Sociology: Chapter 6 Sec 1 “The Adult in Society” “Early and Middle Adulthood”

Adult Male Development Daniel Levinson -Research: 40 Men; Age 35-45 -Participants chosen from a wide socioeconomic status -Tried to determine Life Structure Life Structure: combination of statuses, roles, activities, goals, values, beliefs, and life circumstances that characterize the individual

Three Eras of Adulthood 1. Early, Middle, Late Adulthood *Broken into five distinct periods 1. Early adult transition 2. Entering the Adult World 3. The age 30 Transition 4. The settling down period 5. The midlife transition

Early Adult Transition Age 17-22 Bridge between adolescence and adulthood Most important task is leaving home physically and mentally Entering the Adult World: Age 23-27 -Must form stable life structure -Must explore variety of relationships and career opportunity

The Age 30 Transition Age 28-32 -Look back at choices made to this point -Divorces are common during this period -Often characterized by SHIFT in direction Novice Phase: First three periods of early adulthood

Adult Female Development Levinson said that his findings applied to women, too Irene Frieze and Esther Sales disagreed Came up with a three phase system for females Phase I: Leaving the Family Emphasis less on career and more on marriage

Adult Female Development Phase II: Entering the Adult World Avg. Marriage age: Men 27.1 Women 25.3 Job options become limited as women tend to remain out of the labor force while children are young Phase III: Entering the adult world again After children grow up and leave, women begin to re-enter the job world by pursuing careers

Sociology: Chapter 6 Sec 2 “The World of Work”

The Labor Force 1. Labor Force: consists of all individuals, 16 or over, who are employed in paid positions or are actively seeking employment -Composition: 2010: Women will make up 58% of labor force 2. Profession: High status occupation that requires specialized skills obtained through formal education 3. Unemployment: Person that does not have a job but is actively seeking one 4. Unemployment Rate: % of civilian workforce that is Unemployed… see occupations p. 158

Sociology; Chapter 6 Sec 3 “The Later Years”

Gerontology 1. Gerontology: scientific study of the processes and phenomena of aging 2. Social Gerontology: Study of nonphysical aspects of the aging process 3. Young-Old: age 65-74 4. Middle-Old: age 75-84 5. Old-Old: ages 85 older 6. Alzheimer’s Disease: organic condition that results in the progressive deterioration of the brain cells (last 8-10 years until death) 7. Dependency: Shift from being an independent adult to being one in need of outside help/care

Organizations for Older People Gray Panthers American Association of Retired Persons AARP Lobby groups Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Service Corps. Of Retired Executives Offer time to help small business Euthanasia: Mercy Killing