Major themes from an ongoing study of women in midlife were identified using data from interviews with 60 women 35 to 55 who vary in family status; never-married, married/childless, married with children and work status (working in high, medium, or low-prestige occupations or at home). Interviews focused on issues, rewards, and concerns. There…

Private and personal literacy practices of reading and writing, which have typically been regarded as less important than the more visible and public literacies used by men, are important in the lives of women because they aid the development and empowerment of the self. Qualitative interviews were conducted with six women of diverse socioeconomic…