1. 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

2. 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.

3. Case Study: The Opt-Out Revolution
In Japan, you have a growing number of Hikikomori, these are people, mainly men, who haven’t participated in society, or shown a desire to do so, for at least a year. They instead rely on their parents to take care of them. “The longer the hikikomori remain apart from society, the more aware they become of their social failure, they lose whatever self-esteem and confidence they had, and the prospect of leaving home becomes ever more terrifying. Locking themselves in their room makes them feel ‘safe’.”

5. 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.

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

7. 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

9. 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
Mentor – fosters a person’s development by believing in them and helping them achieve their dreams
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.

11. 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

13. Section 2 at a Glance The World of Work
American workers often spend nearly 50 years in the labor force, making the world of work one of the most important components of adult life.
The composition of the labor force and the nature of work has changed greatly over the last 100 years.
According to opinion polls and social science research, most Americans report being satisfied with their jobs.

14. How far would you be willing to go for your dream job?

15. The Labor Force Work Labor Force
Work involves performing all of the tasks necessary to produce goods and provide services that meet human needs.
The basis for the economy
Typical individual will spend about 50 years in the labor force
Labor Force
All individuals age 16 and older who are employed in paid positions or who are seeking paid employment.
People who are not paid for their labor are part of the informal economy.
In 2007, 66 percent of U.S. population over age 16 was in the labor force.

16. Composition of Labor Force
Recent decades have seen increase in number of working women
Women hold just over half of professional jobs—high-status occupations that require specialized skills and knowledge obtained through formal education
Fastest growing minority group, Hispanics, are increasing in labor force, too
Occupations

17. Unemployment
Unemployment occurs when a person does not have a job but is actively seeking employment
Unemployment rate is the percentage of the civilian labor force that is unemployed but actively seeking employment
Unemployment rate varies across social groups
Five percent unemployment considered acceptable in the United States
Rate as of January 2019 is 4%. Rate in October 2009 was 10.2% after the financial crisis

18. The Changing Nature of Work
35 percent worked in agriculture
45 percent worked in manufacturing
20 percent worked in professions, management, office work, and sales
In 1950:
Manufacturing dominated
Today:
13 percent work in agriculture and manufacturing
76 percent work in professions, management, office work, and sales
Globalization
New technology has changed the economy.
Many manufacturing jobs have been outsourced, or sent to countries where labor is less expensive.

20. Job Satisfaction Opinion polls Factors for satisfaction
42 percent said they were “very satisfied” with their jobs.
38 percent said they were “somewhat satisfied.”
2018 research I found shows around 51% job satisfaction.
Factors for satisfaction
Interesting nature of their work
Salary
Working hours
Workplace safety
Relations with co-workers
Factors for dissatisfaction
On-the-job stress
Retirement and insurance benefits
Salary
Recognition
Chances for promotion
Job and career changes
Changing jobs and/or careers is a well-established pattern in the United States
Average worker changes companies nine times, careers five to six times

21. 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.

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

23. 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

25. 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.
One study of Shell Oil workers found workers who retire at age 55 are 89% more likely to die during the 10 years after retirement than workers who retire at 65.
Another study showed that the risk of becoming clinically depressed rises by 40% after retirement.
One theory is that the sudden stop to a lifetime of work leads to physical and psychological factors that could make one more likely to get sick.

26. Adjustment to Retirement
Often after retirement, people go through stages of depression, boredom, they get far less active (which often leads to health problems), or they feel a loss of purpose or drive.
Sportswriter Frank DeFord – died the same month he retired.
Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz – died hours before his final comic strip was published.
College football coach Paul William “Bear” Bryant – died 37 days after coaching his last game.
Retirement seems to hit men much harder than women.

27. 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.

28. Click on the image to play the Interactive.

29. 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

30. 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. –