[SPR26] Stories of Redemption and Acceptance in American Lives

Stories of redemption and Acceptance in american lives

takes Place on 3/12/26 from 6-7:30pm EST | Hybrid Format

Presenter:

Dan P. McAdams is the Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology and Professor of Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. In 2022-23, he served as the Iterim Dean of Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy. Professor McAdams received his B.S. degree from Christ College, Valparaiso University in 1976, and his Ph.D. in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard University in 1979. Author of over 300 scientific articles and chapters, numerous edited volumes, and 9 books, Professor McAdams works in the areas of personality and life-span developmental psychology. His theoretical and empirical writings focus on concepts of self and identity in contemporary American society and on themes of power, intimacy, redemption, and generativity across the adult life course. Professor McAdams is a leader in the emergence within the social sciences of narrative conceptions of human lives - approaches that place stories and storytelling at the center of human personality. Professor McAdams is the author of The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live By (Oxford University Press, 2006/2013), which won the 2006 William James Award from the American Psycholgical Association for the best general-interest book in psychology, across all subfields. More recently, he is the author of The Art and Science of Personality Development (Guilford Press, 2015); The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning (Oxford, 2020); Psychology (with William Dunlop, Wiley, 2022).

Description:

Narrative identity refers to the stories people construct to explain how they have come to be in the unique persons they are becoming. In this talk, I will provide a broad overview of the empirical study of narrative identity in the fields of personality and life-span developmental psychology, with an emphasis on how people narrate experiences of suffering and adversity. Two decades of research on highly generative (caring and productive) midlife American adults highlights features of a broad redemptive narrative that many Americans hold up as an ideal story for how to live a good life. Research shows that redemptive stories of acceptance - which feature the virtues of flexibility and grace - may prove to be more psychologically meaningful and efficacious as people move beyond midlife and into their later years. Whereas redemptive stories highlight overcoming adversity, narratives of acceptance foreground a coming-to-terms with adversity and life's implacable limitations.

Timeline and Requirements:

This Hybrid course will take place on 3/12/26 from 6-7:30pm EST. 

Location: TBD

Fees and Policies: 

Payment is due by credit card at registration. Refunds will be granted only up until registration closes at 4pm on March 12th. No refunds will be granted for errors on the participant's part (such as incorrect name/email upon registration, login failure, scheduling conflicts, etc.).

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. If you need to request an accommodation or ask a question about accessibility, please contact wcas.cece@bc.edu.

Additional offerings from the Woods College Office of Continuing Education and Community Engagement can be found on our website.