Overview

Although adult development recently has begun to receive increased attention from researchers, current studies have been limited mainly to specific aspects of adult development and have not provided a clear view of the meaning of the whole of adult life. Broadening this focus, and at the same time concentrating on a specific occupational group, Jeffrey A. McNally presents the results of his three-year study of successful career Army officers. His inquiry, which draws on Daniel Levinson's theory of adult development, provides an analysis of the sequential patterns that characterize the development of the adult lives of successful career Army officers. After reviewing Levinson's theory of how lives develop during adulthood, McNally looks at the developmental and transitional periods experienced by the Army officers he studied from pre-adulthood to their early forties. The study examines the impact of living and working within a highly ordered, systematic organizational structure such as the military upon the way in which these adult lives unfold. The author finds that, despite the unique aspects of a career in the military, his subjects experienced similar patterns and sequences to those predicted by Levinson's theory of adult development. Based on frequent, wide-ranging interviews over a three-year period of time--interviews which covered aspects of each subject's life from career to marriage, children, friends, religion, etc.--this work is the first to provide an in-depth picture of the military officer's life. A unique resource for the study of adult development and the profession of the military, this book will be of special interest to military officers and those interested in adult development and developmental psychology.

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9780275936983

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Reviews

[This volume] deserves a place on the bookshelves of both developmental psychologists and students of the profession of arms. McNally's perceptive insights of the adult development of four career officers in the US Army provide a scholarly extension and replication of Levinson's seminal work on adult development as well as a highly readable, fascinating account of the developmental experiences of these men from their early years into their forties. Based upon careful research spanning a three-year period of intensive study, this book provides [both] a valuable academic resource for the development psychologist . . . [and] a remarkably interesting and insightful look at the socialization and development of a career offices for even the casual reader. McNally has done a remarkably good job of bridging the gap between academic theory and drama of real men as they struggle to achieve their human potential. - John M. Wattendorf, Ph.D. Professor and Head, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership The United States Military Academy

a book strongly recommend. There is a depth of exposure and insight to the intimate thoughts, lives and experiences of career officers that is totally uncommon. McNally's work is certain to provoke considerable thought and introspection beyond the insights about adult development. This book was neither easy for me to put down once began reading it, not easy to stop thinking about once I was finished. It is exactly the kind of book military professionals should read and re--read a few years later because of the introspection it inspires. This book will help you know yourself better and provide the insight to develop others, as well. To this end, especially, McNally makes an important contribution to the profession of arms. -ASSEMBLY: ASSN OF GRADUATES U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY ?a book strongly recommend. There is a depth of exposure and insight to the intimate thoughts, lives and experiences of career officers that is totally uncommon. McNally's work is certain to provoke considerable thought and introspection beyond the insights about adult development. This book was neither easy for me to put down once began reading it, not easy to stop thinking about once I was finished. It is exactly the kind of book military professionals should read and re--read a few years later because of the introspection it inspires. This book will help you know yourself better and provide the insight to develop others, as well. To this end, especially, McNally makes an important contribution to the profession of arms.?-ASSEMBLY: ASSN OF GRADUATES U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY One of the exciting areas of growth in psychology in recent years has been the extension of developmental psychology into the study of how we continue to change as adults. Building on the pioneering work of Daniel Levinson, Jeffrey McNally has tested Levinson's framework for adult development on a different population than Levinson used in his original work. In his study of career Army officers, McNally also provides important insights into the ways in which careers interact with the dynamics of adult development. This is an important contribution to our understanding of both adult development and life in complex organizations. - Howard T. Prince II, Ph.D. Brigadier General, USA, Retired Dean, Jepson School of Leadership Studies University of Richmond [This volume] deserves a place on the bookshelves of both developmental psychologists and students of the profession of arms. McNally's perceptive insights of the adult development of four career officers in the US Army provide a scholarly extension and replication of Levinson's seminal work on adult development as well as a highly readable, fascinating account of the developmental experiences of these men from their early years into their forties. Based upon careful research spanning a three-year period of intensive study, this book provides [both] a valuable academic resource for the development psychologist . . . [and] a remarkably interesting and insightful look at the socialization and development of a career offices for even the casual reader. McNally has done a remarkably good job of bridging the gap between academic theory and drama of real men as they struggle to achieve their human potential. - John M. Wattendorf, Ph.D. Professor and Head, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership The United States Military Academy McNally's book is a rigorous look at the real lives of Army officers. All of their stresses--from deep commitment to family, to obedience to the military command structure--are articulated clearly and understandably. What is most important is that from McNally's work, we can see how these stresses unfold in a common pattern as the officers mature. Anyone interested in planning and understanding their own lives, or in helping others do the same, will find this book worthwhile. - Joseph H. Astrachan, Ph.D. Associate Director, Center for Management This is a thoughtful, searching study of a particularly important time in an Army officer's life. The importance of the work, however, goes beyond military lives to the contribution McNally makes to adult development theory, namely that an organizational context can shape, in significant ways, the unfolding of men's lives. McNally expands, yet again, our perspective of adult development and helps us begin to think about the role organizations play in all of our struggles to create a meaningful life structure. This richly descriptive acount of four Army officers is fascinating. It is also a first rate education about military careers. -David N. Berg, Ph.D. Professor, Yale School of Organization and Management McNally has done a masterful job of translating compelling life structure theory into demonstrable application. This comprehensive work provides stimulating insight into individual human similarities and differences. For those who are struggling to understand the first half of their lives, it offers a wealth of useful information and reassurance that one is not alone. For those who are in the second half of their lives, it explains clearly how one gets to and through mid-life and it offers hope that Jeff will complete 'the rest of the story' with identical acumen. This is a must read for anyone remotely interested in why he is, what he is, and what might become of him as a result. - Robert A. Brace II Colonel, Infantry U.S. Army War College Studies of human development tend to focus on childhood and adolescence, while research on professional socialization tends to overlook developmental issues. We are thus left distressingly ignorant of the developmental processes involved as adults grow into their work roles and work organizations, and adapt these to other aspects of their lives. Jeffrey McNally has made an impressive contribution toward filling this lacuna and increasing our understanding of adult development. His analysis of the adult lives of four career Army officers, undertaken as a test and elaboration of Levinson's theory of adult development, stands as a model of the kind of work needed if we are to more fully understand the adult human condition. - David R. Segal, Ph.D. University of Maryland and S.L.A. Marshall Chair, U.S. Army Research Institute

Author Information

JEFFREY A. McNALLY is Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, United States Military Academy at West Point. He has contributed to studies of organizational leadership and human resources management as well as to the International Military and Defense Encyclopedia.

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