What does it feel like to be an adult?

1. What does it feel like to be an adult?

2. When do you feel like an adult? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVwX1AR5wbY

3. Class expercise • To what extent do you feel like an adult most of the time • Not at all like an adult • Somewhat like an adult • Entirely like an adult • Describe an instance in which you feel like an adult

4. When do you feel like an adult

5. Defining Adult experiences: Methods : • Studied a large, diverse sample of young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 (N = 726), including: • both UMass Boston students (n = 517) • young adults who were neither attending nor had graduated from college (n = 209) • Used open-ended questions to solicit incidences in which participants “really felt like an adult,” and coded for the traditional and non-traditional roles and experiences • investigated variation by age and college status to explore how young adults’ subjective experiences of adulthood relate to developmental maturity and context.

6. Subjective Adulthood • Much research in the last decade suggests an “in between,” or “not quite adult” status period for those aged 18-25 (Arnett, 2000).

7. In between status • Researchers have measured experiences that youth feel “must be achieved before a person can be considered an adult” Items on this scale have been organized into five subscales: • individualism (e.g., “accept responsibility for the consequences of your actions”), • family capacities (e.g., “capable of caring for children”), • norm compliance (e.g., “avoid drunk driving”), • legal/chronological transitions (e.g., “reached age 18”), • role transitions (e.g., “have at least one child”). • Arnett consistently has found that young adults emphasize three criteria reflective of individualism: responsibility for one’s self, independent decision making, and financial independence.

8. New way of asking • more open-ended interviews might yield a different breakdown of roles that youth associate with adulthood. • processes are likely to be shaped by individuals’ age and life circumstances. • we asked participants to describe a specific event in which they felt like an adult--a different lens into subjective experiences of adulthood.

9. Cultural Psychology of Emerging Adulthood • Belief systems that underlie cultural patterns of thought and behavior—The Ethic of Autonomy • Independence and self-sufficiency should be obtained before entering adult commitments • Romantic love the basis for marriage-soul mate, 60% arranged marriage • Work should be an expression of identity • Late teens through mid-twenties should be a time of fun and leisure

10. What roles must roles and experiences “must be achieved before a person can be considered an adult” • individualism (e.g., “accept responsibility for the consequences of your actions”) • family capacities (e.g., “capable of caring for children”), • norm compliance (e.g., “avoid drunk driving”), legal • chronological transitions (e.g., “reached age 18”) • role transitions (e.g., “have at least one child”).

11. To what extent do you feel like an adult most of the time • (1) not at all like an adult, • (2) somewhat like an adult • (3) entirely like an adult. Describe an instances when you really feel like an adult

12. Method • Students (n = 625) were recruited through introductory and advanced psychology classes during the Fall 2007, Spring 2008, and Fall 2008 semesters, as well as through tables at a central location on campus. • Non-college young adults (n = 265) were recruited through the Craigslist website for the same metropolitan area as the university. Participants responded to a survey advertisement, indicating their age (18- to 35 years old) and college status (i.e., whether they were attending or had graduated from a four-year university).

13. Results • Subjective Adult Status • 37.9% reported feeling “entirely like an adult • 56.9% “somewhat like an adult” • 4.3% not at all like an adult in their everyday lives. • college subsample (n = 517) • 32.2% reported feeling “entirely like an adult • 62.7% “somewhat like an adult,” • 4.5% “not at all like an adult.” • non-college sample (n = 209) • 52.7% reported feeling “entirely like an adult,” • 43.5% “somewhat like an adult,” • 3.8% “not at all like an adult.” • Non-college students had greater subjective adulthood than college students, and older participants had significantly greater subjective adulthood than younger • Asian participants had significantly lower subjective adulthood than non-Asian participants

14. International Patterns: Does one size fit all? • The 5 features were based on 300 Americans 20-29 • To what extent does it apply internationally? • Developed countries: 18% • US, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Skoriea, Austrail and New Zealand • Developing: , comprise most of the world’s population

15. Developed Countries • Postsecondary ed • Manufacturing-Information, IT • Increase in age of marriage/parenthood • In Europe, emerging adulthood is even later • One in three still live at home • Govt. pays for college, provide generous unemployment • Asisa different—collective, family obligation

16. Developing • Only a minority experience “emerging adulthood” • Vast majority marry around 20 and finish educaiton by late teens or earlier • EA exists only among small but growing urban middle class

17. Cultural Psychology of EA: 4 beliefs • Independence and self-sufficiency should be attained before entering into adult commitments • Romantic love should be the basis of marriage • Arranged marriage vs. soul mate • Work should be an expression of one’s identity • Need to make peace with dreams • The years from late teens through mid-twenties should be a time of self-focused leisure

18. Furstenberg—new Schedule

19. Living at home

20. Married

21. Female, ever-married w child

22. Enrollment in college

23. STILL RELEVANT • Planners • Delay entry as response to longer transition • College, obstacles to establishing self-sufficient home • Metropolitan areas • More cohabitation • Naturalists • Traditional, rural, logical next step

24. Background • Age risen, proportion that ever marry has fallen • Rise in cohabitation • Increase rates of divorce • Growth of unmarried mothers • Increase women in workforce, higher ed, access to contraception

25. Marriage decline vs. Resilience perspectives • Decline • Sees as negative, signs of a culture that overvalues indivual happiness and devalues commitment • Resilience • People can escape dysfunctional and abusive relationships

26. Three eras of Marriage • Early 20th century— • institutionalize marriage-Love secondary to marriage itself • Roles sharply defined • Mid-Century • Compassionate love, derive satisfaction from building family • 1960’s onward • Individualized love, weakening of norms

27. Young people’s Perspectives • Naturalists (18%) • Fast starters, happens without much thought, shotgun weddings • Many break up, many see as mistake • View as inevitable outcome of romantic relationships • Marriage and kids high priority

28. Planners • Have a different marriage mentality • Don’t accept norm of inevitable marriage • Race/ethicity, gender, and class matter less than SES and normative contexts • Geography important determinant

29. College and graduation • http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2012/04/23/the-13-most-useless-majors-from-philosophy-to-journalism.html#slide_3 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJJ5z78GE5A