The Quest for Purpose: The Collegiate Search for a Meaningful Life

Description

Demonstrates how students and educators can resist narrow, utilitarian views of higher education’s purpose. Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Searching for Meaning and Purpose in College: A Dying Quest? Searching and Finding Meaning and Purpose: The New Social Science Exploring the Complex Realities Our Background, Assumptions, Findings, and Argument The Map and Destination of the Book Part I: The Context of the Quest Chapter 1 Are Colleges Giving Up on Life’s Meaning and Purpose? The Historical and Cultural Context To What Extent Was Education about Purpose a Part of Early American Colleges? The Loss of Purpose and Meaning Why Scientists Gave Up on Life’s Meaning Why the Humanities Did Not Save Meaning and Purpose The Contemporary Challenges of Growth, Pluralism, and Diversity Conclusion Chapter 2 The Adolescent Journey: The Precollege Path to Finding Meaning and Purpose The Adolescent Journey toward Purpose The Diverse Influence of Parents 1. The Supposedly Laissez-Faire Parents 2. Encouragement and Effort Parents 3. Make a Living Parents 4. Modeling the Good Life Parents 5. The Religiously Inspired Parents The Absence of Helicopter Parents Discussing Purpose outside the Family: Older Adults Discussing Purpose with Friends Conclusion Chapter 3 Mapping the Presence of Purpose: How Identity, Social Context, and Education Matter The National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) Survey Demographic Factors Family Structure and Relationship with Parents during Adolescence Religion during Adolescence Education, Employment, Finances, and Living Status during Emerging Adulthood Deviant Behavior, Prosocial Behavior, and Materialism during Emerging Adulthood Making Sense of the Findings Summing Up Part II: Figuring Out College Students’ Quest Chapter 4 Developing Purpose in the Contemporary University: Four Stories First Year—Evetta Second Year—Jacob Third Year—Troy Fourth Year—Brooke The Language, Formative Context, and Shaping of Purpose Chapter 5 Mapping What Makes Life Meaningful Humanity’s Search for Meaning Differentiating Different Kinds of Meaning and Meaning Cultures The Self-Achievers The Relationalists The Transcendents Some Differences The Limited Helpfulness of Meaning Talk? Making Sense of Meaning Talk Conclusion Chapter 6 The Diverse Purposes of College Students Differentiating Meaning and Purpose The Purpose Ingredients of College Students Self-Achievers Relationalists Transcendents Understanding College Students’ Life Purpose: A National Survey Should Cultivating Beyond-the-Self Purposes Be a Developmental Goal? Chapter 7 Is Purposelessness a Problem? The Problem of Purposelessness? The Nature of Purposelessness Career Questers General Questers Conclusion Part III: Questing in the University Chapter 8 Encountering Purpose in the Classroom Expectations Meaning and Purpose in Their Course Work 1. A Liberal Arts Education in Meaning and Purpose 2. Exposure to Diverse Cultures and Perspectives 3. Vocational Transformation Reasons for Not Encountering Meaning and Purpose in the Classroom Tracking Faculty Influence on Meaning and Purpose Using National Survey Data How Students View Faculty: Digging Deeper Making Sense of It All Chapter 9 Looking for Purpose Outside of Class The Importance of the Co-Curricular Organizational Influences Individual Relational Influences Tracking the Influence of the Co-Curricular in National Survey Data Conclusion Part IV: The Heart, Hope, and Soul of Purpose Chapter 10 Purpose with Soul: The Religious The Difference that Religion Makes The Role of Substantive Religious Beliefs Religion, Purpose, and Theism Finding God’s Plan and Direction Supplies and Motivates Virtues or Resists Vices Provides Identity, a Foundation, and a Story The Contribution of Religious Community and Institution The Interaction between Religion, Purpose Seeking, and College Conclusion Chapter 11 Finding Purpose in a Universe without One: The Nontheists Becoming a Nontheist and the Role of Higher Education The Freedom of the Nonreligious Creating Their Own Story The Burden of No Religious Belief Finding Secular Substitutes for Religious Scripts Conclusion Chapter 12 How Does the Story End? Purpose, the Good Life, and the Future Purpose and Future Life Goals The Balanced The Focused The Good Life and the Life to Come Conclusion Conclusion Dealing with the Difficulties of Diversity in Purpose Education Including All Students: Meaning and Purpose as an Inclusive Approach to Big Questions Including All Universities? The Diversity of Universities Including All Areas of the University Students’ Diverse Experiences with Meaning and Purpose Questing and Finding Curricular and Co-curricular Initiatives—Cultivating Diverse Conversations A Final Note of Humility Appendix A: Methods The Major Qualitative Component: 110 Interviews at Ten Institutions Gallup® Survey: National Quantitative Survey with 2,503 Students Gallup® Qualitative Interviews The National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) College Students’ Beliefs and Values Survey Appendix B: Interview Guide: 110 Students at 10 Campuses A. Introduction B. About the Interviewee C. Family D. Friends E. College Life F. Religious/Spiritual Traditions G. The Future H. Conclusion Gallup® Qualitative Interview Guide Appendix C: Statistical Supplement to Chapters 3 and 10 Notes Bibliography Index