CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The midlife period in the lifespan is characterized by a complex interplay of multiple roles. The myth surrounding middle age are legion. Described as a period of dramatic self doubt that is typically felt in the middle years , as people sense the passing of youth and imminence of old age. Sometimes, transition experienced in these years, , such as andropause or menopause, unemployment or underemployment, realizing that a job or career is hated but not knowing how else to earn an equivalent . The result may be a desire to make significant changes in core aspects of day-to-day life or situation, such as , marriage, romantic relationships, bigticket expenditures, or physical appearance.

Academic research since the 1980s rejects the notion of midlife crisis as a phase that most adults go through. In one study, fewer than 10% of people in the United States had psychological crises due to their Personality type and a history of psychological crisis are believed to predispose some people to this "traditional" midlife crises People going through this suffer a variety of symptoms and exhibit a disparate range of behaviors.

Many middle aged adults experience major life events that can cause a period of psychological stress or depression, such as the death of a loved one, or a career setback.

However, those events could have happened earlier or later in life, making them a "crisis," but not necessarily a midlife type of midlife turmoil. one. In the same study, 15% of middle-aged adults experienced this

Some studies indicate that some cultures may be more sensitive to this phenomenon than others, one study found that there is little evidence that people undergo midlife crises in Japanese and Indian cultures, raising the question of whether a midlife crises is mainly a cultural construct. The authors hypothesized that the "culture of youth" in Western societies accounts for the popularity of the midlife crisis concept there. From midlife crises to the change of life, the middle years are often viewed as a time of upset and endings. Beginning with 30 th birthday celebrations, the decades of midlife are marked as milestones along the bridge to old age and the gradual loss of vigor and diminishing opportunities

Midlife usually starts between the ages of 35 and 50. It continues until we have resolves its issues, thus, it might end within a few years, or it could persist into our 60s. Time was when the notion of becoming middle-aged implied being over the hill, a dried up Geriatric, a menopausal blues victim or a useless baggage. These negative stereotype of aging, however, have been largely contradicted by

contemporary studies which, in fact see the middle years as a period of renewed creativity and great productivity for men. Gail Sheehy in her book, New Passages, calls the "second adulthood." We all have a second chance at becoming the person we are meant to be. This second chance is called midlife. However, midlife is a new and often dangerous territory. Daniel Levinson worked out his theories of adult development in two landmark studies, Seasons of a Mans Life and Seasons of a Womans Life. He argues

essentially that the adult portion of the human life span is divided into three eras: early, middle, and late adulthood. Each of these broad eras are themselves divided between entry or initial stages and culminating or more-or-less stable stages. Think of the difference and quality of the life structure and goals of a 24 year old as compared with a 34 year old, and you will get a sense of the internal changes that occur within otherwise specific eras, i.e. both a 24 year old and a 34 year old would be considered young adults within the Levinsonian perspective. The divisions between the life eras are marked by significant transitionary periods that can last for some years. Life during these transitions (Age 30 Transition, Mid-life transition [early 40s], Age 50 Transition, etc.) can be either rocky or smooth, noisy or quiet, but the quality and significance of ones life commitments often change between the beginning and end of such periods.
(ttp://www.drjeffkaye.com/adult_development.htm)

Due to different reviews about possible existence and its implications the researcher would like to find out for the most part of all ages in the positive adult development find improvement or at worst stasis for male population. Statement of the Problem This research is design to examine the issues and challenges of middle age ( midlife) which men use in managing this period. Specifically, it seek to answer the following questions: 1. What are the demographic profile of the men respondents in terms of: 1.1 Age 1.2 Civil status 1.3 Ethnicity 1.4 Income 1.5 Educational Attainment

1.6 Area of Service

2. What are the developmental issues or challenges that men comfront at midlife with respect to: 2.1Transitions 2.2 Health 2.3 Relationships 2.4 Career 2.5 Emotions

3 To which personality type do men belong: 3.1 Perfectionist 3.2 Achievers 3.3 Romantics 3.4 Adventurers 3.5 Peacemakers

Theoretical Framework

This study will anchor on the theory of adult development in the middle age by Daniel Levinson and Gail Sheehy suggest that there are changes that are possible and predictable which occur in midlife. Sheehy called them normal crises of the middle yea rs although she preferred the term passages.

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

Transitions Health Relations Emotions

Developmental Issues in midlife

Figure 1 Conceptual Paradigm of the Study

Figure 1 shows the relationship of the independent variable and dependent variables. The Independent variable includes transitions, health, relationships, and emotions. The dependent variable includes developmental issues in midlife of men.

Significance of the Study

This study will determine the developmental issues in midlife among selected men in uniform of Zamboanga City. The result of this study can be used to established strategies or guidelines for midlife men, to maintain their physical strength and gain in their psychological wholeness. This study may help also the readers especially the younger ones to prepare for integration of one self to move from self doubt to self acceptance, from material to spiritual concerns and to remind that education and strong commitment to a career create a tremendous possibilities for growth and creative self experience Scope and limitation This study will focus on the developmental issues among selected men in midlife of Zamboanga City. The study will be limited to the men In uniform specifically Philippine Navy, Philippine Airforce, Philippine Marines and Philippine National Police.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE From various sources the printed materials gathered which have bearing on the topic of this research are presented and discussed in this chapter.

