Life Events, Transitions and Turning Points Academic Summit University of Louisiana at Lafayette April 11-12, 2014 Eric Hendrix Tara Williamson Dr. Pamela Higgins Saulsberry

Demographics O 5 male and 9 female participants O Age range of 58 – 88 years O 5 black and 9 white participants O Education range from 11 th grade to Masters Degree

Life Paths O Many had plans for marriage and children from a young age O Some followed this path, others were diverted by various outside events O Death of a parent O Divorce O Abandonment by a parent

Historical Influence O 2 events of the 20 th century seemed to be dominant in the lives of these participants O Death of Dr. Martin Luther King O Death of President John F. Kennedy

Social Construction O Many of these individuals followed the societal “norms” of their generation O Marrying at a young age O Women becoming housewives O Some broke from conformity O Some never had children nor married O Some of the women became educated in a time when education for women was not encouraged

Early life vs. later life O It is evident in this study that the early life experiences of these people influenced the choices they made later in life O Those from traditional nuclear families seemed to follow in this tradition as adults O Those who were children of divorce or abandonment either had multiple marriages themselves or chose not to marry at all

Process of Aging O The aging process has changed most of these people in some way or another O Freedom to do whatever one pleases O Some have changed for the better, others have a few added physical ailments to contend with O Memory loss O Arthritis

Collective experiences of participants O These men and women all seemed to enjoy being able to relate tales of their childhood and youth to us. O Almost all of these individuals look back over their life with pride and without regret, feeling a fulfillment of things accomplished

Collective experiences of research group O We gained a wealth of knowledge from these individuals O We discovered that many of the issues we face today are consistent with the issues faced by previous generations O We really gained a sense of how life should be respected and lived to the fullest while we can