Narrative Identity in Late Adulthood

Narrative identity is recognized as a process and viewed in dynamic terms, as an entity subject to constant changes in the course of one’s life. It is assumed that an increasing need to make changes in one’s history of life emerges in middle adulthood. A generative script is revealed, containing a plan to become part of the lives of future generations. The process of creative integration of one’s life story may gather momentum in late adulthood, when individuals explore their identity in the context of their life’s work. In order to test the above assumptions, narratives of participants aged 65-80 years who were wives/mothers/grandmothers or husbands/fathers/grandfathers during their lives were analyzed. Six main themes characteristic of life stories in late adulthood were identified, along with groups of traits, behaviors and values which participants wished to pass on to subsequent generations. The narratives clearly featured a generative motivation and the need to integrate one’s story.