FOREIGN

Midlife can be a very challenging time for a man. What we thought we knew, we no longer know. What we thought was important no longer seems to be. It can be a tumultuous and confusing time. Midlife is far more than a handful of physical changes. It often brings a reordering of priorities, a change in values, deep soul-searching about the meaning of life, the facing of our own mortality, and a loss of social power. The folk diagnosis of "men's midlife crisis" is often used to describe a series of seemingly unexplainable emotional pressures to make a drastic change. It is called a "crisis" because of the disruption it can cause for both the man and his family. A midlife crisis can entail buying a Corvette or having an affair. According to Erikson, midlife at its more traditional time of the 40s to 60s, is a life stage in which our main task is generativity, or deciding how we will use our skills and abilities to leave a legacy to enhance our world for the next generation. The reality for the majority of people going through a midlife divorce is that their here and now, just get through each day plate is way too full even to think about how to contribute to the world! Their lives are, of necessity, put on hold or even jammed into reverse to an earlier stage of development called survival. Thus, developmentally, dealing with divorce at midlife, whenever that occurs, interrupts the normal course of psychological, emotional & perhaps spiritual development. Arriving at this often overwhelming crossroad gives us an amazing opportunity to choose a new direction or road to pursue that, ultimately, will enhance our growth, development and interest as

people.(Copyright by Caroline Dott, PhD) At middle age, the reality of time running out, as evidenced by physical aging, the onset of serious illnesses and even the death of family and friends, can start both men and women on a frenetic journey of self-discovery and re-evaluation of their lifes goals. At midlife, many people try to make right what they perceive to be wrong in their lives. It is the time of correction before theyre too old to have a choice, too old to care. It is a journey sometimes called a midlife transition but more often referred to as a midlife crisis. (http//:Midlifeclub.com) Midlife does not have to be a "crisis." It is merely a natural developmental stage of life; it is the transition from early adulthood into "maturity." Rather than being "the beginning of the end," it can be viewed as an exciting fresh start, when we set aside whatever we have outgrown, and we move onward to develop ourselves in new directions. Midlife is a "crisis" only if we fight the transformations; this resistance might include: A) An unwillingness to confront the challenges of midlife. B) Anger toward of the aging process (with its wrinkles and other physical changes) C) A futile clinging to the habits and perspectives of our youth. Alwin and Levenson wrote that "... Given the bulk of the data, it is likely that, for most men, midlife is a time of achievement and satisfaction. For a certain proportion of men, however, the passage is not at all smooth." They found a similar pattern when they reviewed research on what are commonly thought to be triggers for women's midlife crisis: menopause, children leaving home, the "sandwich" of caring for both parents and children. Most women navigated those periods without a traumatic psychological "crisis." (Wikipedia-mdlife-crises) The enduring popularity of the midlife crisis concept may be explained by Robinson et al.

As Alwin and Levenson summarize: "... younger men, now middle-aged Baby Boomers, used the term "midlife crisis" to describe nearly any setback, either in their career or family life." A new, large research project by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development (MIDMAC) paint a far different portrait of midlife, one that may shatter the cultural perceptions of these middle decades.Studies abound of childhood, adolescence and old age. But the years from 30 to 70 have been largely neglected until now. The goal of the MacArthur project is to identify major biomedical, psychological and social factors that allow some people to achieve good health, psychological well-being and social responsibility.The findings challenge the notion that middle age is automatically a time of slow decline or fraught with angst and psychological discomfort. The project shows midlife to be a time of stable relationships and some financial security. Health remains good. Work is satisfying and relatively secure. "For most, it is smooth sailing," (Washingtonpost.com/midlife042099.htm) Elliot Jacques in 1965 proposed the midlife crisis as a normative crisis in early middle adulthood on the basis of a psychoanalytic approach to an awareness of death surfacing in early midlife (the mid-thirties). Although the notion of a midlife crisis attracted much acclaim in both the scientific and public debate, it has continually failed to receive empirical support. Empirical investigations have shown the existence of midlife developmental patterns of continuous development, maintained well-being, and adaptively and resilience throughout midlife; and they have not uncovered a midlife mental health crisis as a universal, or even a common development. The Life Cycle in Jungs theory is life in two phases, the first half and the second half. The first half of life covers ones childhood and youth, roughly, the first 35-40 years in ones life. Half of this first half is spent for ones education, career, life commitments, lifestyles, relationships. If marriage and raising a family are to be part of ones life, they, too, are accomplished here. If one chooses and is called to religious life, on the other hand, by this time

one is a school director, a local superior or a provincial superior. One can have her first round of peak experiences by the time.

