Chapter 3, Seasons of Life Summary and Analysis

Seasons not only occur across generations, they occur within generations as well. Each generation repeats this four part cycle and causes it to be reflected in future generations. Some cultures have invented the concept of 'acting according to your season'. Generations have behaviors appropriate to their place in history.

The authors begin illustrating their thesis with the general cycle of life: childhood, young adulthood, midlife, elderhood and late elderhood. Children are supposed to grow, young adults are supposed to be vital, midlifers wield power, elders lead and transfer values and late elders are dependent on society and remember the past. Generations, when they pass through a crisis, produce a kind of institutional memory that is reflected through the next cycle of generations. The authors illustrate this with the case of World War II. World War...