Emerging Adulthood (Unit 9)

Emerging Adulthood

18-25

• devloped: time b/w adolescence + young adulthood

• 20’s used to involve settling into adult responsibilites, marriage, parents

• 1960’s= marry at 21-23 now= 28-30

Social Changes Leading to Emerging Adulthood

technology revolution:

• manufacturing technology changes

• shift from manufactoring to knowledge economy

knowledge economy:

• based on info, tech, services → most new jobs need education beyond hs

• rise in teritary education→ delays marriage/parenthood until ed complete

Social Changes Leading to Emerging Adulthood: Sexual Revolution

• birth control pills

• shift in cultural attitudes around sex → greater acceptance of premarital sex

• young adults can have sexual relationships before marriage → reduce motivation to marry early

Social Changes Leading to Emerging Adulthood: Womens Movement

• 50s/60s: not many jobs for women, not econimically viable to be single

• not often in teritary ed → used to find husband

• social pressure to marry

• now: lots of ed, job options, no longer dependent on marriage for economic survival

• still male dominated fields → women outperforming men in many areas

• drop in social pressure to marry young

Social Changes Leading to Emerging Adulthood: Youth Movement

• 50s: saw adulthood as pos, eager to settle down + assume adult roles

• early marriage, parenthood, lrg families things to avoid now

• changes to career structure, move b/w jobs instead of climbing the ladder

• house prices/student loans

• traditional adult roles seen as loss of freedom, desire to explore before settling

Physical Functioning

• adult height + puberty done

• strength/endurance improve

• peak phys func/sports performance

• low phys illness (immune system best)

• health issues from behaviours

Sleep

• delayed sleep phase syndrome: sleep longer on weekends/holidays than on school/weekdays → poor academic/ job performance, lingering sleepiness

• sleep debt: try to make up for sleep during time off → neg impact on cog/em func

• ↑ depression/anxiety, impede mem/critical thinking/attention

• change in moringness/eveningness (child=m / adolescence=e)

Social Control & Risky Behaviour

• SC: restraints on behaviour imposed by social obligations + relationships

• low SC/parental control → contributes to ↑ risky behaviour

• substance abuse peaks

• risky behaviour combo of propensity + oppurtuinty

• substance abuse/risky behaviours decline in mid-late 20s → more responsibilities/less unstructured socializing

(vehicle injuries highest cause of death at this age)

Emerging Adulthood in Devloped Countries

• longest in individualistic european countries

• collectivistic: more boundaires for identity exploration (obligations to others→ parents)

• parent opinions on work, ed, relationships, etc. weigh more in collectivistic

• US/Europe: financial independence most important criteria for being adult

• East Asian: support parents financially most important

Emerging Adulthood in Devloping Countries

• globalization of world economy creating shifts

• more people gaining teritary ed, marry later in urban middle class

• urban: has emerging → marry later, more ed, more job options

• rural: adolescense directly to young adulthood → marry young, less ed, few job options

Eriksons Model of Psychosocial Devlopment

• argued key areas forming identity= love, work, ideology (beliefs/values)

• identity vs. identity confusion (identity exploration → clear sense of identity or role in larger society)

• identity devlopment continues into adolescence

built by:

1. asses own abilities/interests

2. reflect on identifications during childhood (identify w loved ones + create identity by integrating those traits)

3. asses oppurtuinites avaliable in society (ex. gender/cultural norms)

Marcias Identity Status Model

= classify identity formation based on eriksons model, has 4 categories:

• diffusion: 1st, not exploring identity options/choices, not making lasting commitments to roles/responsibilites (exploration/commitment= x)

• moratorium: try personal occupational/ideological possibilities, dont commit (E=✓, C=x)

• foreclosure: commit to roles/responsibilities wo prior exploration, strong parental influence on identity, viewed as harmful (E=x, C=✓)

• achievement: commit to r/r after time of exploration, ideal outcome (E/C=✓)

Criticisms of Marcia

• based on white/western/middle class adolescents

• assumes independent sense of self + considerable freedom in deciding options in life

• males have more options in traditional cultures

• ideological exploration more recent → limited to western cultures (before: expected to adopt beliefs of their parents/cultures wo question)

Resilience & Protective Factors

R:

• overcome adverse environment circumstances + achieve healthy devlopment despite circumstances

• pos outcomes = exceptional achievement/ lack of problems

PF:

• traits of young people related to lowering likelihood of problems despite high risk circumstances (contribute to resilience)

5 Major Protective Factors

1. 1 caring adult

2. high intelligence

3. healthy school enviornment (feel safe/cared about)

4. religious beliefs/practices

5. plantful competence (set realistic goals + have self control to achieve)

Bicultural Identity

= identity w 2 distinct facets (ex. local/global/minority culture)

phinnys model of reacting to challenges of bicultural identity formation

1. assimilation: mainly abandon minority culture + adopt values/life style of majority

2. integration: form dual identities, 1 based on minority other on majority, move b/w based on situation

3. seperation: reject majority culture + limit interaction to other mems of minority culture

4. marginalization: reject both minority/majority culture, dont identify w parental culture + dont feel accepted by majority culture

A/I = higher self esteem

sttrong ethnic identity = better wellbeing, academic performance, lower rates of risky behaviour in minority individuals

Traits of Emerging Adulthood: Identity Exploration

• try options in diff areas of life before making LT decisions

• devlop better understanding of self, abilities, limits, beliefs, fit into broader society

• more in emerging than adolescence

Traits of Emerging Adulthood: Instability

• explore options = many changes in life

• job changes (work in diff fields)

• pursue education (changes in major/minor)

• many relationships

• move often → over half of young adults move back in w parents once

Traits of Emerging Adulthood: Self-Focus & Feeling In-Between

SF:

• devlop sense of self sufficiency

• need before comitting to lasting romantic/work obligations

• knowledge, skills, self understanding → benefit later in life

• independent decision making

F:

• transitional stage

Traits of Emerging Adulthood: Optimisim/Possibilities

• many options

• dreams/goals havent had obstacles/resistance in real life yet

• leave parental home → new opps for self-determination, reinventing self

Self-Esteem

• improves

• more comfortable w appearance

• greater acceptance from parents w less conflict (greater autonomy)

• exert control over social contexts → pick enviornments youre comfortable in

Family

• less conflict w not sharing living space (more control over time spent w parents)

• more cultural emphasis on mutual support in family linked to more emerging adults living at home → tension if not treated like adults

• mixed feelings on moving home

• usually move home once at some point

Love & Sexuality

• em recentering away from parental family to friends/partners

• partner prefrences: sim personality, intelligence, social class, ethnic background, religion, phys attractiveness

• more sim = less conflict (can validate eo’s views/preferences)

• higher divorce in cohabiting couples

• cohabit couples: more accepting of divorce, less religious

6 Basic Skills for Jobs with no Tertiary Education

1. read at 9th grade level/higher

2. math at 9th grade level/higher

3. solving semistructured problems

4. communicate orally/written

5. use computers for word processing/other tasks

6. collaborate in diverse groups

4 Categories of Religious Belief

(least to most religious)

• agnostics/atheists: dont believe/believe its impossible to know if theres a god (40%)

• theists: believe something out there, dk what to believe

• liberal believers: take what they want, ignore rest

• conservative believers: traditional/conservative faith