Chapter 6: The Adult in Society Case Study: The Opt-Out Revolution Section 1: Early and Middle Adulthood Section 2: The World of Work Section 3: The Later Years Simulation: Applying What You’ve Learned

Case Study: The Opt-Out Revolution New York Times journalist Lisa Belkin discussed the phenomenon of high-achieving women who left the workplace in order to be stay-at-home moms. Although the research was informal and based on a population not representative of all women, her article showed an intriguing trend. Many women are choosing to spend their days raising their children instead of pursuing career goals. In addition to the pull of family, one sociologist found that mixed messages from husbands and employers often push women from the workplace.

Section 1 at a Glance Early and Middle Adulthood In American society, adult stages of development are experienced differently by men and women. Every adult has a life structure that is characterized by a combination of statuses, roles, activities, goals, values, beliefs, and life circumstances. Daniel Levinson developed a theory of adult male development based on three main eras: early, middle, and late adulthood. The stages of adult female development are heavily influenced by marriage, work, family, and raising children.

Early and Middle Adulthood Main Idea Men and women progress through adult development in different ways. Reading Focus What are the main eras in Daniel Levinson’s theory of adult male development? How does adult female development differ from adult male development?

What if being an adult doesn't answer all of life's questions?

Adult Male Development Life Structure The combination of statuses, roles, activities, goals, values, beliefs, and life circumstances that characterize an individual Life structures show common patterns across many social groups Includes early, middle, and late adulthood Early Adulthood Ages 17 through 22 Going to college or getting a job Transition into the adult world Expected to explore opportunities as well as make commitments The Age 30 Transition Ages 28 through 32 Crucial because lives often change direction here Ends the novice phase, when men prepare to enter full adulthood

The Midlife Transition Settling Down Ages 33 through 39 Major task is achieving success Try to establish themselves in society, usually through occupational advancement Commit to things that are important to them Separation from mentors in order to define own identity The Midlife Transition Ages 40 through 44 A bridge between early and middle adulthood Questioning of life structures Major goal is to escape the pressure of unattainable dreams from youth Becoming a mentor can lessen the stress associated with this stage The degree of difficulty that an individual experiences in a period depends on his success in mastering the previous period.

How are the age 30 transition and the midlife transition similar? Reading Check Compare How are the age 30 transition and the midlife transition similar? Answer: Individuals question their life structures during both transitions.

Adult Female Development Similarities with Men Levinson: Go through basically the same stages of adult development, but great difference in social roles and identities Frieze and Sales: Three phases specific to women Leaving the Family Physical and psychological break from family Developing a life plan May value marriage over work Entering the Adult World Most become mothers in their 20s Dual roles of motherhood and career cause added strain A break in employment for childbearing can limit career Re-entering the World of Work Occurs when children reach school age Commitment to career at same time husband is doubting his career

Reading Check Find the Main Idea What factors make adult female development different from adult male development? Answer: Women differ from men in their social roles and identities and deal differently with the developmental tasks associated with each stage of adult development.

Section 3 at a Glance The Later Years Social development continues throughout adulthood and well into the final stages of life. People age 65 and older make up the fastest growing segment of the world’s population. Older Americans face many challenges, including physical and mental decline, dependency, and death. For many aging Americans, retirement opens up a new world full of freedom and new opportunities for growth and change.

The Later Years Main Idea Reading Focus Americans entering the later years, or old age, face a new set of life transitions, challenges, and opportunities. Reading Focus What changes characterize late adulthood? What new opportunities do older Americans enjoy?

Why are seventy-somethings braving frostbite and altitude sickness to conquer Earth's highest peak?

Changes in Late Adulthood Statistics Age 65 and older: 11 percent of U.S. population in 1980; over 12 percent in 2000; projected to be 20 percent by 2030 Gerontology is the scientific study of aging. Social gerontology is the study of the nonphysical aspects of aging. Young-old Ages 65 through 74 Middle-old Ages 75 through 84 Old-old Ages 85 and older

Adjustment to Retirement Retirement involves loss of role and status associated with a particular job as well as with being a working adult. Some are greatly bothered by this loss; others rank it as low stress. Factors such as income, health, social networks, and identity affect a person’s adjustment to retirement. Loss of independence can have negative consequences.

Physical and Mental Functioning Aging involves the weakening and slowing of body processes. Intellectual ability declines very little. Alzheimer’s disease is a leading form of dementia. Dealing with Dependency and Death Dependency is the shift from being an independent adult to being dependent on others for physical or financial assistance. Most elderly people fear dependency, and it is known to cause stress in parent-child relationships.

Click on the image to play the Interactive.

How does dependency change an older person’s life? Reading Check Cause and Effect How does dependency change an older person’s life? Answer: It changes an individual’s status in society, requiring the individual to assume new roles and behavior, and it often reverses the parent-child relationship

New Opportunities Retirement is often accompanied by a feeling of freedom. Free time to try new things, travel, attend college, pursue activities such as crafts, golf, or gardening, or become politically active Begin second or volunteer career Individuals who have planned for retirement have a better position to take advantage of the opportunities in this period of life. Financial planning Broadening one’s interests Developing hobbies Taking care of one’s health

Draw Conclusions Reading Check What social factors contribute to the ability of older Americans to volunteer in their community? Answer: an appreciation by others of the skills and experience possessed by older Americans, established programs such as the Foster Grandparent program that recruit older adults for volunteer positions

Current Research in Sociology Challenging Stereotypes about the Aging According to popular wisdom, as people grow older, they grow more rigid in their habits and more conservative in their social and political thinking. But is this true? Stereotypes about older people becoming more conservative have been proven inaccurate by studies. In fact, older people grow more liberal on many subjects. One possible explanation is that as society has become less conservative about topics such as race relations or premarital sex, the difference is more noticeable in older respondents. Results show that people’s attitudes grow and change throughout their lives. –

Thinking Critically Why do you think stereotypes of aging Americans as conservative persist? Do you think it is possible to use people’s age to predict their attitudes on topics? Explain.

Simulation: Applying What You’ve Learned Trading Places: Becoming Your Parent’s Parent How would you cope with becoming your parent’s caregiver? In this lab you will review the stages of adulthood. Work in small groups to describe the symptoms of an aging person. Role-play the roles of aging parent and adult children. 1. Introduction Select at least two changes that would lead to an adult parent becoming dependent. Describe the changes that an adult child would encounter in caring for his or her dependent parent. 2. Writing the Case Study –

Simulation (cont.) 3. Reversing Roles 4. The Simulation Work with your groups to brainstorm what life would be like when the parent and child roles reverse. Identify why specific decisions might be a source of conflict. 4. The Simulation Review with your group the case study you wrote. Write a short script that focuses on a conflict that arises between an aging parent and an adult child. Perform the script for the class.

Simulation (cont.) 5. Discussion What did you learn from this simulation? As a group, discuss the following: How successful were the simulations in illustrating the challenges faced by families? Which role would you rather be in? How are the reversed roles similar to the relationship of a parent and child? Do you think a third party would be helpful or not?