Coming of Age in the 21st Century

1. Coming of Age in the 21st Century Individuals and Families: Diverse Perspectives Unit 2: Chapter 3

2. At what age would you… • Consider yourself an adult? • Expect to be living independently? • Start your career? • Get married? • Start a career?

3. Early Adulthood When does adulthood begin? • By law in Canada, adulthood begins at age 18 • Definitions of adulthood vary in various societies and cultures • Traditionally, adulthood occurred when young people separate from their parents to form an independent household • There have been changes in educational and employment conditions to affect the financial stability of young adults

4. Later Transitions • The transition from childhood to adulthood is occurring later for young men and women • “Failure to launch” was a common term used to describe this phenomenon • Barbara Mitchell (2006) calls the generation that moves in and out of their parent’s home the boomerang age • Because many adult roles depend on one’s ability to be financially independent, youth cannot accept these roles because they often require a stable income

5. Later Transitions What theories do you think could explain this phenomenon?

6. Explaining the Need for Later Transitions

7. Challenges in Early Adulthood Coping with challenges of early adulthood depends on various factors. Some challenges young adults face: • leaving home • forming new relationships • finishing post-secondary education • finding full-time employment

8. Challenges Are you expecting changes in friendships as you transition through the stages of your life? What type of job do you expect to find when your schooling is over?

9. Leaving Home Young adults are currently leaving home later than their parents expected for a variety of reasons: • enjoy the security of home • may be responsible for taking care of a parent • may have established a good adult relationship with parents • shortage of affordable housing • still in school • higher income parents can give a better life

10. Leaving Home What might be some reasons that would keep you from moving out of your parents home?

11. Leaving Home Different types of conflict in the home may lead young adults to leave earlier: • parents may demand too much from them • parental conflict • divorce, especially if parents remarry • lower income parents

12. Leaving Home Getting married was, and may continue to be, the most common reason to leave home. Women have always left home at an earlier age than men, possibly due to the fact that they marry older men.

13. Leaving Home To leave home and successfully transition into adulthood depends on getting a steady income. And most people achieve this by working. For many, working a full-time job is preceded by some form of post-secondary education or training/apprenticeship.

14. Education • Education was seen as a crucial factor for future success by the late 1900s • Children and youth were encouraged to stay and complete high school and attend post-secondary education • The expectation was that education would move youth ahead of their parents financially because they would be getting better paying jobs

15. Education What expectations do your parents have about your post-secondary education? Do they correlate with your own?

16. Education • A 2006 study showed that “a highly skilled and educated workforce is the single most important thing Canada needs to ensure its economic future”

17. Working • Youth wages are low and this encourages them to stay in school

18. Unsuccessful Transition Problems like homelessness can occur when the transition to adulthood isn’t successfully managed These problems reflect a young adult’s inability to cope with transitions and/or the lack of social supports available in Canadian society

19. Unsuccessful Transitions What conditions might arise that would result in an unsuccessful transition? At what point could homelessness become a threat?