Narratives on Becoming

«The third volume in the I Am What I Become series, Narratives on Becoming: Identity and Lifelong Learning invites readers into the lives of educators from around the world. This book includes important narratives from students, secondary educators, and post-secondary educators alike, highlighting how race, class, gender, and a wide range of other intersectional identities shape the diverse lived experiences of educators and their students. This volume also serves as an important reminder for all of us that the learning process continues across a lifetime and transcends the limits of the traditional classroom."" —Brian Bicknell, President, Manchester Community College

""We all pay lip service to the importance of lifelong learning, but what is it exactly and how does it come about? The connections between identity and learning are intriguing and complex, especially when it comes to adult learners. In this very thoughtfully organized collection, researchers present qualitative and narrative studies, along with personal narratives, to explore identity development in formal and informal learning environments. Contributions from varied cultural contexts, most with powerful and moving stories to tell, provide insight into how identity, meaning-making, and adult learning and development intersect and influence each other. Psychologists, scholars and educators interested in identity development and meaning-making will find inspiration and fresh understanding in this innovative and enlightening series."" —Ruthellen Josselson, Author, Paths to Fulfillment: Women's Search for Meaning and Identity

""This innovative series on adult development is inspiring and substantive. We hear voices from the margins and stories of courage. We read identity-formation narratives by young adults and experienced professionals who share impressive capacities for transparency, vulnerability, and self-reflection. Many of the narratives are embedded in rigorous qualitative research that highlights diverse ways that identity is shaped through social positionality, lived experience, the quest for individuation, and willingness to encounter life as a dynamic learning process."" —Jared D. Kass, Lesley University, Author, A Person-Centered Approach to Psychospiritual Maturation: Mentoring Psychological Resilience and Inclusive Community in Higher Education»