Organizing Concepts and Principles in the Life Course
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Trajectory | Sequences or long-term patterns within a focal area (eg, health, family, or work situations) that are embedded in social pathways and defined by social institutions and interpersonal relationships. |
| Transition | Changes in state that are discrete, acquire meaning within trajectories, and have an identifiable beginning and end. |
| Turning point | Individual or institutional sentinel moments that result in a change of direction along one’s life course. |
| Linked lives | The interdependence and network of shared relationships that surround individual lives. |
| Social convoy | A grouping of significant others (eg, important family members, long-time friends) across different life periods. |
| Timing | The developmental antecedents and consequences of behavior patterns, life events, and transitions that vary according to their chronological location in a person’s life. |
| Human agency | Views people as active participants who construct their own life courses through the choices and actions they take, given the opportunities and constraints of history and social circumstances. |