1. Social Transitions Social Transitions Historically
Common Practices in Social Redefinition
Process
Separation
Transition
Re-incorporation
Rites of Passage
Changes in Clarity & Continuity
Contemporary Adolescence

2. Socialization is… Socialization Outcomes
The process by which people acquire the behaviors and beliefs of their culture
Socialization Outcomes
Self-regulation – ability to comply with social norms
Role preparation – for roles in work, gender, institutions such as marriage, parenthood
Cultivation of sources of meaning – “what’s important?” “What’s to be lived for?”

3. Adolescence as a Social Invention
Adolescence defined primarily by being distinct from childhood or adulthood, not by cognitive and biological changes
Inventionists stress that because we perceive adolescence as distinct, it exists as a distinct period of the lifespan
Relative to other cultures and historical periods
Problems experienced during adolescence may be due to society’s definition of adolescence, not cognitive or biological changes
The inventionist view is an entirely different view than that espoused by writers such as G. Stanley Hall, for example, who saw the psychological changes of adolescence as driven by puberty and, as a result, by biological destiny. Page 100
Changes in the broader environment, therefore, can change the very nature of adolescence.

4. Adolescence as a Social Invention
Roots in the Industrial Revolution
Young people excluded from labor force
Economic dependence on elders
Formal schooling is lengthened
New Terminology
Teenager
Youth
Emerging adulthood
Food for Thought: What are your predictions for how adolescence will change in the twenty-first century? Page 102.

5. Emerging Adulthood
Arnett’s (1998) term for ages caught between adolescence and adulthood, characterized by:
Exploring possible identities before making enduring choices
Unstable work, romantic relationships, and living situations
Focus on oneself and independent functioning
Subjective feeling of being caught between adolescence and adulthood
Subjective feeling that life holds many possibilities

6. Social Redefinition A time of change in social roles and status
How society defines adolescence
Contemporary society vs. traditional cultures
Implications for development
Identity, autonomy, responsibility, intimacy, sexuality, achievement

7. Social Redefinition and Psychosocial Development
Identity
Attainment of adult status causes adolescent to feel more adult-like
Autonomy
Adult status leads to shifts in responsibility, independence, and freedom
Intimacy, dating and marriage
Need for new decisions about sexual activity
Achievement
Becoming a full-time employee; leave school of their own volition

8. The Process of Social Redefinition
Contemporary America: Movement through a series of status transitions with a cohort over a period of years
Driving, purchasing alcohol, etc.
Generally begins at age 15 or 16
Permission to drive, work, leave school
Voting, age 18
Purchasing alcoholic beverages, age 21
Timetable is affected by economics, politics, and culture

9. The Process…
Three themes:
Separation
Transition
Reincorporation

10. The Process… Separation
Extrusion: Real or symbolic separation from parents

11. Social Redefinition: Three Major Components
Transition
Separation of males and females
Brother-sister avoidance
Passing on of cultural, historical, and practical information
from the adult generation to the newly inducted cohort of young people
Food for Thought: Social redefinition in contemporary society is often so familiar that we overlook it. Can you think of examples of social definition practices within your own community that parallel practices in more traditional cultures? Page 108
Example: Scarification is the intentional creation of scars on some part of the body that is often done as a part of an initiation ceremony. That might seem odd to us. But we do begin to pierce more parts of our bodies at adolescence, scrape hair from legs and faces, put permanent decorations on skin in the form of tattoos and so on! Page 108
Example: Brother-sister avoidance - Brothers and sisters seek privacy changing and dressing once they reach puberty.

12. The Process of Social Redefinition
Some societies mark social redefinition of the young person with a dramatic and elaborate initiation ceremony called a rite of passage
This often marks the beginning of a long period of training
Page 106 shows a picture of a formal initiation ceremony in a nonindustrialized society.
Contemporary ceremonies:
i.e. debutante balls or the quinceañera, or Bar or Bas Mitzvah for Jewish children at age 13.
Page 107

13. Social Redefinition: Rites of Passage
Cushion emotional disruption
Anchoring
Provides a sense of belonging to both individual and society
Inform
Individual and society
Attempt to provide clarity
Food for Thought: Social redefinition in contemporary society is often so familiar that we overlook it. Can you think of examples of social definition practices within your own community that parallel practices in more traditional cultures? Page 108
Example: Scarification is the intentional creation of scars on some part of the body that is often done as a part of an initiation ceremony. That might seem odd to us. But we do begin to pierce more parts of our bodies at adolescence, scrape hair from legs and faces, put permanent decorations on skin in the form of tattoos and so on! Page 108
Example: Brother-sister avoidance - Brothers and sisters seek privacy changing and dressing once they reach puberty.

14. Social Redefinition Reciprocity Change in status
Privileges and rights in exchange for good conduct
Change in status
Interpersonal
Political
Economic
Legal

15. Changes in Status Two-sided alteration in status
Given privileges/rights reserved for society’s adults
Increased expectations for
self-management
personal responsibility
social participation
Increased expectations for self-management, personal responsibility, and social participation, i.e. taking care of and setting a good example for the younger members of the family. These would be examples that would be responsibilities of interpersonal status.

16. Four Major Changes in Status
Interpersonal
Political
Economic
Legal
Increased expectations for self-management, personal responsibility, and social participation, i.e. taking care of and setting a good example for the younger members of the family. These would be examples that would be responsibilities of interpersonal status.

