The Seasons of a Woman's Life A Fascinating Exploration of the Events, Thoughts, and Life Experiences That All Women Share

by LEVINSON, DANIEL J.

• ISBN13: 9780345311740
• ISBN10: 0345311744
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-02-11
• Publisher: Ballantine Books

Summary

"A HIGHLY NUANCED PORTRAIT, in every shade of gray, of individual women negotiating the transitions of what Levinson calls early adulthood *ages 18 to 45." *The New York Times Book Review Nearly twenty years ago, esteemed Yale psychologist Daniel J. Levinson wrote the groundbreaking classic, The Seasons of a Man's Life, which became the stimulus for a revolution in thinking about life passages, helping thousands of men make sense of their own lives. Now it is womens' turn. Based on exhaustive interviews with a diverse group of forty-five women, The Seasons of a Woman's Life completes and substantiates Levinson's thesis: that all human beings go right on developing throughout their lives in a pattern of amazing inevitability. Firmly grounded in original scientific research, The Seasons of a Woman's Life is unusual in being not only vividly readable but a rich source of insights and consolation. It speaks with uncanny directness to the dreams, emotional crises, inexplicable feelings, social conflicts, and psychological upheavals that mark each woman's life course. Every woman will recognize *and find comfort in recognizing *the deep shape of her own life in the pattern it outlines, from Early Adult Transition (ages 17 to 22) to the Mid-life Transition (ages 40 to 45) and beyond. Alive with the voices of real women, perceptive and sympathetic, this book is destined *like its predecessor *to become a classic. "AFFIRMING AND ILLUMINATING . . . PSYCHOLOGICALLY RICH." *San Jose Mercury News "HELPFUL AND ENLIGHTENING." *Booklist "GROUNDBREAKING." *Feminist Bookstore News

Author Biography

Daniel J. Levinson, a psychologist, was one of the founders of the field of positive adult development. Levinson's two most prominent publications were his series of books entitled, The Seasons of a Man's Life and The Seasons of a Woman's Life. Although controversy surrounds his publications, both books remain promising and highly influential within the field of psychology. Levinson died in 1994 shortly after finishing The Seasons of a Woman's Life which was then published in 1996.

Table of Contents

Preface
The Study of Women's Lives	p. 3
The Human Life Cycle: Eras and Developmental Periods	p. 13
The Significance of Gender in Women's Lives	p. 38
Adolescent Life Structure: Homemakers	p. 59
Early Adult Transition: Homemakers	p. 69
Entry Life Structure for Early Adulthood: Homemakers	p. 97
Age 30 Transition: Homemakers	p. 117
Culminating Life Structure for Early Adulthood: Homemakers	p. 142
Mid-life Transition: Homemakers	p. 172
Adolescent Life Structure: Career Women	p. 203
Early Adult Transition: Career Women	p. 227
Entry Life Structure for Early Adulthood: Career Women	p. 264
Age 30 Transition: Career Women	p. 296
Culminating Life Structure for Early Adulthood: Career Women	p. 334
Mid-life Transition: Career Women	p. 369
Concluding Thoughts: Adult Development, Gender, and Historical Change	p. 413
Selected Bibliography	p. 423
Index	p. 427
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.