Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood

1 Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood A Gradual Transition: Emerging Adulthood Unprecedented Exploration and Advances in Identity Cultural Change, Cultural Variation, and Emerging Adulthood Risk and Resilience in Emerging Adulthood CULTURAL INFLUENCES Is Emerging Adulthood Really a Distinct Period of Development ? Erikson's Theory: Intimacy versus Isolation Other Theories of Adult Psychosocial Development Levinson's Seasons of Life Vaillant's Adaptation to Life Limitations of Levinson's and Vaillant's Theories The Social Clock Close Relationships Romantic Love Friendships Loneliness A LIFESPAN VISTA Childhood Attachment Patterns and Adult Romantic Relationships The Family Life Cycle Leaving Home Joining of Families in Marriage Parenthood Social ISSUES Partner Abuse The Diversity of Adult Lifestyles Singlehood Cohabitation Childlessness . Divorce and Remarriage Variant Styles of COURTESY OF AM LIE GRYSOLE, HAITI 2009, Parenthood CLOWNS WITHOUT BORDERS.

2 Career Development For many young people in industrialized nations, the Establishing a Career Women and Ethnic Minorities Combining Work and Family transition to Early Adulthood is a time of prolonged exploration of attitudes, values, and life possibilities. This young adult has interrupted his education to volunteer for Clowns Without Borders, an organization that brings joy to children living in refugee camps and conflict zones. Here he entertains a Haitian audience, most of whom endure harsh and often dangerous living conditions. 364. CHAPTER 14 Emotional and Social Development in Early Adulthood 365. A fter completing her master's degree at age 26, Sharese returned to her hometown, where she and Ernie would soon be married. During their year-long engagement, Sharese had vacillated about whether to follow through. At times, she looked with envy at Heather, still unat- affectionate ties. Yet the decade of the twenties is accompa- nied by a sharp rise in the extent to which people feel they are personally in control of events in their lives.

3 Indeed, 20- to 29-year-olds report a greater sense of control than they ever will again (Grob, Krings, & Bangerter, 2001). tached and free to choose from an array of options before Perhaps for this reason, like Sharese, they often fear losing her. After graduating from college, Heather accepted a Peace their freedom. Once this struggle is resolved, Early Adulthood Corps assignment in a remote region of Ghana and then trav- leads to new family units and parenthood, accomplished in eled for eight months before returning to the United States to the context of diverse lifestyles. At the same time, young contemplate next steps. adults must master the skills and tasks of their chosen career. Sharese also pondered the Our discussion will reveal that identity, love, and work JUPITERIMAGES/COMSTOCK IMAGES/ALAMY. life circumstances of Christy and are intertwined. In negotiating these arenas, young adults her husband, Gary married do more choosing, planning, and changing course than any their junior year in college and other age group.

4 When their decisions are in tune with them- parents of two children born selves and their Social worlds, they acquire many new com- within the next few years. petencies, and life is full and rewarding. Financial pressures and the demands of parenthood had put Christy's education and career A Gradual Transition: plans on hold. Sharese wondered Emerging Adulthood whether it was really possible to TAKE A Think about your own devel- combine family and career. opment. Do you consider yourself to have reached Adulthood ? As her wedding approached, Sharese's ambivalence in- When a large sample of American 18- to 25-year-olds was asked tensified, and she admitted to Ernie that she didn't feel ready this question, the majority gave an ambiguous answer: yes and to marry. But Ernie reassured her of his love. His career had no (see Figure ). Only after reaching their late twenties and been under way for two years, he had received a company promotion, and at age 28, he looked forward to marriage and 70.

5 Starting a family. Uncertain and conflicted, Sharese felt swept Yes No Yes and no toward the altar as relatives, friends, and gifts arrived. On the 60. appointed day, she walked down the aisle. Percentage of Young People In this chapter, we take up the Emotional and Social 50. sides of Early Adulthood . Notice that Sharese, Ernie, and Heather moved toward adult roles slowly, at times wavering 40. along the way. Not until their mid- to late twenties did they make lasting career and romantic choices and attain full 30. economic independence markers of Adulthood that young 20. people of previous generations reached considerably earlier. Each of these young people received financial and other 10. forms of support from parents and other family members, which enabled them to postpone taking on adult roles. We 0. 18 25 28 35. consider whether prolonged exploration of life options has Age Range in Years become so widespread that we must posit a new develop - mental period emerging Adulthood to describe and FIGURE American young people's responses to the understand it.

