Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens through the TwentiesRecently the lives of people from age 18 to 29 have changed so dramatically that a new stage of life has developed, emerging adulthood, that is distinct from both the adolescence that precedes it and the young adulthood that comes in its wake. Rather than marrying and becoming parents in their early twenties, most people in industrialized societies now postpone these transitions until at least their late twenties, and instead spend the time in self-focused exploration as they try out different possibilities in their careers and relationships. In Emerging Adulthood, Jeffrey Jensen Arnett identifies and labels, for the first time, this period exploration, instability, possibility, self-focus, and a sustained sense of being in limbo. An increasing number of emerging adults emphasize having meaningful and satisfying work to a degree not seen in prior generations. Marrying later and exploring more casual sexual relationships have created different hopes and fears concerning long-term commitments and the differences between love and sex. Emerging adults also face the challenge of defending their non-traditional lifestyles to parents and others outside their generation who have made much more traditional choices. In contrast to previous portrayals of emerging adults, Arnett's research shows that they are particularly skilled at maintaining contradictory emotions--they are confident while still being wary, and optimistic in the face of large degrees of uncertainty. As the demographics of American youth, the American workplace, and adulthood continue to evolve, Emerging Adulthood is indispensable reading for anyone wanting to understand the face of modern America. |
From inside the book
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Page vi
... childhood or adolescence. Why shouldn't it be regarded as a distinct period of life in its own right? I looked for existing theories that would provide a framework for un- derstanding the transition to adulthood as a separate ...
... childhood or adolescence. Why shouldn't it be regarded as a distinct period of life in its own right? I looked for existing theories that would provide a framework for un- derstanding the transition to adulthood as a separate ...
Page vii
... childhood and as old as their thirties. Besides, Keniston's ideas on “youth” were based mainly on the college student protesters of the 1960s, an atypical group at an unusual time in American history, and seemed to me to have little ...
... childhood and as old as their thirties. Besides, Keniston's ideas on “youth” were based mainly on the college student protesters of the 1960s, an atypical group at an unusual time in American history, and seemed to me to have little ...
Page 3
... childhood or ever will be once they take on the full weight of adult responsibilities . To be a young American today is to experience both excitement and uncer- tainty , wide - open possibility and confusion , new freedoms and new fears ...
... childhood or ever will be once they take on the full weight of adult responsibilities . To be a young American today is to experience both excitement and uncer- tainty , wide - open possibility and confusion , new freedoms and new fears ...
Page 20
... childhood, and as long as adolescence. Emerging adulthood is a transitional period, yes—and so is every other period of life—but it is not merely a transition, and it should be studied as a separate period of life. Why Emerging ...
... childhood, and as long as adolescence. Emerging adulthood is a transitional period, yes—and so is every other period of life—but it is not merely a transition, and it should be studied as a separate period of life. Why Emerging ...
Page 21
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Contents
3 | |
2 What Is It Like to Be an Emerging Adult? Four Profiles | 27 |
A New Relationship With Parents | 47 |
4 Love and Sex | 73 |
5 Meandering Toward Marriage | 97 |
Twists and Turns | 119 |
More Than a Job | 143 |
Religious Beliefs and Values | 165 |
Four Case Studies | 189 |
What Does It Mean to Become an Adult? | 207 |
Notes | 229 |
References | 247 |
Index of Names | 259 |
General Index | 263 |
Other editions - View all
Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens through the Twenties Jeffrey Jensen Arnett No preview available - 2004 |
Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties Jeffrey Jensen Arnett No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
adolescence African Americans Arnett Asian Americans becoming an adult believe better boyfriend career Catholic Cathy Guisewite chapter child childhood Chinese American choice church cohabitation collectivism collectivistic commitment course decide deists divorce dreams early twenties enter college entering marriage especially ethnic group experience father friends goals Goldscheider graduate happy high school hope identity explorations important Internet dating kids kind late teens late twenties Latinos leaving home less living at home look love partners Lynn Johnston major marriage and parenthood married McJobs mean mother move parents divorced person Popenoe & Whitehead possible premarital premarital sex reach emerging adulthood reached adulthood relationship religious beliefs responsibilities rience self-focused sexual sexual intercourse sexual revolution social someone stressful teens and early There’s things transition to adulthood values young adulthood young women