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Changes and Choices Facing Adults

by Lynda K. Fowler    

Is there a common pattern to adult lives? Can we anticipate the stages of adult development that would help us to plan for and adapt more easily to life changes and challenges? Unlike the more systematic and predictable stages of the growing child, aspects of adult development are complex. Culture, gender, historical events, economic situation, biology, and unexpected individual experiences affect life's journey in unique ways.

Social and historical events can influence life stage experiences and expectations. For example, adults born in the 1930s would have different experiences with education, government, and family life than adults born in the 1970s. The characteristics of each generation will influence their lives and their life stage decisions.

Stages of an Adult's Life

Traditional approaches to understanding adult development are described by researchers Erikson (1963) and Levinson (1978). According to these researchers, young adults seem to be more focused on the issues of developing a sense of identity, a career direction, a life dream, an intimate relationship, marriage, and parenthood. Middle age adults focus on caregiving of children and older parents, career changes, physical and health changes, role changes, and planning for retirement. Older adults must address changing roles, grandparenting, retirement, loss of friends or spouse, changing friendships and relationships, physical change, caregiving, and mortality of life.

Successful Aging

Adulthood is a continuing process and developmental journey. Unique experiences-such as "chance" encounters, accidents, and illnesses-build a life story that is different for each adult. The generational experience-such as depression, war, or cultural change-may bring about a peer perspective that each generation of adults has in common with their age partners. The affect of an event in our lives will be influenced also by our individual perceptions of that event. What is stressful for one adult may be exciting and challenging for another. Quality of life in each stage of development is best achieved by assessing our own experiences with an understanding of successful coping strategies. The Duke Longitudinal Study of Aging-as cited in Rybash, Roodin, and Hoyer, 1995- reveals the following characteristics to be associated with successful aging:

• Work satisfaction
• Religious satisfaction
• Usefulness
• Education
• Finances
• Commitments to activity in organizations, hobbies
• Positive perception of physical and mental health
• Self-appreciation

Self-assessment is an important process as we face the challenge of change throughout life. We can think about our perceptions as a member of a particular generation and as a unique person, each of us with our own life journey. In the words of Mary Lamberton Becker, "We grow neither better nor worse as we grow old, but more like ourselves."

References

Erikson, E. H. 1963. Childhood and Society. (2nd ed.) New York: Norton.

Levinson, D.J. 1978. The seasons of a man's life. NewYork: Knoft.

Rybash, J. M., P. A. Roodin, and W. J. Hoyer. 1995. Adult development and aging. Wm. C. Brown and Co.

Sheehy, Gail. 1995. New passages: mapping your life across time. Random House, N.Y.

Strauss, W. and N. Howe. 1991. Generations: the history of America's future: 1584 to 2069. William Morrow Co., N.Y.