Midlife Women in Continuing Education: A Comparative Study.

Autor/in	Traupmann, Jane
Titel	Midlife Women in Continuing Education: A Comparative Study.
Quelle	(1982), (17 Seiten)Verfügbarkeit
Beigaben	Tabellen
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Tagungsbericht; Adult Development; Adult Students; Aging (Individuals); College Students; Females; Health; Higher Education; Homemakers; Mental Health; Middle Aged Adults; Nontraditional Students; Older Adults; Physical Health; Self Concept; Self Evaluation (Individuals); Womens Education + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Erwachsenwerden; Adult; Adults; Student; Students; Erwachsenenalter; Studentin; Schüler; Schülerin; Aging; Altern; Collegestudent; Weibliches Geschlecht; Gesundheit; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Hausfrau; Psychohygiene; Älterer Erwachsener; Gesundheitszustand; Selbstkonzept; 'Women''s education'; Frauenbildung
Abstract	Developmental theorists have suggested recently that at midlife women often want to reduce responsibilities to family and concentrate on self-development and growth, which earlier in their lives would have seemed to them selfish and therefore not acceptable. The aim of this comparative study was to determine if women returning to school at midlife differ from their nonstudent peers in ways which would provide some insight into the developmental changes women may go through in that period of their lives. One hundred-six women, aged 50 to 73, half of whom were university students, the others being primarily home-oriented nonstudents, responded to questions about health, happiness, self-concept, and aging. The results of the study show that those who have found a channel for the development of self, in this case through university studies, feel healthier both mentally and physically. On the other hand, those whose focus continues to be on family at midlife (a time when family members may be emotionally if not physically absent) are more distressed--have trouble sleeping, feel a lack of energy, and experience more physical ailments. Obviously, conclusions about the causes of the differences cannot be made from this study since it is neither experimental nor longitudinal. Yet, the findings do concur with what developmental theorists have described for women at midlife. (Author)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2004/1/01