This book brings together new scholarship that expands and refines the concept of self-authorship across cultures. It adopts a constructive-developmental approach to self-evolution that emphasizes the interaction of personal characteristics and contextual influences on individuals’ construction of knowledge, identities, and relationships. Individual chapters cover subjects from populations as varied as Dutch students, male and female Bedouin and Jewish adolescents, African American male and female adolescents in economically depressed areas of the US, Latino/a college students grappling with ethnic identity and dissonance, Australian college females preparing to be childcare workers, and finally a comparative study of Japanese and U.S. college students’ epistemic beliefs.The book concludes by addressing questions about the challenges and opportunities involved in developing a valid measure of self-authorship that is less time and expertise-intensive than the in-depth one-on-one interview employed until now; and offering an outline of future theoretical and methodological research needed to further our understanding of self-evolution in general and self-authorship in particular.

This book brings together new scholarship that expands and refines the concept of self-authorship across cultures. It adopts a constructive-developmental approach to self-evolution that emphasizes the interaction of personal characteristics and contextual influences on individuals' construction of knowledge, identities, and relationships. Individual chapters cover subjects from populations as varied as Dutch students, male and female Bedouin and Jewish adolescents, African American male and female adolescents in economically depressed areas of the US, Latino/a college students grappling with ethnic identity and dissonance, Australian college females preparing to be childcare workers, and finally a comparative study of Japanese and U.S. college students' epistemic beliefs.The book concludes by addressing questions about the challenges and opportunities involved in developing a valid measure of self-authorship that is less time and expertise-intensive than the in-depth one-on-one interview employed until now; and offering an outline of future theoretical and methodological research needed to further our understanding of self-evolution in general and self-authorship in particular.

One reason so many students fail to achieve complex learning goals may be that they rely too heavily on others’ opinions about what to believe, who to be, and how to relate to others. The meaning-making capacity of self-authorship provides a basis from which to understand and learn from one’s experiences; without this, students are at a loss to know how to make intentional choices about what to believe and how to act. Similarly, without a means to access and assess students’ meaning making, researchers are at a disadvantage in deciding how to interpret students’ academic performance and other behaviors, and educators are at a disadvantage in translating findings into the design of new programs and services. This monograph is for those who are interested in understanding self-authorship and its assessment, and in using this approach in their own work. Drawing from well-established theories and extensive longitudinal research including nearly two thousand interviews, it offers a detailed account of how young adults’ capacities become more complex and adaptive over time. Those who understand the role of meaning making will be better able to document its effects on educational outcomes and provide better information to decision makers about program effectiveness. Each monograph in the series is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

WINNER OF AERA’S NARRATIVE & RESEARCH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP 2003 BOOK AWARDWhat impact does a college education have on students' careers and personal lives after they graduate? Do they consider themselves well prepared for the demands and ambiguities of contemporary society? What can we learn from their stories to improve the college learning experience?This groundbreaking book extends Marcia Baxter Magolda’s renowned longitudinal study and follows her participants’ lives from their graduation to their early thirties. We follow these students’ journeys to an internally-authored sense of identity and how they make meaning of their lives. From this, the author proposes a new framework for higher education to better foster students' crucial journeys of transformation--through the shaping of curriculum and co-curriculum, advising, leadership opportunities, campus work settings, collaboration, diversity and community building.This is an important book for all faculty, administrators and student affairs professionals.

Who am I? What do I want in relationships? How do I know what to believe? How do I manage the stresses of living?This is a guide to addressing life’s challenges and competing demands. It will help you to reflect on the problems and setbacks you encounter to discover your own voice, uncover your authentic sense of values, build your confidence, and find meaning in your life. This is, however, far more than a self-help book; and it addresses multiple audiences.Because everyone’s circumstances differ, and life is unpredictable, this book does not offer simplistic solutions and steps to follow. Instead, Marcia Baxter Magolda immerses you in the stories of thirty-five adults whom she has followed and interviewed for over twenty years. With her guidance, and using the self-authorship framework she has developed, you will recognize in yourself many patterns and parallels from the protagonists’ stories of emotional and intellectual growth. By reflecting on these life stories, you will gain insights about your individual values and identity, and strengthen your sense of self-reliance to handle significant transitions and unexpected circumstances. In addition to helping you identify the phases of your journey to self-authorship, Marcia Baxter Magolda offers reflective exercises and questions to help you uncover your strengths and identify the barriers that may be inhibiting you from building the internal, psychological compass that will serve as the foundation for your journey. Offering advice on how to be “good company” for those who have set out on their journey to self-authorship, the book is also addressed to partners, family members, friends, teachers, mentors, and employers, so they can offer support to those that face these challenges.Finally, for scholars of adult development, this book offers the latest articulation of the developing theory of self-authorship.

Foreword -- Note to readers -- Introduction -- Challenges of adult life -- Dawn's story : bringing out the truth in a character -- Mark's story : developing a spiritual philosophy of life -- Kurt's story : being true to the man in the glass -- Sandra's story : living her faith -- Lydia's story : external chaos; internal stability -- Evan's story : being the best you can be -- How to be good company for your own journey -- Partnerships : how to provide good company for others' journeys toward self-authorship -- Diverse self-authorship stories -- Mapping your journey -- A theory of self-authorship development -- Longitudinal study methodology and methods -- Notes -- Index.

Foreword -- Note to readers -- Introduction -- Challenges of adult life -- Dawn's story : bringing out the truth in a character -- Mark's story : developing a spiritual philosophy of life -- Kurt's story : being true to the man in the glass -- Sandra's story : living her faith -- Lydia's story : external chaos; internal stability -- Evan's story : being the best you can be -- How to be good company for your own journey -- Partnerships : how to provide good company for others' journeys toward self-authorship -- Diverse self-authorship stories -- Mapping your journey -- A theory of self-authorship development -- Longitudinal study methodology and methods -- Notes -- Index.