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Cited by 3,513Aging and Gerontology ResearchEgo Development and Educational PracticesFamily Dynamics and Relationships

The life course as developmental theory

Elder, Glen H·1998·Child Development
DOI 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06128.x
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Abstract

The pioneering longitudinal studies of child development (all launched in the 1920s and 1930s) were extended well beyond childhood. Indeed, they eventually followed their young study members up to the middle years and later life. In doing so, they generated issues that could not be addressed satisfactorily by available theories. These include the recognition that individual lives are influenced by their ever-changing historical context, that the study of human lives calls for new ways of thinking about their pattern and dynamic, and that concepts of human development should apply to processes across the life span. Life course theory has evolved since the 1960s through programmatic efforts to address such issues.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06128.x

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96 of 96 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Social disadvantage leads to a cumulative disadvantage and helps explain certain events such as unplanned teen pregnancy, which is a result of many differences in opportunities and decisions over time, rather than being a singular event.

    “Social disadvantage leads to a cumulative disadvantage and helps explain certain events such as unplanned teen pregnancy, which is a result of many differences in opportunities and decisions over time, rather than being a singular event (Elder, 1998).”

    From More than a feeling: A unified view of stress measurement for population science (2018) · cites this paper as Elder, 1998

  • Like any formative experience, a successful intervention is not an isolated event but rather a turning point in a process.

    “Like any formative experience, a successful intervention is not an isolated event but rather a turning point in a process (see Elder 1998).”

    From The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Elder 1998

  • Any resource can provide a bridge to better outcomes if timed to key transitions and choice points.

    “Any resource can provide a bridge to better outcomes if timed to key transitions and choice points”

    From The Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social Psychological Intervention (2014) · cites this paper as Elder 1998

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Authors
Elder, G. H.
Affiliations
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Corresponding author
Elder, Glen H
Venue
Child Development
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
1998-02-01
Volume
69
Issue
1
Pages
1-12
ISSN
  • 0009-3920 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-8624
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb06128.x
OpenAlex
W2136424426
Cited by
3,513
References
96
Citations by year
2026: 355 · 2025: 275 · 2024: 242 · 2023: 218 · 2022: 206 · 2021: 203 · 2020: 272 · 2019: 203 · 2018: 180 · 2017: 186 · 2016: 161 · 2015: 151 · 2014: 143 · 2013: 118 · 2012: 108
FWCI
30.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Child Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Society for Research in Child Development
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH 51361, R01MH043270, R01MH041327, MH-41327, R01MH051361, MH 43270)
  • Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Ego Development and Educational Practices
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
Keywords
life course perspective, developmental theory, lifespan development, longitudinal study, history of child development research
MeSH terms
Child, Child Behavior, Child Development, Psychology, Child, Child, Preschool, Humans, Life Change Events

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