17. Changes in Interpersonal Status
Addressed with adult titles
Maintain new types of social relationships with
Parents and elders
Younger individuals whose status has not yet changed
New interpersonal obligations
Taking care of and setting example for younger members of family

18. Changes in Political Status
More extensive participation in the community’s decision making
Voting (U.S. citizens)
Ceremonial life (Navajo people - formal initiation ceremony)
Expected to serve their communities in emergency and train for warfare
Page 103

19. Changes in Economic Status
May own property and maintain control over their income
Until age 16, belongs to parents
Until 18, cannot enter into legal contract like a car lease
Age is a prerequisite for employment in certain occupations
Child labor laws in the United States
Expected to pay taxes

20. Changes in Legal Status
Ability to participate in activities typically reserved for adults
Gambling
Purchasing alcohol, smoking
Driving, voting
Expected to take increased responsibility for self-management and social participation
Even certain crimes, when committed by a minor, are adjudicated in a separate juvenile justice system, which operates under different rules and principles from the criminal justice system that applies to adults. Page 103
Status offense – a behavior that is a problem because of the person’s juvenile status, such as leaving home without telling others. Page 103
In general, legal decisions have tended to restrict the behavior of adolescents when the behavior in question is viewed as potentially damaging to the young person (buying cigarettes, for example) but have supported adolescent autonomy when the behavior is viewed as having potential benefit (using contraceptives). Page 105
Food for Thought: At what age do you think we should draw the line between legal adolescence and legal adulthood? Should this age be the same for all decisions, or should different decisions have different age boundaries? Page 105

21. Types of transitions I
Clarity – explicit markers of beginning and end of adolescence
Traditional cultures – ceremonies, initiations
Contemporary culture
Less of an emphasis on attainment of roles
Arnett (1998) – what defines adulthood?
Accept responsibility for consequences of actions
Financially independent

22. Social Transitions: The Importance of Clarity
Lewin’s “Marginal man”
caught between two cultural systems and feel alienated by one or both .
threats to identity may lead to higher levels of deviance, excessive anxiety and psychiatric instability
Contemporary trends in status according to Arnett:
Less emphasis on attaining a specific role and more emphasis on self-reliance
Decline in importance of family roles
Similar criteria for males and females, fewer gender-typed role expectations
Kurt Lewin: marginal man
The term was introduced in 1948 to describe the transitional period of adolescence – not a child and not an adult.

23. Social Transitions: Clarity in Industrialized Societies
Given the absence of clarity
People of the same chronological age may feel more mature or less mature than age-mates
No clear indication of when adult responsibilities and privileges begin
How adolescents view themselves today
Less emphasis on attainment of specific roles
Less emphasis on importance of family roles
Fewer gender role differences

24. Social Transitions: Clarity in Traditional Cultures
Social redefinition is clearly recognized
Formal initiation ceremony
Boys: timing of ceremony varies
Girls: timing usually linked to menarche
Physical appearance is often changed (clothing, circumcision)
Adults clearly differentiated from children

25. Social Transitions: Clarity in Previous Eras
Baby boom generation (1950s-1960s)
Finishing school, moving out, getting married all occurred early and within narrow timeframe
Transition in the early 19th century was more disorderly and prolonged (like today)
School – viewed as children
Work – viewed as adults
Timetable depended on household/family needs
U.S. transition to adulthood in the early 19th century was more disorderly. Page 112
A century ago, the passage into adulthood may have been more prolonged than today. Figure 3.4 on page 113.

26. Types of transitions II
Continuity – smoothness of passage into adulthood
Continuous
Gradual transitions, in which the adolescent assumes the roles and status of adulthood bit by bit
Assume new roles a bit at a time with lots of preparation and training
Discontinuous
Sudden transitions, in which the adolescent’s entrance into adulthood is more abrupt, with little or no training
Thrust into new roles with little preparation

27. Continuity and Discontinuity
Modern society is very discontinuous
Little preparation for roles of worker, parent, citizen
Call to improve “school-to-work transition”
Youth apprenticeship model
Options for non-college-bound high school students
Make transition more like traditional cultures & previous eras
With regard to the roles of worker, parent, and citizen, we find that adolescents in contemporary society receive little preparation.
Food for Thought: In light of the nature of adult roles in contemporary society is it really possible to make the transition more continuous than it currently is? Page 119

28. Discontinuity
Socializing of adolescents for adult roles (worker, parent) – adequate?
Contributes to psychological and behavioral problems
Benedict – creates stress
Abrupt transitions
Teenage parents
School drop-outs
Moving out of family home

29. The Transition into Adulthood in Contemporary Society
Two trends are reshaping the transition
The transition period is getting longer Puberty occurs earlier and schooling lasts longer.
Success in the labor force is more dependent on formal schooling

30. Contemporary Transitions
In all societies:
Adolescence is a period of social transition
The individual comes to be recognized as an adult
The social transition is less explicit in contemporary U.S. society than in traditional cultures
The social transition is less explicit in contemporary U.S. society than in traditional cultures, but this doesn’t mean that the passage is any less significant. Page 98
Osgood, Ruth, Eccles, Jacobs, & Barber (2005)

32. The Transition into Adulthood in Contemporary Society
Adolescents are living at home longer than ever before
55% U.S. 20- to 22-year-olds
May be a result of increased costs of housing and transportation