A Jungian framework elaborated by Levinson et al. with four polarities (young/old, masculine/feminine, destruction/creation, attachment/separateness) is used to analyze a case study of a woman experiencing midlife career transition crisis. It is suggested that Levinson et al.'s framework can be usefully applied to women as well as men. (SK)

This study explores meanings of family care held by seven families that include a middle-aged adult with intellectually disability. In-depth interviews were conducted with members of each family--the person with intellectual disability, parents, siblings, and sibling spouses. Participants described care as simply getting on with their lives, as…

Investigated the midcareer crisis and examined sex differences distinguishing midcareer changers (N=134). The results revealed that individuals who changed careers scored significantly higher on identity achievement and affiliation, and there was a significant positive correlation between identity achievement and self-concept. No sex differences…

Described a study that determined that vocational teachers sought to change careers primarily because of a desire for a higher salary. The most significant barrier to career change was the lack of financial security. (JOW)

Interviews with 10 participants in Ohio State University's job enrichment program for midcareer extension agents found that 5 returned to their same jobs after the experience but only 2 felt challenged/renewed. Part-time participation while working made it difficult to balance responsibilities. More information and a structured orientation were…

Examined occupational change by identifying, exploring, and describing the transition periods of the life cycle and the disengagement states of the occupational cycle to determine if they are interrelated, and to ascertain if changers and non-changers differ on variables used to assess these transitions. Subjects included 298 managers and 166…

Drawing on a national study of working women, this article discusses some significant differences between the women educators who had suffered from midlife crises (two-thirds of those responding) and those who had not, and provided clues about how such crises can be reduced in severity. (PGD)

Used short-term longitudinal data to examine the linkage between family transitions and marital experience. Multiple regression equations were estimated to compare change over time in 10 transitional and stable groups. Change occurring in transitional groups was generally not significantly different from that observed for nontransitional groups.…

Documents the effects of midlife major employment change on the listening comprehension of professional adults. Indicates that adult educators must encourage the development of patience because learning to think and listen in new situations takes time. (JOW)

Examined parent-adolescent communication in 62 families of middle-adolescent children in which at least 1 parent was providing assistance to an aging grandparent. Study results illustrate the usefulness of combining life-span development and family systems theories to serve as framework for understanding parent-adolescent communication in a…

A study of 371 involuntarily laid-off workers found that openness to experience and neuroticism were important predictors of their psychological state in career transition. Low neuroticism, high extraversion, and high openness were related to higher self-efficacy in transition. The importance of the role of personality traits in the transition…

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…

Investigated life history of American career women (N=24) at midlife. The transitions experienced by these women during their lifetimes were categorized into "masculine" or "feminine" types. It was found that they were distributed about equally between the two types of transitions, thus excluding a simple biological approach.…

Empty nest status, employment level, age, socioeconomic status, educational level, menopausal symptoms, and husband's attitude toward wife working were used to predict women's (N=232) well-being and adjustment to the empty nest. Results indicated that impact of predictor variables was almost nonexistent, but that coping creatively with situations…

Examined motivations and outcomes of mid-life career change among men who left professional careers between ages 34 and 54. Changers differed in amount of education completed, additional schooling undertaken, time taken to make changes, radicalness of change, and importance of personal values. Respondents were highly satisfied with their career…