The meaning of time: Mohawk women at midlife.

Midlife has emerged as an important developmental transitional point for both men and women. For women, menopause is synonymous with midlife, and consequently women and health professionals have focused on the losses and problems of this biological event. Few studies to date have placed menopause within the context of other life experiences occurring at this time and in varied cultural groups. Eight Mohawk women, aged 45 to 54 years, were visited in their homes on a weekly or bimonthly basis spanning a 6- to 8-week period. Using a grounded theory approach, the women were encouraged to describe their experiences at this time. The four major issues experienced at midlife related to the concept of time: it is time for me, being where I should be, time for myself, and my time is spent meaningfully. Women fell into two groups. Those "in synchrony" viewed their lives as following expected time pathways. Those "out of synchrony" identified aspects of their lives as problematic. Of the four women who were out of synchrony, three were "action oriented" and the fourth was "stuck."