| Erik Erikson defined the crisis of mid life as one of "generativity"---moving beyond our immediate personal concerns in order to come to terms with our responsibility in guiding the next generation. Erikson's thinking has inspired more than 50 years of research that has led to a fuller understanding of generativity in the broadening circle of concern beyond ourselves---to progeny and family, friends, professional, vocational and social circles, and the community in which we live and even the community at large. However, there has been little consideration of what it means to be generative with respect to nature or in the context of the natural world. This research utilizes qualitative methods and heuristic inquiry to systematically develop an initial concept of generativity at mid life in relationship to the natural world as it is expressed by the author of this study acting as primary researcher as well as seven co-researchers, widely published authors who have written about nature: John Caddy, John Elder, Paul Gruchow, Richard Nelson, Robert Michael Pyle, Scott Russell Sanders, and Stephen Trimble. The result of this study is an elaboration of eight themes: An altered sense of time; A special interest in memory; A search for hope in a diminished world; A new connection with the land and a deepened sense of home; Restlessness; A broadened attention to community; Living with a sense of spirit; and Self acceptance. This study also includes a creative synthesis which attempts to evoke the essence of generativity as it understood in the research and considers the meaning of these various themes by comparing and contrasting them with two other dynamic models of generativity. The limitations of this study, especially those related to the nature of qualitative research are emphasized as well as the need for future study including the need to consider how generativity might be expressed differently by women or individuals from other cultures. |
