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  • © 2020

The Ecology of Purposeful Living Across the Lifespan

Developmental, Educational, and Social Perspectives

  • Includes novel contributions by the preeminent researchers in the field

  • Provides multiple perspectives on what it means to have a purpose in life

  • Offers a road map for what we need to promote a purposeful society

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-viii
  2. Transitions and Opportunities: Considering Purpose in the Context of Healthy Aging

    • Matthew J. Wynn, Laura Dewitte, Patrick L. Hill
    Pages 59-72
  3. Youth Purpose: A Translational Research Agenda

    • Kendall Cotton Bronk, Caleb Mitchell
    Pages 233-248
  4. Back Matter

    Pages 249-255

About this book

This book explores what it means to live a purposeful life and outlines the benefits associated with purpose across different life domains. It also demonstrates that purpose in life is not reducible to constructs such as happiness, well-being, or identity development.

The importance of having a sense of purpose in life is attracting renewed attention in both scientific and social arenas. Mounting evidence from intricately designed experiments and large-scale studies reveals how pursuing a purpose can make a person happier, healthier, and even lengthen their lifespan. However, existing texts on purpose have said little on why having has these effects, how it may influence our ability to navigate diverse environments, or how best to consider the construct from a multidisciplinary approach that moves beyond psychology.

Recognizing this gap in the literature, this book provides multidisciplinary perspectives on the topic of purpose, and examines what we can do as researchers, interventionists, and society as a whole to imbue purposefulness in the lives of people across the lifespan. It includes contributions from key figures on topics such as identity, health, youth programs and youth purpose, diversity, aging and work.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Human Development, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA

    Anthony L. Burrow

  • Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, USA

    Patrick L. Hill

About the editors

Anthony L. Burrow is an Associate Professor at the Department of Human Development, and Director of the Purpose and Identity Processes Laboratory, Cornell University. His research investigates how individuals derive a sense of purpose and identity, particularly during adolescence and emerging adulthood. He is also Co-director of the Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement at the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. Anthony received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Florida International University. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Multicultural Research Institute at the University of Notre Dame.


Patrick L. Hill is an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis. He is the Director of the Purpose, Aging, Transitions, and Health Laboratory and Faculty Scholar at the Institute for Public Health. His research focuses on the role of sense of purpose in predicting important outcomes throughout the lifespan and how individuals find a direction for life. Patrick received his B.A. from Indiana University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. He completed his postdoctoral training at The University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access