DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

New vocational role
In Phase 4, crisis is resolved when a new role is adopted that is based on a
visible expression of what these four women had said was their hidden passion when
they were young. Gemma’s deeply held desire to explore leads to taking a role in the
national health service and aiming for a career in counselling. Rachel’s desire to read
and learn leads her to academia, where she becomes a lecturer. Frances becomes a
teacher, first in Turkey and then back in the UK, while also working with helping
refugees. Violet finishes her BA in Fine Art and becomes an artist. She expresses her
new sense of empowerment and vocation in the following quote:
“I think I have a mission to integrate all those things that interest me. I mostly deal
in photography and film, and all these other areas. In a way my mission is to get my
integrated voice together so that I make my statement in the world. Just to be part of
the fantastic chorus, I suppose.” (p.8)
Developing a stronger self
The crisis for all four in this cluster is a turning point from living passively and
being controlled by others, to making one’s own decisions and controlling one’s own
direction through life so that it is based on desire and passion, rather than on duty and
the demands of others. This leads to a new sense of personal strength. It is a shift in
the polarity of control from external to internal, as choices are now felt to be selfdetermined.
And with a newly found internal locus of control comes a new belief in
personal power and personal efficacy:
“I had a job as a consultant then, and in the corporate world I started to feel very
strong then…It took achievement, that was the only way for me.” (Rachel p.7)
“I’ve got a stronger sense of my own identity and my sexuality. I can play around
with my power and my control. I never thought I had any power, I didn’t know what
that word meant in my twenties, so just the complete opposite.“ (Gemma, p.9)
“In a real nutshell, it made me stronger, and I think it’s made me less wishy-washy. I
stand up for myself now; I am not ever going to let myself get into the position of
being the victim again. I always had victim tendencies, but I would never really
voice if I was not happy about something…And now I just stand up for myself more.”
(Frances, p.13)
6.2 Female Cluster: “Career Woman Crisis” (N=4)
Cluster 2 is called “Career Woman Crisis” and subsumes Mary, Angela,
Lynne and Camilla. These four had developed a career-focused life structure prior to
the crisis, in contrast to the domestically-focused cluster described above. Prior to
crisis, Mary was a partner in a corporate law firm, Lynne was a high level HR
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