perspective. Readers will discover what can belearned from individuals' subjective conceptions of midlife;explore various "cultural" fictions of middle age; examine theresources individuals have at their disposal to negotiate midlife;consider mechanisms for balancing work and family; and other topicsas presented in the latest research from the social, behavioral,and medical sciences. Handbook of Midlife Development is an indispensable resource forprofessionals and practitioners who work with adults and forresearchers and students who study adult development and relatedtopics. Some of the midlife topics discussed: * Cultural perspectives * Physical changes * Stress, coping, and health * Intellectual functioning * Memory * Personality and the self * Adaptation and resilience * Emotional development * Families and intergenerational relationships * Social relationships * The role of work * Planning for retirement

Adult individuals in all societies have long understood the need for generativity - concern for and commitment to caring for the next generation. The need for generative action is particularly critical given the societal and global threats facing mankind in the first years of the 21st century. propelled the construct of generativity versus stagnation into mainstream consciousness, this text examines this critical stage of development that occurs during the long middle of adulthood, as it exists on societal and cultural levels. This volume's diverse group of scholars explores the complex relationships between generativity and various societies' political, economic, religious, educational and cultural arenas. Integrating empirical research, scientific and cultural theory and their own informed observations and speculations regarding generativity in society, the volume that results aims to be a stimulating exchange about the multifaceted rol of generativity in human life and society.

Robert Wuthnow finds that those who are most involved in acts of compassion are no less individualistic than anyone else--and that those who are the most intensely individualistic are no less involved in caring for others.

Rev. ed. of: Handbook of adult development and learning / edited by Carol Hoare. 2006.

This volume brings together experts in generativity and related fields to provide a compelling overview of contemporary research and theory on this topic. Generativity refers to a concern for - or acting towards - the benefit of future generations as a legacy of the self; it has implications for outcomes at the individual, relational and social, and broader societal levels. Understanding the role and expressions of generativity at various stages of our lives is important to our sense of well-being and purpose, and it impacts our parenting, caregiving, and social relationships, as well as having implications for our activities and experiences in the workforce, and in voluntary activities in our communities and the wider society. The chapters in this volume explore the meaning and impact of generativity across development and across life contexts and roles. They address generativity within a particular area or life domain, or period of the lifespan, and outline key methods and findings, as well as theoretical issues and applied implications. The volume represents the first comprehensive exploration of generativity from early to late adulthood; it offers a broad international perspective and will inform research into generativity across multiple cultures.

Personal life narratives can serve as a rich source of new insights into the experience of human aging. In this comp;rehensive volume, an international team of editors and contributors provide effective approaches to using biography to enhance our understanding of adult development. In addition to providing new theoretical aspects on aging and biography, the book also details new developments concerning the practical use of different biographical approaches in both research and clinical work. This is a landmark volume advancing the use of narrative approaches in gerontology.

Following Erik Erikson's contributions concerning the centrality of intergenerational relations in adult development, this book proposes that the emergence in adulthood of the capacity to give is dialectically linked to the capacity to feel grateful for the gifts one has received. This capacity to gratefully acknowledge that one has been the recipient of benefits bestowed by others is taken to be a complex developmental achievement. It requires both the recognition that one is situated temporally in a web of interpersonal relations and the simultaneous renunciation of the pursuit of self-sufficiency and invulnerability. In this connection, gratitude, and in turn the capacity to give, are viewed as the fruit of an ongoing labor by way of which persons sustain an awareness of their indebtedness, overcome their sense of inequality in reference to their benefactors, and come to experience themselves as having something of value to transmit to others. This book is addressed to researchers and clinicians concerned with emotional development in adulthood and, more generally, to individuals who wish to reflect upon the dynamics of personal transformation in the latter half of life.