A Decade of Change and Continuity in Midlife

Book excerpt: Each year, for ten uninterrupted years, a group of middle aged adults told researchers about their wants and desires, their life stresses and strains, their sources of happiness and joy, and their perspectives on how their lives were—or were not—changing. This book summarizes the results of this unique and unprecedented study. Using extensive statistical analyses and qualitative case studies, it documents change and consistency in participants’ core values and perceptions of leisure. It describes the vast range of experiences people had each year in areas ranging from changing social relationships to employment and health, and examines how these experiences affected their lives and their views of their life structure, looking at both variations over time for individual participants and differences from one participant to another. This book provides important guidance for scholars and researchers of aging. It also offers fascinating insights for practitioners working with midlife and older adults, as well as for the reader anticipating or experiencing the midlife years.