Sociological Perspectives on Life Transitions

Research on life transitions highlights the normative and nonnormative changes that individuals experience over time. During the past two decades, life course perspectives have provided a strategic context for studying the genesis of life transitions and their personal and social consequences. Both population-based and individual models of transitions have become more complex, focusing on the ways that social and historical contexts shape life transitions. At the individual level, progress has also been made in identifying the mechanisms by which transitions affect outcomes. Research on life transitions continues to grapple with two major issues—the challenges raised by heterogeneity, and the need to better link macro and micro perspectives—although advances have been made in both cases. One of the most promising characteristics of recent studies is cross-fertilization of concepts and methods from previously distinct research traditions: role theory, social stress theory, and life course sociology.