6 Question, Do you feel that you have reached Adulthood ? . Between ages 18 and 25, the majority answered yes and no, . Recall from Chapter 12 that identity Development reflecting their view that they had left adolescence but were not continues to be a central focus from the late teens into the yet fully adult. Even in their late twenties and Early thirties, about mid-twenties (see page 316). As they achieve a secure identity one-third of young people judged that they had not completed the transition to Adulthood . (Adapted from Arnett, 2001.). and independence from parents, young adults seek close, 366 PART VII Early Adulthood Early thirties did most feel that they were truly adult findings classes in that field. As a result, either your commitment to evident in a wide range of industrialized nations (Arnett, your major strengthens, or you return to broad exploration of 1997, 2001, 2003, 2007a; Buhl & Lanz, 2007; Macek, Bejc ek, & options.)

7 In a longitudinal study extending over the first two Van c kov , 2007). The life pursuits and subjective judgments of years of college, most students cycled between making com- many contemporary young people indicate that the transition mitments and evaluating commitments in various identity to adult roles has become so delayed and prolonged that it has domains. Fluctuations in students' certainty about their com- spawned a new transitional period, extending from the late mitments sparked movement between these two states (Luyckx, teens to the mid-twenties, called emerging Adulthood . Goossens, & Soenens, 2006). TAKE A Consider your own identity progress. Unprecedented Exploration Does it fit this dual-cycle model, in which identity formation is a lengthy process of feedback loops? Notice how the model and Advances in Identity helps explain the movement between identity statuses dis- The late teens and Early twenties are a time of great challenge played by many young people, described in Chapter 12.

8 College and uncertainty. Emerging adults have left adolescence but are students who move toward exploration in depth and certainty some distance from taking on adult responsibilities, and their of commitment are better-adjusted, academically and socially. parents agree: In a survey of parents of a large sample of ethni- Those who spend much time exploring in breadth without cally and religiously diverse undergraduate and graduate making commitments tend to be poorly adjusted depressed students, most viewed their children as not yet fully adult and higher in drug use (Luyckx et al., 2006). (Nelson et al., 2007). Rather, young people who have the eco- Many aspects of the life course that were once socially nomic resources to do so explore alternatives in education, structured marriage, parenthood, religious beliefs, and career work, personal beliefs and values, and love more intensively paths are increasingly left to individual decision.

9 During the than they did as teenagers (Arnett, 2006, 2007b). college years, for example, attendance at religious services Emerging Adulthood greatly prolongs identity develop - drops to its lowest level about 30 percent in the United ment . Released from the oversight of parents but not yet im- mersed in adult roles, 18- to 25-year-olds can engage in activities JIM WEST/THE IMAGE WORKS. of the widest possible scope. Because so little is normative, or so- cially expected, routes to adult responsibilities are highly diverse in timing and order across individuals (C t , 2006). For example, many more college students than in past generations pursue their education in a drawn-out, nonlinear way changing majors as they explore career options, taking courses while working part-time, or interrupting school to work or travel. About one- third of college graduates enter graduate school, taking still more years to settle into their desired career track ( Department of Education, 2009).

10 As a result of these experiences, young people's attitudes and values broaden. They express increased interest in philo- sophical, historical, and political issues and greater tolerance for ethnic and cultural diversity. Furthermore, exposure to multiple viewpoints encourages Development of a more com- plex self-concept that includes awareness of their own changing traits and values over time, along with enhanced self-esteem (Galambos, Barker, & Krahn, 2006; Labouvie-Vief, 2006;. Montgomery & C t , 2003). Together, these changes contribute to advances in identity. During the college years, young people refine their ap- proach to constructing an identity. Besides exploring in breadth (weighing multiple possibilities), they also explore in depth . evaluating existing commitments (Luyckx et al., 2006). For example, if you have not yet selected your major, you may be taking classes in a broad array of disciplines.