The purpose of this study is to gain understanding of Chinese women executives going beyond the Chinese dream, to learn how they describe and make meaning of their midlife transition experience. A narrative inquiry and holistic content and form approach was used to explore two-stage life stories: narratives of self-actualization of women…

The life stories of seven female midcareer elementary principals in Israel who transferred to new schools depicted a process of self-renewal, including coping with lack of fulfillment, setting new goals, reframing perspectives, and seeking new challenges. Interorganizational transition appeared either to evoke the process or to be stimulated by…

Although aging is a process that affects everyone, individuals can choose how they will behave as they become older. Some persons choose to focus on the negative, becoming more and more self-centered and driving away those around them, becoming a burden to themselves and to society. Others, often prompted by a midlife crisis or period of…

The dialectical capacity of human consciousness enables us to generate alternatives in opposition to previous conditioning. Transcending one's acculturation need not leave one searching for gurus. Authentic personal meaning may be attained from an existential reawakening. (RM)

For the healthy midlife adult, the second half of life provides a balance for the first half: men become more nurturant while women become more aggressive. The definition of the midlife woman is tied to the family cycle, when her children leave home. Marital satisfaction often increases after the children are gone and relinquishing her role as…

Although it may be so subtle that it is not noticed or sudden and life altering, adult development occurs in a cycle of four inherent processes: transaction, transition, transformation, and transcendence. These processes exist in a cycle characterized by growth and development. The processes can be defined as follows: (1) transaction--personal,…

Because of the economic and cultural changes that are currently taking place in society and the workplace, many adults who had their career and personal lives planned to retirement are finding those plans no longer viable and are recognizing the need to readjust their career expectations. Many adults who had always viewed life as a linear,…

The study described in this paper was conducted to delineate the phenomenon of generativity in middle-aged adults in an attempt to identify its major characteristics, attributes, determinants, and situational or circumstantial variables. Three themes emerged from a literature survey of materials on middle adulthood: the theme of the entry…

Stressing the value of mature learning and its distinction from learning in early adulthood, the author explores elements of "third quarter" education and expresses the need for institutions that focus on the issues and potentials of those past midlife. (SK)

Building on interviews with 319 adults, examines cultural age "deadlines" for a series of general transitions related to education and work. Respondents indicated a rough, "normal biography" of general transitions which had flexible guidelines for how those trajectories might unfold. Relates these findings to complementary…

Interviews with 33 midlife college professors identified as seriously disillusioned revealed that the turning points behind their career derailments fit a pattern of events, usually in early career. Successful renewal programs for such faculty members involve them as mentors for new faculty or partners in contracts for change with departmental…

Retirement has been the subject of increasing interest in the popular as well as professional literature, but the psychosocial consequences of the transition have received little systematic attention. To study variatons in adaptation to retirement, 80 female educators and educational specialists were interviewed. The majority were rated as…

The article describes a workshop that can help public school teachers examine their career options and can help them feel less trapped in their jobs and more able to use their skills in different work environments. Useful resources are discussed. (CH)

This manual is aimed at employed people who want to think about where they are in their careers and in their lives, what they are doing now and what they might want to do in the future, and how they can set about improving their education and training and their future employability. It can be used by individuals or in a group context, and a short…

Occupational status is a key component of identity and self-worth for men. But little research has been done on the influence of working status on women, particularly during life cycle transitions or periods of crisis. To examine the impact of employment status on the self-esteem, psychological well-being and physical health of women at mid-life,…