@article{discovery1469959, number = {2}, volume = {50}, month = {May}, year = {2015}, title = {Connecting Life Span Development with the Sociology of the Life Course: A New Direction}, journal = {Sociology}, note = {This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (http://www.uk.sagepub.com/aboutus/openaccess.htm).}, pages = {301--315}, keywords = {Erik Erikson, Identity, Life course sociology, Life span psychology, Reflexivity}, issn = {0038-0385}, author = {Gilleard, C and Higgs, P}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0038038515577906}, abstract = {The life course has become a topic of growing interest within the social sciences. Attempts to link this sub-discipline with life span developmental psychology have been called for but with little sign of success. In this paper, we seek to address three interlinked issues concerning the potential for a more productive interchange between life course sociology and life span psychology. The first is to try to account for the failure of these two sub-disciplines to achieve any deepening engagement with each other, despite the long-expressed desirability of that goal; the second is to draw attention to the scope for enriching the sociology of the life course through Erik Erikson's model of life span development; and the last is the potential for linking Eriksonian theory with current debates within mainstream sociology about the processes involved in 'individualisation' and 'self-reflexivity' as an alternative entry point to bring together these two fields of work.} }