Glen H. Elder, Jr., Odum Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a prominent figure in the development of life course theory, methods, and research. He studies individuals and groups of people with in-depth interviews and other measurements across different times in their life span with the objective of investigating how changing environments have influenced them.

The slides below depict Elder’s early and young adult life shown in historical context.

. For the next phase of Elder’s career and the launching of ‘life course studies,’
. click here.