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- Title
Herausforderungen und Konsolidierungen: Biographische Selbstreflexionen über Jugend und Lebensmitte in einer Kohorte ehemaliger Gymnasiasten.
- Authors
Meulemann, Heiner; Birkelbach, Klaus
- Abstract
Four hypotheses concerning the development of biographical self-reflection from youth to midlife are tested. According to the consolidation hypothesis, the occurrence of biographical self-reflection should decline overall because the challenges to self-reflection decrease during the transition from identity formation in adolescence to identity preservation in adulthood. According to the intensification hypothesis, biographical self-reflection should decline regarding decisions, remain constant regarding events, and increase regarding developments because decisions are made primarily at the beginning of a professional career, events affect life at all times, and developments evolve over the long term. According to the assurance hypothesis, negative reflections should decrease as life risks diminish over time. According to the displacement hypothesis, reflections about early phases should decrease and reflections about later phases should increase since phases follow one another as purpose and means in both professional and personal lives. The sample is a cohort of former grammar school students of the class of 1970 at 30, 43, and 56 years of age. The hypotheses are not or only partially confirmed. Contrary to the consolidation hypothesis, biographical self-reflection remains constant overall. Concerning the intensification hypothesis, it does not move from decisions to developments but to events. Contrary to the assurance hypothesis, negative reflections do not decrease. Concerning the displacement hypothesis, early phases are reflected more frequently than late ones only in professional, but not in private life.
- Subjects
ORAL biography; AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL memory; IDENTITY (Psychology); SELF-perception; APPERCEPTION; INTROSPECTION
- Publication
BIOS: Zeitschrift für Biographieforschung, Oral History und Lebensverlaufsanalysen, 2012, Vol 25, Issue 1, p3
- ISSN
0933-5315
- Publication type
Article