The redemptive self

Description

Prologue. A Life Story Made in AmericaChapter 1. Redemption and the American SoulChapter 2. The Generative AdultChapter 3. Life StoriesChapter 4. The Chosen PeopleChapter 5. My Good Inner Self: From Emerson to OprahChapter 6. God Bless AmericaChapter 7. Black (and White)Chapter 8. Contaminated Plots, Vicious CirclesChapter 9. When Redemption FailsChapter 10. Culture, Narrative, and the SelfEpilogue. An Americans Confessions and Final Thoughts

Description

Based on 10 years of research on the life stories of especially caring and productive American adults, The Redemptive Self explores the psychological and cultural dynamics of the stories Americans tell to make sense of who they are. Among the most eloquent tellers of redemptive stories are those midlife adults who are especially committed to their careers, their families, and making a positive difference in the world. These highly "generative" men and women embrace the negative things that happen to them, for it is by transforming the bad into good that they are able to move forward in life and ultimately leave something positive behind. Unconsciously, they find inspiration and sustenance in the rich store of redemptive tales that American culture offers - from the autobiographies of Massachusetts Puritans, Benjamin Franklin, and escaped African-American slaves to the stories of upward mobility, recovery, fulfillment, and release that come to us today from Hollywood, 12-step programs, self-help experts, religious stories, political speeches, business gurus, and Oprah. --Publisher.

Subjects

Other Editions

• The redemptive self: stories Americans live byOxford University Press2004-01-01
• The redemptive selfOxford University Press2005
• The Redemptive SelfeBookOxford University Press2007-01-01
• Redemptive SelfOxford University Press, Incorporated2013-01-01
• Redemptive SelfOxford University Press, Incorporated2013-01-01
• Redemptive SelfOxford University Press, Incorporated2013-01-01