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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... Today, thelifeofa typical21yearold could hardlybe more different. Marriageisat leastfive years off,oftenmore. Ditto parenthood. Education maylast severalmoreyears, throughan extended undergraduate program—the “fouryear degree” infive ...
... Today, thelifeofa typical21yearold could hardlybe more different. Marriageisat leastfive years off,oftenmore. Ditto parenthood. Education maylast severalmoreyears, throughan extended undergraduate program—the “fouryear degree” infive ...
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... today most waituntilat least their late twenties before becoming parents. Whythis dramatic riseinthe typical ages of entering marriage and parenthood? Onereason is that theinvention of thebirth controlpill, in combination with less ...
... today most waituntilat least their late twenties before becoming parents. Whythis dramatic riseinthe typical ages of entering marriage and parenthood? Onereason is that theinvention of thebirth controlpill, in combination with less ...
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... today, in contrast, seeadulthood andits obligations in quite a differentlight. Intheirlate teens and earlytwenties, marriage, home,and children areseenby mostofthem not as achievementstobe pursued butas perilstobe avoided.It is notthat ...
... today, in contrast, seeadulthood andits obligations in quite a differentlight. Intheirlate teens and earlytwenties, marriage, home,and children areseenby mostofthem not as achievementstobe pursued butas perilstobe avoided.It is notthat ...
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... today's emerging adults have unprecedented freedom. Not allofthem have an equal portion ofit, to be certain. Some livein conditionsofdeprivation that make anychance ofexploring life options severelylimited, at best. However, asagroup ...
... today's emerging adults have unprecedented freedom. Not allofthem have an equal portion ofit, to be certain. Some livein conditionsofdeprivation that make anychance ofexploring life options severelylimited, at best. However, asagroup ...
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... today, withschool extending longer and longer for more and more people and with the median ages of marriage andparenthood nowin the late twenties, referringto theyears between adolescence and full adulthoodas simply the “transitionto ...
... today, withschool extending longer and longer for more and more people and with the median ages of marriage andparenthood nowin the late twenties, referringto theyears between adolescence and full adulthoodas simply the “transitionto ...
Contents
A New Relationship With Parents | |
Love and | |
Meandering Toward Marriage | |
TwistsandTurns | |
More Than a | |
Religious Beliefs and Values | |
What Does It to Become an Adult? Notes Mean References | |
Index of Names General Index | |
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 American anadult andI andthe andthey areso Arnett Asian Americans atthe become believe boyfriend bythe career Cathy Guisewite chapter childhood cohabitation collectivism collectivistic commitment deists didn’t early twenties emerging adults emergingadulthood emergingadults ethnic group experience father feel friends going goingto Goldscheider graduate happy havea high school I’ve identity explorations Idon’t Imean individualistic inemerging inthe intheir itis Iwant Iwas kids kind kindof late teens late twenties Latinos lives longterm look marriage married McJob midtwenties mother move ofemerging ofthe oftheir ofthem parenthood partner peoplewho person Popenoe & Whitehead possible premarital reach emerging adulthood reached adulthood relationship religion religious beliefs responsibilities selffocused sexual sexual revolution shewas social society someone thatI thatthey theirparents there’s thereis theyare theywere things tobe today’s toget togo totake tothe transition to adulthood upin wantto withtheir women young youngpeople