Words Have Consequences

Abstract

Iam flattered that the two premier sociological theorists in the field of aging and human development—Dale Dannefer and Jon Hendricks—have taken the time to read my essay and provide commentary. I am honored that they have taken my work seriously enough, not only to make comments but also to do so with such grace and aplomb. I am encouraged that they cared enough about the issues at hand to render their judgment about the success of this project. I learned a great deal from what they had to say, although I do not agree with everything in their commentaries. It should be noted that the paper has a long history— It began some ten years ago in an effort to introduce my students and colleagues to the rich tapestry of life course (and related) concepts. As I received the generous commentary from others, the work became transformed into not only an exercise in clarifying terminology but perhaps more importantly, an effort to integrate the varieties of life course concepts and interdisciplinary perspectives on human lives. I will be the first to admit that this job is incomplete, and there is more work to be done, but the success of this venture to date can be measured in terms of the reactions given by Dannefer and Hendricks. How successful was my essay, “Integrating Varieties Life Course Concepts” (hereafter IVLC) in achieving its two main objectives—(a) to develop a framework for achieving a greater degree of clarity in the application of life course (and related) concepts (what I call “life words”) and (b) to provide a conceptual integration of life course ideas in order to improve their potential in illuminating the nature of