The Development of Generativity across Adulthood

Feliciano Villar, Professor of Developmental Psychology, University of Barcelona,Heather L. Lawford, Professor of Psychology, Bishop's University,Michael W. Pratt, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University

Feliciano Villar is Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Barcelona. His research focuses on the psychology of aging, and particularly on the determinants and social and personal consequences of older people's participation in and contributions to their families and communities. He is the author of several books and over 100 papers in peer-reviewed international journals, and has been a visiting research scholar at institutions include the University of Oxford, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Twente, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico.


Heather L. Lawford is Professor of Psychology and Canada Research Chair in Youth Development at Bishop's University. She received her Master's from Wilfrid Laurier University and her PhD from Concordia University, after which she pursued a post-doctoral fellowship at Brock University. Since 2017 she has also served as Co-Director of the Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement at the Students Commission of Canada, where she partners with youth and community leaders in putting research on youth generativity and engagement into action.


Michael W. Pratt is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University. His research interests include a range of topics in developmental psychology including generativity, the life story, parenting and grandparenting, and environmentalism and the future of the planet. He also spearheaded a longitudinal transition to adulthood study called 'The Futures Study' that spanned over 15 years and resulted in number of important publications. He is the co-author, with M. Kyle Matsuba, of The Life Story, Domains of Identity, and Personality Development in Emerging Adulthood (OUP, 2018).

Part I. Theories and Methods from a Life Course Perspective1. Theory and Methods in Recent Research on Generativity Across Adulthood, Feliciano Villar, Rodrigo Serrat, and Michael W. Pratt2. Narrative Identity and Generativity, Feliciano Villar3. Distinguishing Purpose and Generativity in Youth, Jenni Menon Mariano and Heather L. Lawford4. Emergence and Development of Generativity in Early Adulthood, Heather L. Lawford and Shmuel Shulman5. Generativity and Ego Integrity in Later Life, Feliciano Villar and Juan José ZacarésPart II. Vocation and Generativity6. Work, Retirement, and Generativity over the Lifespan, Harvey L. Krahn, Nancy L. Galambos, and Matthew D. Johnson7. Teaching and Mentoring as a Generative Enterprise, Jasmeen Sidhu, Jessica Riddell, and Heather L. Lawford8. Leadership and Generativity in Organization, Hannes Zacher and Prashant Bordia9. Artistic Productivity in Older Adults and Generativity, Karima ChacurPart III. Families, Relationships, and Generativity10. Parenting and Generativity, Bill E. Peterson11. Grandparenting and Generativity, Montserrat Celdrán12. Generativity, Care Giving, and Care Receiving in Aging Contexts, Feliciano Villar13. Friendships, Peer Relations, and Generativity, Heather L. Ramey and Heather L. Lawford14. Romantic Relationships, Intimacy, and Generativity, Sean P. Mackinnon and Taylor G. HillPart IV. Social Institutions and Generativity15. Volunteering, Civic Engagement, and Generativity, Hyun Euh and Mark Snyder16. Political Participation and Generativity across the Lifespan, Rodrigo Serrat17. Religious Generativity and Generative Devotion in Families, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks, and Megan Gale18. Generativity, Environmentalism, and the Political Divide, M. Kyle Matsuba, Andrea Mah, and Fanli JiaPart V. Cultural Diversity of Generative Expressions19. Culture and Generativity, Jan Hofer and Holger Busch20. Older People's Generativity and Perceived Respect in East Asia, Megumi Tabuchi21. Generativity, Aging, and Communities in Mexico, Verónica Montes de Oca-Zavala and Francisco J. González-Cordero22. An Exploration of Generativity among Alaska Native Elders: You Become an Elder by Passing on your Knowledge, Jordan P. LewisPart VI. Applied and Policy Implications23. Generativity, Health, and Wellbeing across the Adult Lifespan, Tara L. Gruenewald24. Generativity and Stagnation in Adulthood, Andrés Urrutia, Gastón Moisset de Espanés, César A. Ferrari, and Rodrigo Rapela25. Generativity and the Continuum of Suffering and Flourishing in Later Life, Kate de Medeiros and Polina Ermoshkina26. Intergenerational Programs and Generativity, Sacramento Pinazo-Hernandis and Mariano Sánchez27. Education and the Promotion of Generativity throughout Adulthood, Feliciano Villar and Heather L. Lawford28. Active Aging, Social Policy, and Generativity, Feliciano VillarPart VII. Understanding Generativity in a Lifespan Context29. Personal Reflections on Generativity across Adulthood: "What has been generated by love, necessity, or accident", Dan P. McAdams