1. MONDAYS AND WED 2-3:15 PSYCHOLOGY 445: THE TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD PROF. JEAN RHODES JEAN.RHODES@UMB.EDU

2. TRADITIONAL MARKERS OF ADULTHOOD Leaving home Completing School Entering the Workforce Getting Married Having Children

3. THREE IMPORTANT FINDINGS Becoming adult has become more gradual and varied Families are often overburdened in extending support Mismatch between young people and existing institutional supports

4. WHAT’S NEEDED Strengthen capacities of young people Improve the institutions in which they move

5. BECOMING AN ADULT: A BRIEF HISTORY During the first few decades of the 1900’s “adolescence” was brief By late teens, only a small fraction still in school, most men began work A lot stayed at home and marriage and childbearing did not happen immediately Jobs bound to farming Post WWII exception Marriage and childbearing right after school High paying jobs were plentiful, incomes grew quickly By late 50’s adulthood was defined in terms of marriage and children

6. HISTORY CONT We are more like early 1900’s! Becoming an adult was more gradual But important differences 95% consider the most important markers to be Completing school Establishing an independent household Being employed full-time BUT only about half consider it necessary to be married and have kids—considered life choices

7. DEFINITIONS DIFFER BY SOCIAL CLASS: IMPORTANT NEW REALITIES Becoming adult ususaly means living on your own for a while Necessity of higher education It takes longer to secure income that could support a family Marriage and family come significantly later Options differ depending on racial/income characteristics More young people of color/immigrants

8. LIVING WITH PARENTS

9. GOLDEN AGE WAS THE EXCEPTION

10. COLLEGE FOR ALL? 10% drop out of high school (5% white, 10% black, 22% Latino) Only ¼ of adults between 25-35 have a B.A. (27% white, 15% black, 9% Hispanic) (only 5% graduate degrees) Only 40% who enter 4 year colleges have a degree six years later (60% if parents have BA, 10% if not) More than half of black young men are: Not in school, military, or workforce!

11. HARDER TO GET AHEAD Globalization International markets New technologies Wages and pensions have decreased Increased need for college degree

12. DELAYING “I DO” Acquiring education and job skills takes longer Median age 1960’s 22, now 28 By 34, 70% married Advances in contraception Views on acceptability of living together Nearly 40% of children born to unwed mothers

13. MARRIAGE RATES

14. SINGLE PARENTHOOD

15. STARK INEQUALITIES Skills, resources, and opportunities vary by social class Children in top quarter receive 70% more $$ Recession has amplified problem Most support to more fragile families ends by 18 th birthday Underscores importance of investing in institutions International perspective

16. INSTITUTIONS Community colleges Service learning programs The military

17. THERE ARE SOME BENEFITS… Less rigid More opportunities for women Arnett