This document is comprised of papers presented at a symposium on Adult Development in Women. A paper entitled "Women in the Middle Years" reviews the major findings on adult women, and describes what an adequate theory of women in the middle years should account for. Mental health, effects of marriage, children and work, and the interrelationships…

Examined race and sex differences in students' socialization in the college environment based on their peer group relations, satisfaction with their institution, and their academic integration. Student contact with faculty proved the most striking predictor of socialization. Marriage and cohabitation had a significant negative impact on the…

This final report presents conclusions of a study of culturally appropriate employment goals in individual written rehabilitation plans (IWRPs) for American Indians with disabilities. It focuses on goals other than competitive employment and reviews national statistics on work status at closure from all state agencies and 18 tribal VR (vocational…

This book argues that radical adult education, which supports progressive social movements and tries to produce critically reflexive people capable of shifting social balance towards social justice, needs to recast the ways that it conceives of the human subject, experience, and power by taking on board recent developments in feminist…

This book, which is about five alternative points of view or perspectives on teaching adults, is the result of several years of teaching and research in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States. The perspectives were obtained through a study of 253 teachers of adults. The book is organized in three sections. Section 1 contains…

A study explored learners' understanding of their own changing perceptions as they study the theory and research of aging and track their development in personal journals. The writings of 280 graduate and undergraduate students in gerontology classes, aged 18-75, were analyzed for personal assessments of their own learning. Among the themes that…

Until very recently, with the exception of adult religious education, spirituality has been given little attention in mainstream academic adult education. This may be because spirituality is difficult to define and can be confused with religion. The subject of spirituality is currently a theme in workplace and human resource development…

This paper compares and contrasts the author's adult learning experiences with those of another adult learner in order to understand the inter-relationship between the domains of education and "work and love" (Merriam, 1993) imbedded in adult development theory. The author interviewed a female colleague of similar age and place of…

Three categories of programs for reentry women students are distinguished, those that: deal with biological and psychological subjects, address the changing role of women in society, and have traditionally been for men but are now attractive to women. The Women's Opportunities Network at the University of Georgia is highlighted. (MSE)

Explores the strengths and limitations of the continuity perspective on aging. Delineates current usages of the concept. Reviews literature for evidence that continuity is, in fact, characteristic of the aging process and for indications that it is positively related to morale in old age. (Author)

A description is given of an experimental program at Loretto Heights College which is designed for adult learners who are considering a return to school. It is concluded that the changing nature of adult's lives and their growth and development cycles offer a powerful base for quality adult education programs. (JSR)

Both the content and process of graduate education promote adult development. Graduate programs, particularly nontraditional programs, can both address the growing adult and uphold relevant standards of intellectual excellence and professional expertise. Life phases, developmental stages, and learning styles are three domains that are described.…

Interviews with 76 Navajo grandmothers, midlife mothers, and young mothers examined their life course patterns in cultural and historical contexts. In their educational, work, marriage, and childbearing patterns, these women confronted challenges posed by historical events with culturally constructed courses of action arising from persistent…

Autobiography has generally been recognized for its literary and artistic aspects, and as a result has been largely overlooked as an instructional method in adult and continuing education. This paper argues for a wider use of autobiography in adult and continuing education programs, proposing that autobiography actually encompasses not only the…

Positive psychology has recently developed a classification of human strengths (Peterson & Seligman, in press). We aimed to evaluate these strengths by investigating the strengths and life satisfaction in three adult samples recruited from the community (young adult, middle-aged, and older adult), as well as in the surviving men of the Grant study…