"This book combines a richly detailed theoretical map with a finely tuned compass providing guidance for practice. It provides professionals and students with a set of tools for the demanding work of helping children, adolescents and adults who are facing and undergoing major changes in their lives." - Michael Seltzer, Oslo Metropolitan University

★ A brand-new work by Jan Storø—a distinguished Norwegian scholar, practitioner, and Professor Emeritus of Social Pedagogy at Oslo Metropolitan University. Drawing on decades of rigorous empirical research and frontline experience in social pedagogy and social work, Storø offers a precise "map of life." This guide helps readers navigate uncertainty by revealing the underlying social patterns and internal logic behind every major life transition, empowering them to regain a sense of control.
★ By bridging sociological and psychological theories with the realities of everyday life, this book serves as a cutting-edge guide—grounded in both scholarship and practice—for understanding the turning points in the human life cycle. It equips readers to approach life’s transitions with greater confidence, clarity, and prudence. Covering key milestones—from childhood through adolescence, the transition from school to the workforce, marriage and parenthood, to retirement and the final stages of life—the book provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and critical framework for understanding how humans experience change, offering a compassionate, "life-course" perspective to us all.
★ The book offers profound insights into how social support systems, community networks, and professional social workers can provide targeted intervention during an individual’s "difficult transition periods." It helps people build resilience and successfully navigate the reconstruction of their identity. Furthermore, it serves as an invaluable resource for the ongoing professionalization of social work and the development of community-based psychological services.

We all go through transitions in life: some are small and seemingly mundane, while others are big and more obviously life-changing. In everyday life, we talk about transitions without thinking too much about the term.
Offering a clear, concept-led framework, this book provides a fresh way of understanding change across the lifespan. It unpacks the processes, markers and social conditions that define transitions, drawing together theories of change to reveal how we can better support people before, during and after major life shifts. By examining three core transitions – from preschool to school, from youth to adulthood and from worker to pensioner – this book demonstrates how a focused conceptual approach can strengthen practice across diverse settings.
Essential reading for researchers and practitioners in social work, health and social care, education and related professions, Transitions will enable readers to recognise, interpret and respond to life changes with greater confidence, clarity and care.

Jan Storø
Jan Storø is a Professor Emeritus of Social Pedagogy at Oslo Metropolitan University. He is a distinguished Norwegian scholar and practitioner with an international reputation in the fields of social pedagogy, child welfare, and life transitions.
Between 1975 and 1999, he spent 24 years working on the front lines of the Norwegian child welfare system, frequently serving as the director of residential care facilities—an experience that provided him with deep, practical insight. He also led "The Norwegian Leaving Care Project" (1999–2002), which focused on researching and supporting vulnerable young people as they navigated the challenging transition from institutional care to adulthood.
He has published over 30 academic papers and authored 10 books, including *Practical Social Pedagogy*. International peers have described his writing style as "highly readable and conversational, with a unique ability to seamlessly bridge complex theory and frontline practice."
Beyond his academic work, Storø is a film critic; he serves as a senior film reviewer for *Khrono*, a prominent Norwegian higher education media outlet, and is noted for his exceptionally keen humanistic insight.

1. Introduction
2. Three Life Transitions – and Other Transitions
3. Transition Theories
4. Theories on Change
5. The Anatomy of Transition: Change, Process and Time
6. Events and Milestones in the Transition
7. Support Work in Transitions
8. Concluding Remarks