Emerging Adulthood Bridging Adolescence and the Life Beyond

How Do We Define Adulthood?  Many different criterion for adulthood  Historically – defined by what people do  Marriage has been a key criterion  Holding full-time job, living independent from parents  Today – marked by adjustment issues  Deciding on ones values and beliefs  Accepting self-responsibility  Becoming financially independent  Equal relationship with parents

What is “Emerging Adulthood”?  Bridges adolescence and young adulthood  Extended period for exploration, during which one remains financially dependent  Appears more so in affluent societies  Erikson’s moratorium  Recognized developed nations elongate period of adolescence  Extended search for identity

Figure 16.6 Subjective Conceptions of Adult Status in Response to the Question, Do You Feel That You Have Reached Adulthood?

Legal Factors  Driving  Drinking alcohol  Voting  Marriage  Emancipation  School Drop out  Treated as an “adult within the legal system”

5 Main Features of Emerging Adulthood  Identity exploration (love life; career choice)  Instability (job changes; geographic location changes  Self focus; may have more choices, more resources, free from constraints  Feeling “In-between”; beyond conflicts of adolescence but not ready to assume financial and interpersonal responsibilities assocated with adulthood  Believe it’s the age of possibilities; optimistic bias