The Midlife Transition in Women
The article was written by Lippert (1997) and reviews on the middle transition in women. Having a well theoretical understanding of the midlife transition will be a substantial benefit to the adult’s development in women as numerous myths and misconception surrounding the element of biological changes during menopause. Some researchers view menopause as a deficiency disease or a common phenomenon that is profoundly influenced by cultural and social factors such as sex roles. Some argue that decline in hormonal level is the women body leads to changes in the psychological characteristics whereas another claim that this changes could have a negative impact. However, the enormous individual differences among females make it difficult to draw a concrete conclusion on women experiences at midlife. Most females have a time enhancing self-esteem, gratification and personal acceptance for starting successfully a family and the pleasure of attaining career aspiration. Other representatives turn out to be pessimistic parents, who at elderly age may require substantial time and attention, energetic work and appeal may seem to be drudgery instead joy.
Concerns and Generalizations
The authors made a convincing article but failed fully to address some concerns and generalizations. The females at the midlife stage that happen to be barren, incapacitated, single lesbians, ethnic affiliates or minorities of their extended family network tend to behave differently. Therefore, the conclusion above is generalized and only a few women fit in the narrow profile. The information given above is much derived from theoretical perceptive, which does not symbolize the actual experiences of the women at midlife. Physiological, cultural and environmental factors should be put into consideration when explaining the experiences of the women because the ills of mid-aged females such as physical and emotional are all in the psyche or hormones or the environment.
Reference
Lippert, L. (1997). Women at midlife: Implications for Theories of women’s adult development. Journal of Counseling and Development, 76, 16-22.