At around 40 ones youth comes to an end, as if its our cultures script for us. Since the life cycle is getting longer and longer this concept is changing. But it holds true that this can be a time for both crisis and potential. One has reached the fulfillment of youth and is on the brink of a whole new life. Will he or she accept the invitation?Jung sees the second half of life which covers mid-life and the mature years as an opportunity for individuation. To individuate is simply to be the kind of person one is uniquely called and can possibly be At this time, often about Mid-Life, the psyche spontaneously seeks equilibrium. As certain poles of personality are developed in consciousness, their opposites become energized and they seek expression in the personality. The intensity of the energy in the unconscious begins to disrupt the apparently settled conscious life. The persona is shaken and the ego is decent. Individuation, writes Jung, is the process by which individual beings are formed and differentiated; in particular, it is the development of the psychological individual as a being distinct from the general, collective psychology. Individuation, therefore, is a process of differentiation having for its goal the development of the individual person

Often the discovery that you are in a midlife crisis can be a shock but also revealing. Our own research indicates that above 30% of men after around age 34 feel

irritable, need to withdraw, and are often tempted to explore a completely different avenue

of life than they have experienced to date. Unhappiness with life, and primarily your married life, seems to be foremost in your mind. This is normal. What frequently occurs though is

that a man feeling out-of-place in life and marriage is cast headlong into a male depression and often feels no way of escape. The term midlife crisis is really a misnomer; the things that often typify a midlife crisis are really the things we men employ to assuage the sadness we feel at middle life. (http//www.midlife.fortysix.) Midlife, more than any other period of the life span, requires the conjoint mastery of both these components of regulating one's own development. It is during midlife that adults can expect a radical increase in loss-related changes, including crossing some developmental deadlines that require disengagement from an important life goal, such as having children. At the same time, several domains of life and functioning (e.g., professional expertise, social skills) come into their prime in midlife.

The lower age limit is around 35 when there is some rumbling of things to come. Various life events such as a loss of a job, a significant personal illness, or the death of family members may initiate the process. People in this group are the Early Bloomers and when asked about midlife they often say Im too young.

The typical age are range for the midlife process is the decade of 40 to 50. These are the people who bloom right on time. The majority of us will encounter the awakening and confrontation of middle at this age. When asked about midlife these people often reply, Its happening to me. Then there are those over 50. These may be the late Late Bloomers. (http://www.teantechnology.co.uk/tt/t-articl/midlife2.htm)

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the following; Research Design, Respondents of the Study, Sampling Design, Research Instruments, Data Gathering Procedures and Statistical treatment

Research Design

This study will utilized the descriptive research design that will determine the developmental issues in midlife among selected men in uniform in Zamboanga City. This type of research is the most commonly used to described data and characteristicts about population or phenomenon being studied.

Respondents of the Study The respondents of this study shall be among the selected men in uniform specifically; Philippine Airforce, Phil Army, Phil Navy Phil Marines and Phil National Police in Zamboanga City. Only those who will past the midlife transition of thirty five to forty years old will be chosen. In addition a focus group discussion will be held among selected men in uniform will be held. The respondents will be determined using the Slovins formula.

Sampling Design Stratified random sampling will be used to determine the sample size. It is the method of taking a sample which is the representative according to some criteria in the mind of the researcher and which depends on his skill and judgment with respect to certain known characteristic of the population. The approach to sampling maybe useful where it is necessary to include a very small number of units in the sample.(B. Onate and J. Mercedes 1998)

Research Instrument Used

The researcher will prepare a survey questionnaire to be used as the main instrument of this study. The value of this type of investigation largely will depend on the sincerity. Truthfulness and objectivity of the respondents. The survey questionnaire will be divided into three parts.

The first part will provide information of the respondents demographic profile with respect to Age, civil status, educational attainment, ethnicity and area of service.

The second part will constitute checklist determining the developmental issues among selected men in midlife in Zamboanga City. Such as transitions. Health, physical, career, emotions and goals.

The third part will also include the personality type to which men belong such as perfectionist, achievers, helpers, romantics, adventurers, and peacemakers. To facilitate interpretation of the responses of the respondents to the given statements in the questionnaire respondents will be ask to put a check(/) on the opposite side as always, often, seldom , sometimes and never.

Data Gathering Procedures

The researcher will prepare the survey materials and prepare a letter of permission address to the teachers who teach in particular schools in Zamboanga City. Upon approval the researcher will conduct an in dept interviews. Only those who are past the midlife transition of 30-40 will be chosen. In addition a focus group discussion with selected midlife men will be held.

BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOK
James W. Vander Zanden. Human Development, Sixth edition Levinson D.J., C. M. Darrow; EB, Klein, M.H Lavinson and Mckee. The Season of a Mans Life. New York: Ballantine Books.

ELOCTRONIC MATERIALS

http://www.midlife-men.com/index.html#ixzz1f1uycLMV http//:www.Midlifeclub.com Wikipedia-mdlife-crises Washingtonpost.com/midlife042099.htm http://www.rvmonline.net/sharings/Life_Cycle.htm http//www.midlife.fortysix.com. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descriptive_research http://www.teantechnology.co.uk/tt/t-articl/midlife2.htm