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Constructing Adulthood in Contemporary Societies

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Date Issued:
2016
Summary:
In America and other industrialized countries there has been a delay in attainment of traditional markers of adulthood (i.e. marriage, parenthood, completion of education, and full-time employment). Young people are becoming “adults” much later than previous generations, and their ideas of what it means to be an adult are shifting. Some have claimed that a new period of life called “emerging adulthood” is forming, in which young people feel as if they are not yet full adults (Arnett 1997, 2000, 2004). However, while this period may exist for middle-class youth, it may not reflect the experience of working-class youth (Silva 2013). Based on my data I argue that, while middle- class young adults are more likely to experience a period of emerging adulthood and pursue a fulfilling adult life, working-class youth are more focused on financial stability and are not as likely to experience a period of “emerging adulthood.”
Title: Constructing Adulthood in Contemporary Societies.
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Name(s): Ostroot, Ashley
Branaman, Ann
Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Poster
Date Created: 2016
Date Issued: 2016
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Florida
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 1 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: In America and other industrialized countries there has been a delay in attainment of traditional markers of adulthood (i.e. marriage, parenthood, completion of education, and full-time employment). Young people are becoming “adults” much later than previous generations, and their ideas of what it means to be an adult are shifting. Some have claimed that a new period of life called “emerging adulthood” is forming, in which young people feel as if they are not yet full adults (Arnett 1997, 2000, 2004). However, while this period may exist for middle-class youth, it may not reflect the experience of working-class youth (Silva 2013). Based on my data I argue that, while middle- class young adults are more likely to experience a period of emerging adulthood and pursue a fulfilling adult life, working-class youth are more focused on financial stability and are not as likely to experience a period of “emerging adulthood.”
Identifier: FA00005596 (IID)
Subject(s): College students --Research --United States.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005596
Restrictions on Access: Author retains rights.
Host Institution: FAU