
Human Development in the Life Course
Melodies of Living
Cambridge University Press
Published on 1. October 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
446 pages
978-1-107-56238-7 (ISBN)
Description
Drawing on philosophy, the history of psychology and the natural sciences, this book proposes a new theoretical foundation for the psychology of the life course. It features the study of unique individual life courses in their social and cultural environment, combining the perspectives of developmental and sociocultural psychology, psychotherapy, learning sciences and geronto-psychology. In particular, the book highlights semiotic processes, specific to human development, that allow us to draw upon past experiences, to choose among alternatives and to plan our futures. Imagination is an important outcome of semiotic processes and enables us to deal with daily constraints and transitions, and promotes the transformation of social representation and symbolic systems - giving each person a unique style, or 'melody', of living. The book concludes by questioning the methodology and epistemology of current life course studies.
Reviews / Votes
'A landmark in the development of developmental science. Dense, rich, personal and abstract by turns, it provides a synthetic foundation for a future, genuinely integrative, developmental science.' Michael Cole, Distinguished Professor, Communication, Psychology, and Human Development, University of California, San Diego 'An exceptionally interesting book about the uniqueness of each human being. The volume centres on human development and its trajectories, meaning-making and imagination. This highly original collection of essays will attract cultural scholars and those who search for new ways of doing human and social science.' Ivana Markova, University of StirlingMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
24 Halftones, unspecified; 23 Line drawings, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
642 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-107-56238-7 (9781107562387)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Tania Zittoun | Jaan Valsiner | Dankert Vedeler
Human Development in the Life Course
Melodies of Living
Book
11/2013
Cambridge University Press
€93.70
Shipment within 15-20 days

Tania Zittoun | Jaan Valsiner | Dankert Vedeler
Human Development in the Life Course
Melodies of Living
Book
09/2013
Cambridge University Press
Unfortunately, price unknown
The article will not be published
Persons
Tania Zittoun is a Professor of Psychology and Education at the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland. Jaan Valsiner is a Professor of Psychology at Clark University, Massachusetts. Dankert Vedeler is Associate Professor Emeritus at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Joao Salgado is Assistant Professor and the Head of the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the Maia Institute of Higher Education (ISMAI), Portugal. Miguel M. Goncalves is a Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Minho, Portugal. Dieter Ferring is Professor of Developmental Psychology and Psychogerontology at the University of Luxembourg.
Author
Universite de Neuchatel, Switzerland
Clark University, Massachusetts
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim
Universite du Luxembourg
Content
Preface: from dispute to collaboration; Introduction: melodies of living; Part I. Time for Development: 1. Solidity of science and fullness of living: a theoretical expose; 2. Imagination and the life course; 3. Moving through time: imagination and memory as semiotic processes; 4. Models of time for the life course; Part II. Spaces for Development: 5. Social framing of lives: from phenomena to theories; 6. Stability and innovation in adults narrating their lives: insights from psychotherapy research; 7. Paradoxes of learning; Part III. Beyond Time and Space: Imagination: 8. We are migrants!; 9. Playing while being serious: the lifelong game of development - and its tools; 10. Playing under the influence: activity contexts in their social functions; 11. 'Old age' as living forward; 12. Epilogue: the course of life as a melody.