Middle Adulthood

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Middle Adulthood
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How do you know you have hit midlife?
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(No Transcript)
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Midlife

• Age thirty-five or forty, and beyond
• A transition (easy or hard), a crisis for some
  and a liberation for others.
• The major life transition between the first and
  second half of life the midpoint between birth
  and death.
• Often there is liminality, a state of
  disorientation as goals, identifications,
  values, and sense of self are in flux. (John
  Shea)

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Erikson- Generativity vs. Stagnation

• Generativity versus Stagnation (40-65?)
• Generativity has to do with making your mark on
  the world, throuogh children, work or creative
  efforts that makes the world a better place.
• Strive to create something(s) that will outlast
  them
• Contributing to society and future generations

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Stagnation

• Failure to find a way to contribute
• May feel disconnected or uninvolved with the
  community or wider society

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Review of Interpersonaland Institutional - Kegan

• The Adult Voices

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Interindividual - Kegan

• I transcends attachment to one thing, I have a
  career
• A self is brought to the institution rather than
  derived from it
• Embedded in interpenetration of systems
• Distinct identity which enables both autonomy and
  intimacy, distinctiveness and inclusion
• Anxiety comes from whatever threatens the balance
  between the creative tension between inclusion
  and distinctiveness.

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Conjunctive Faith - Fowler

• What will you notice?
• A capacity to hold paradox and contradictions in
  creative tension
• A tolerance for ambiguity
• An openness to others faith and an appreciate
  spirit of inquisitiveness and exploration
• Greater capacity to live in the moment
• Less dificulty in managing anxiety

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Conjunctive Faith

• What will you notice?
• An ability to hear Gods invitation through the
  voice of others
• Polar tensions have now been fully embraced,
  affirmed and incorporated into ones faith
• Ability to see relativity of ones own ideology
  and thought world of ones group
• A commitment to God beyond all symbols and
  apprehensions of God
• Sees the truth of other religions

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Conjunctive Faith

• Faith knowing embraces the paradoxical nature of
  ones faith
• Can affirm the beliefs, symbols and rituals of
  ones faith community, while seeing through them
  to the universal it mediates
• Often see a re-appropriation and
  re-interpretation of ones past, significant
  persons and groups who influenced their growth in
  faith

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Case Study