Middle Adulthood

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Middle Adulthood
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Middle Adulthood

• In middle adulthood, according to Erikson, the
  issue is generatively (a commitment to and caring
  for next generation) vs. stagnation.
• Middle Age (3560) is generally the most
  powerful stage in life in terms of earning
  capacity, influence on other people and impact on
  society in general. Middle age is the age of
  society's norm-bearers and decision-makers,
  bill-payers and power-brokers, managers, and
  leaders society's movers and shakers.

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Middle Adulthood

• Ages 3338 Becoming One's Own Person (Levinson,
  Gould, Sheehy and others)
• Rooting and extending, a period of reaching
  out.
• Establishing one's niche in society, developing
  competence.
• Working at "making it," striving to advance and
  progress career consolidation. Sheey calls ages
  3545 "deadline decade."
• Relating to one's family spouse, children,
  parents.
• Conflicting time demands.

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Middle Adulthood

• Ages 3846 Midlife Transition (Levinson,
  Sheehy, Gould and others)
• Often an unstable, explosive time, resembling
  adolescence,
• Brought on by the emotional awareness that time
  is running out.
• The mentor now cast aside, the mid-lifer emerges
  ready to mentor a younger person.
• Reassessment of marriage.

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Middle Adulthood

• Reexamine work and career goals.
• Relating to teen-age children and aging
  parents.
• Search for meaning.
• A reversal between men and women
• women becoming more aggressive and masculine
  and men becoming more feminine.