ABSTRACT
Images of women-including both the ways they view themselves and the ways in which others perceive them-form a changing kaleidoscope as women proceed through the adult years.
Changes in women's lives during adulthood may be viewed in one of two perspectives. One theoretical framework sees these changes as tied to chronological age; the other views them as related to social roles or role transitions (Reinke, Holmes, & Harris, 1985). Advocates of age-based theories conceptualize the adult life cycle as a series of stages, each associated with its own tasks, events, and problems (e,g., Erikson, 1980; Gould, 1978; Levinson, 1978). This life-stage perspective is based almost exclusively on experiences of men, however, and may not be very useful in understanding the adult lives of women.
