This article is based on a research project carried out by the author between 1997 and 2001. The article or story has two main characters: the pacifier and the concept of childhood. The idea is to use the pacifier optically, as a text and a context where the pacifier is a starting point for interpretations and reflections about modern Norwegian…

Life histories of 27 white, middle-aged, middle class, American mothers were analyzed for career-like components. Motherhood dominates these women but is only one of several careers in their lives. The career set acts as a social and personal resource, providing consistent and continuous meaning throughout major periods of time. (Author)

Examined was the transition made by parents to the "empty nest" phase of family development. Two basic hypotheses were tested: children's growing independence and departure from the home does not represent loss for most parents, but rather is experienced as a gain; and men and women appear to experience the transition differently and…