How do people change from conception to death? What patterns can we recognize in human behavior related to biological age, psychological age, and social age norms? Why do people react to the same stressful situation in different ways? How can social workers help reduce risk and increase protective factors during various life stages? The Third Edition of this powerful text aims to examine the human life course in nine age-graded periods, which include: 1) conception, pregnancy, and childbirth 2) infancy and toddlerhood 3) early childhood 4) middle childhood 5) adolescence 6) young adulthood 7) middle adulthood 8) late adulthood and 9) very late adulthood. By examining each of these periods, the life course perspective can be understood as ever changing and marked by predictable and unpredictable twists and turns, which ultimately contribute to a unique life journey.
