Generativity and Adult Development brings together the most creative and informed contemporary thinking and research being done on the psychological, social, and cultural aspects of generativity in adult lives. The book draws together a roster of distinguished scholars from the fields of life-span development, personality and social psychology, clinical and counseling psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, and the arts. The reader will find here a host of stimulating ideas, new research findings, and clinical wisdom about how adults fashion their lives in ways designed to promote the ensuing generations and to leave an enduring legacy that will outlive the self.
Book Review
Over the past 15 years, there has been renewed interest in this concept as the study of generativity has gained attention across various disciplines. McAdams and de St. Aubin bring together prominent researchers, theorists and practitioners in psychology, counseling, sociology, history, philosophy, and the arts to broaden our understanding of generativity. The contributors to this book present creative ideas and innovative research on theoretical and applied aspects and the social and historical context in which generativity occurs. This book will be of interest to researchers, theorists, and students in lifespan development, personality and social psychology, sociology, anthropology, and practitioners, including clinical psychologists, pastoral counselors, social workers, and educators.
—Monica Mori, Whitman College and Concordia College
Contributors
Foreword
—Robert C. Coles
Introduction
I. The Psychology of Generativity: Theory and Research
- The Anatomy of Generativity
—Dan P. McAdams, Holly M. Hart, and Shadd Maruna - A Generative Drama: Scenes From a Father–Son Relationship
—John Snarey and Peter Yuichi Clark - The Course of Generativity
—Abigail J. Stewart and Elizabeth A. Vandewater - Case Studies of Midlife Generativity: Analyzing Motivation and Realization
—Bill E. Peterson - Immortality and the Externalization of the Self: Plato's Unrecognized Theory of Generativity
—Jerome C. Wakefield
II. Generativity in Society, Culture, and History
- Generativity: At the Crossroads of Social Roles and Personality
—Shelley M. MacDermid, Carol E. Franz, and Lee Ann De Reus - Generativity in Adult Lives: Social Structural Contours and Quality of Life Consequences
—Corey Lee M. Keyes and Carol D. Ryff - Generativity, Social Context, and Lived Experience: Narratives of Gay Men in Middle Adulthood
—Bertram J. Cohler, Andrew J. Hostetler, and Andrew M. Boxer - Cares for the Rising Generation: Generativity in American History, 1607–1900
—Gerald F. Moran - Generativity in the Shadow of Genocide: The Holocaust Experience and Generativity
—Avi Kay
III. Applications: Generativity in Biography and Therapy
- Intergenerational Buffers: "The Damage Stops Here"
—John Kotre and Kathy B. Kotre - Truth Against the World: A Psychobiographical Exploration of Generativity in the Life of Frank Lloyd Wright
—Ed de St. Aubin - Generativity and the Life Course of Martha Graham
—Susan A. Lee - Family Generativity and Generative Counseling: Helping Families Keep Faith With the Next Generation
—David C. Dollahite, Brent D. Slife, and Alan J. Hawkins
Epilogue: Emerging Themes and Future Directions
Author Index
Subject Index
About the Editors
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