lifecourse

lifecourse is a multidisciplinary framework for understanding how experiences across an individual's life influence health, development, and social participation. It posits that life paths are shaped not only by current circumstances but also by earlier conditions and by ongoing interactions with family, institutions, and broader social contexts. Core concepts include trajectories (long-term paths such as education-to-work), transitions (events like marriage or parenthood), timing of events, and linked lives (influence of others in one’s network). The approach emphasizes cumulative advantage and disadvantage, whereby early advantages or setbacks accumulate across later life, and how policy, culture, and social position modify these patterns.

lifecourse theory originated in sociology in the mid-20th century, with influential work by Glen H. Elder Jr. and colleagues. It has since expanded to encompass lifecourse epidemiology and other disciplines that connect life histories to health, aging, and social inequality.

Methodologically, lifecourse research relies on longitudinal data and event history analyses to map trajectories across domains such as education, work, family, health, and retirement. Key methodological tools include life history calendars and sequence analysis to capture timing and order of experiences. Researchers also study linked lives, recognizing that relationships with parents, spouses, and children shape opportunities and risks across generations.

Applications focus on policy design, program planning, and interventions that acknowledge long-term effects of early life conditions and social disadvantage. Critics caution against overemphasizing determinism, note measurement complexity, and call for greater attention to cultural variability and intersectionality. Proponents stress that the lifecourse perspective remains a flexible framework for integrating social, economic, and biological factors across time.