Evolution of adulthood and life transformations 2300-AE-AD-E

1. Change as an Indispensable Element of Life and Development. From Heraclitus’ ancient concept of universal flux to Zygmunt Bauman’s contemporary theory of liquid modernity.
2. The staged nature of change. Theories of life stages. Stages of adulthood.
3. Rites of passage as socio-cultural rituals of change.
4. Stereotypes, beliefs and change.
5. Limit experiences. Karl Jaspers' limit situations. Deconstruction vs. positive disintegration by Kazimierz Dąbrowski.
6. The Gauguin syndrome. A great life change.
7. Philosophy of little changes. Kaizen, PDCA, Deming Cycle (PDSA), Ripple Effect. How small, systemic modifications to daily habits can trigger massive, long-lasting, and widespread transformations across both personal and professional spheres.

Course coordinators

Małgorzata Przanowska

Prerequisites (description)

The course operates on the fundamental assumption that change is not a disruptive, isolated event, but a continuous, inescapable, and vital element of human existence and growth. By the end of this course, participants will be able to: • Embrace change as a constant: view change not as a disruptive crisis, but as an inevitable, and necessary catalyst for personal and professional evolution. • Reframe crises into opportunities: learn to look at intense life difficulties and transitions as structural opportunities to deconstruct old habits and rebuild a stronger version of themselves. • Overcoming cognitive barriers: Identify, isolate, and deconstruct deeply ingrained stereotypes and limiting beliefs that block or distort the readiness to accept change. • Navigating adulthood transitions: strategically map out current life stages and apply structural tools to smoothly navigate the unique challenges of adulthood phases. • Value both radical and incremental growth: Understand when to apply radical life-altering pivots (Gauguin syndrome) versus when to rely on steady, systematic micro-steps to achieve massive, long-term transformation. • Implementing systematic habit optimization: Apply the PDCA/PDSA cycle and Kaizen techniques to design, execute, and monitor minor daily behavioral changes that drive widespread transformation

Learning outcomes

Knowledge: the graduate knows and understands in a deep degree
K_W07: the dynamics of adult life stages, crisis and developmental situations, as well as knowledge in the field of career and personal life planning strategies, stress management, change management, and lifelong learning.
Skills: the graduate is able to
K_U06: shape the processes of learning, support the development of adults, and impact society through self-educational and developmental activities
K_U07 take care of one's lifelong development, respond to critical moments in one's own career and personal life, and utilize knowledge in stress management, self-care, and resilience.
Social competences: the graduate is ready to
K_K05 deepen and update knowledge and skills in the field of pedagogy (educational studies), especially adult education, for the responsible improvement of one's own educational practice related to adult education. This includes consciously continuing and designing personal development.

Assessment criteria

Development of a life cycle analysis and forecast, taking into account life phases and life changes.

Bibliography

M. ( 2009, August). The Politics of Intention: Looking for a Theatre of Little Changes. Research in Drama Education, Vol.14, Issue 3 .
Bauman Z. (2025) Liquid Life, Polity Press.
Campbell J. (2008) The Hero with a Thousand Faces, New World Library.
Kaizen Institute, Embracing Personal Kaizen: How continuous improvement can transform your life, https://kaizen.com/insights/personal-kaizen-transform-life/
Oleś, P.K. (2019). The Paul Gauguin Syndrome: A Great Life Change. In: Lebuda, I., Glăveanu, V.P. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Social Creativity Research. Palgrave Studies in Creativity and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95498-1_20
Ronald D. Moen and Clifford L. Norman, Clearing up myths about the Deming cycle and seeing how it keeps evolving, https://deming.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/circling-back.pdf
Super, D. E. (1990). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. In D. Brown, L. Brooks, & Associates (Eds.), Career choice and development: Applying contemporary theories to practice (2nd ed., pp. 197–261). Jossey-Bass.