What Is Levinson's Transition To Late Adulthood

Levinson (1986) developed a comprehensive theory of adult development. Through a series of intensive interviews with both men in 1978 and also women in 1987, Levinson proposed a theory based on a series of stages that adults go through as they develop. At the centre of his theory is the life structure - the underlying pattern of an individual's life at any particular time. An individual's life structure is shaped by the social and physical environment. Many individuals' life structures primarily involve family and work, although other variables such as religion, race, and economic status are often important. Levinson argues that the life cycle comprises a sequence of four eras, each lasting for approximately twenty-five years. The four "seasonal cycles" Levinson identifies are as …show more content…
Next, Levinson in 1987 interviewed forty–five women between the ages of thirty–five and forty–five years of age. One–third were homemakers, one–third college instructors, and one-third businesswomen. In general, he found that women go through the same type of cycles that men do. However, the life stages of women tend to be tied closer to the family life cycle. In his theory there are two key concepts: 1) the Stable Period - This is the time when a person makes crucial choices in life, 2) the Transitional Period - This is the end of a person's stage and the beginning of a new one. Life during these transitions can be either rocky or smooth, but the quality and significance of one’s life commitments often change between the beginning and end of a period. Levinson et al. (1978) describe adulthood as a series of stable and transitional periods. During stable periods the adult pursues fairly clear goals. The individual must reorder priorities and change behaviour in order to compensate for neglected dimensions of self (e.g. unfulfilled ambitions, newly acquired