Substantial evidence exists in both popular and professional literature which suggests that some adults, male and female, will experience what has been variously labeled as a "mid-life crisis" or "mid-life depression." Research provides evidence that the lifespan can be conceptualized as a series of transitions from one status or situation to…

A life-phase approach to adult career counseling is described in light of the current uncertain economic environment in which assistance in dealing with career-related issues is often sought through counseling intervention. The purpose of this paper is to state support for recent shifts in the goals and techniques of career counseling with adults…

This publication, aimed at persons in pastoral work in religious settings, reviews a large number of works on the topics of vocation, the meaning of work, unemployment, and underemployment. It provides suggestions for pastors and others to use in working with the unemployed and with persons at transitional periods. It is also suitable for persons…

A systematic review and critique of the work of midlife researchers and theorists such as Gould, Vaillant, Jung, Newman and Levinson, among others, indicates that: (1) a midlife transition period exists from approximately 35 to 55 and lasts as many as 10 years for both men and women; (2) a series of unique and fundamental biological, psychosocial,…

The long-held belief that a person became an adult at about 20 years of age and, henceforth, remained psychologically and physically on a plateau until old age, has recently been found unacceptable in the light of research contributed by developmental psychology. Adult development may be viewed as the function of the interaction of the…

Information and accompanying exercises in this four-part booklet are designed to assist adults make changes in their career and personal lives. After introductory material describing career and life planning as a continual assessment process, Part I of the booklet reviews the common characteristics and problems of adults in each of five life…

Theories about adult development have been grouped into four models: biological, psychological, sociocultural, and integrative. Biological models (those that are concerned with how physical changes affect development) and psychological models (those that view development as either sequential--defined by life events-- or as a series of transitions…

The 14 chapters of this textbook chronicle adult development from youth through old age, emphasizing both research and interviews with adults at various stages in their lives. Topics covered include the following: (1) the academic field of adult development; (2) theories and research methods; (3) aging and disease prevention; (4) sexuality and…

Following a literature search of the theories of personal maturation and career development, a study was conducted to identify personality and demographic variables related to career development and career concerns. Specifically investigated was the relationship between two sets of variables with self-concept, locus of control, and age in one set…

Markus and Nurius (1986) are credited with developing the concept of possible selves, which represents individuals' ideas of what they might become, what they would like to become, and what they fear becoming. It has been applied in research and practice with adolescents exploring career choices; adults in transition; and older adults envisioning…

Although evidence for the existence of multiple careers is limited, the literature of career development, training, and human resource development has predicted that individuals will have many careers as well as jobs across the lifespan, and small-scale studies and trend analysis suggest that individuals may need to plan and prepare for different…

This guidebook provides materials for a Rural Enterprise Development course for farmers, agricultural workers, spouses, and farm families in Rock and Green Counties, Wisconsin. Course goals are to help the user discover career and life options and develop job seeking skills. The guidebook is intended for use as a notebook or journal to record…