Adolescence 9th edition

1. Adolescence 9th edition Laurence Steinberg, Ph.D. Chapter Three: Social Transitions Insert Photo of Textbook cover

2. Chapter 3 Overview Society’s changing views of adolescence: Social Redefinition Adolescence as a social invention Describe the changes in status during adolescence and the inconsistency in where we draw the age boundaries How does the process of social redefinition progress? How do adolescents transition into adulthood? How might neighborhood conditions affect the behavior and development of adolescents?

3. Social Redefinition: An Overview 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

4. Social Redefinition and Psychosocial Development Identity Attainment of adult status causes adolescents to feel more mature and to think more seriously about future work and family roles 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

5. The Elongation of Adolescence • Adolescence lasts longer today than ever before • Start puberty earlier and enter into adult roles of work and family later • Elongation of adolescence has had important implications for how young people see themselves, relate to others, and develop psychologically

6. 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 Contradicts G. Stanley Hall’s views on adolescent development (driven by puberty)

7. 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 Insert Photo

8. Emerging Adulthood Jeffrey Arnett’s term for ages 18-25 caught between adolescence and adulthood, characterized by: The exploration of possible identities before making enduring choices Unstable work, romantic relationships, and living situations A focus on oneself and independent functioning Subjective feeling of being caught between adolescence and adulthood Subjective feeling that life holds many possibilities

9. Is Emerging Adulthood Universal?

10. Changes in Status During Adolescence Two-sided alteration in status Increasing privileges Increasing responsibility Legal Boundaries Ability to participate in activities typically reserved for adults Gambling, seeing X-rated films Purchasing alcohol, smoking Driving, voting Subject to a new set of laws and treatment by the society’s legal institutions

11. Drawing a Legal Boundary Adolescents as criminal defendants Inconsistencies in adolescents’ legal status Behavior typically restricted if viewed as potentially dangerous Autonomy granted when behavior is viewed to have potential benefits

12. Adolescents as Criminal Defendants Should juveniles who commit crimes be viewed as less blameworthy than adults? If a young person has committed a violent crime, should he or she be treated as a child (and processed as a delinquent) or tried as an adult (and processed as a criminal)? Should young teenagers and adults who are convicted of the same crime receive the same penalties?

13. The Process of Social Redefinition In contemporary America Generally begins at age 15 or 16 Cohort groups Graduating class Quinceañera celebrations Fraternity/sorority pledge groups Timetable is affected by economics, politics, and culture

14. 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 usually marks the beginning of a long period of training and preparation for adulthood

15. Social Redefinition: Three Major Components Extrusion Real or symbolic separation from parents Separation of males and females Accentuation of physical and social differences between males and females Passing on of cultural, historical, and practical information From the adult generation to the newly inducted cohort of young people

16. Variations in Social Transitions • Societies differ in the process of social redefinition on two important dimensions: • Clarity • Explicitness • Continuity

17. Clarity of Social Redefinition in Contemporary Society No formal ceremonies marking the transition from adolescence to adulthood No clear indication of when responsibilities and privileges as an adult begin 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

18. Clarity of Social Redefinition in Traditional Cultures Social redefinition is clearly recognized Formal initiation ceremony Boys: timing of ceremony varies At puberty, at a designated chronological age, or when community decides individual is ready for status change Girls: timing usually linked to menarche Physical appearance is often changed (clothing, circumcision) Adults clearly differentiated from children Insert photo

19. Social Transitions: Clarity in Previous Eras Baby boom generation (individuals who were adolescents in 1950s-1960s) Finishing school, moving out, getting married all occurred earlier 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

20. Continuity and Discontinuity Continuous transitions Gradual transitions adolescent assumes the roles and status of adulthood bit by bit Discontinuous transitions Sudden transitions adolescent’s entrance into adulthood is more abrupt, with little or no training

21. Continuity and Discontinuity Ruth Benedict Contemporary cultures 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 Traditional cultures Continuous Adolescents’ preparation for adulthood comes from observation and hands-on experience Involved in work tasks that have meaningful connections to the work they will perform as adults Previous eras In general, transition into adult roles began at a younger age and proceeded along a more continuous path

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

23. Adolescents Living at Home Potential positive consequences

24. The Transition into Adulthood in Contemporary Society • 3 very different trajectory possibilities • One for the “haves” • One or the “have nots” • One for those who are somewhere in between • Two societal trends are reshaping the nature of the transition • The increasing length of the transitional period • Increasing demand for more formal education • Increase the division between the “haves” and “have nots”

25. Young People from Minority Backgrounds • Beginning of the century • 2/3 of American adolescents were White • Today • 45% of American adolescents are from ethnic minority groups • End of the century • Estimated that 2/3 of American adolescents will be from ethnic minority groups

26. Special Transitional Problems of Poor and Minority Youth “Americanization” Associated with worse outcomes (compared to immigrants) Possible factors involved: poverty, discrimination, disproportionate involvement in the justice system, and segregation Experiencing poverty during adolescence has an especially negative effect on school achievement

27. What Can Be Done to Ease the Transition to Adult Work? Restructuring of secondary education Expand work and volunteer opportunities Improve the quality of community life for adolescents and their parents Expand opportunities in the workplace to make high school a “bridge” Encourage adolescents to spend time in voluntary, nonmilitary service activities Facilitate mentoring programs for at-risk adolescents

28. The Influence of Neighborhoods Adolescents growing up in poor, urban communities are more likely to: Be sexually active at an earlier age Bear children as teenagers Become involved in criminal activities Achieve less in (or drop out of) high school

29. How Do Neighborhoods Affect Adolescent Development? If neighborhoods are poor: Undermine collective efficacy of neighborhood Stress of poverty undermines the quality of interpersonal relationships Fewer chances to engage in activities that facilitate positive development; fewer resources available during difficult times