The Development and Organization of Meaning

Alan Sroufe Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, is a renowned expert in emotional development and developmental psychopathology. With eight books and 160 articles on these subjects, he has received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) and the Mentor Award from the Developmental Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association. June Sroufe Ph.D., is a family and child therapist, she specializes in relationship theory and clinical uses of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). With eight published articles, she is recognized for her expertise in family functioning and AAI applications.

• Preface; Part I. The Beginning of Meaning: 1. The place of meaning; 2. Four features of meaning and its development; 3. The cradle of meaning; 4. Attachment theory: the rise of meaning in psychology; 5. Toddlerhood: the meaning of me; Part II. The Growth of Meaning: 6. The preschooler: the emergence of the person; 7. Middle childhood: me and my friends; 8. Adolescence:finding personal meaning; Part III. The Organized and Organizing Nature of Meaning: 9. Meaning as the currency of development; 10. The role of meaning in intergenerational transmission effects; 11. Competence, resilience, and the fate of early experience; Part IV. Meaning and Disturbance: 12. On the meaningfulness of disturbance; 13. Trauma and meaning; Part V. Integration and Conclusion: 14. Integration; 15. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

'The Development and Organization of Meaning is a joy to read. It is incredibly clear and accessible. At the same time, the book offers a profound perspective on fundamental questions about how people develop and the meaning we make of our own lives and our connections with others.' Robbie Duschinsky, Professor of Social Science and Health, University of Cambridge, UK