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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... course—but it may be especially important in emerging adulthood, because it is a highly self-reflective time of life, a period when they think a lot about who they are and what they want out of life. And it's fun to listen to them, as ...
... course—but it may be especially important in emerging adulthood, because it is a highly self-reflective time of life, a period when they think a lot about who they are and what they want out of life. And it's fun to listen to them, as ...
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... course, so it requires a new term and a new way of thinking; I call it emerging adulthood. Many Americans have noticed the change in how young people experience their late teens and their twenties. In the 1990s “Generation X” became a ...
... course, so it requires a new term and a new way of thinking; I call it emerging adulthood. Many Americans have noticed the change in how young people experience their late teens and their twenties. In the 1990s “Generation X” became a ...
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... course of exploring possibilities in love and work, emerging adults clarify their identities, that is, they learn more about who they are and what they want out of life. Emerging adulthood offers the best opportunity for such self ...
... course of exploring possibilities in love and work, emerging adults clarify their identities, that is, they learn more about who they are and what they want out of life. Emerging adulthood offers the best opportunity for such self ...
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... course on human development across the lifespan , when I reached the part of the course concerning adolescence I told my students that , by social science terms , nearly all of them were " late adolescents . " Social scientists defined ...
... course on human development across the lifespan , when I reached the part of the course concerning adolescence I told my students that , by social science terms , nearly all of them were " late adolescents . " Social scientists defined ...
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... course not . There is so much more that takes place during this age period , as we have seen in this chapter and as we will see in the chapters to come . Calling it the " transition to adulthood " narrows our perception and our ...
... course not . There is so much more that takes place during this age period , as we have seen in this chapter and as we will see in the chapters to come . Calling it the " transition to adulthood " narrows our perception and our ...
Contents
A New Relationship With Parents | |
Love and | |
Meandering Toward Marriage | |
Twists and Turns | |
More Than a | |
Religious Beliefs and Values | |
Four Case Studies | |
What Does It Mean to Become an Adult? | |
Notes | |
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 Americans Arnett Asian Americans becoming an adult believe better boyfriend career Catholic Cathy Guisewite chapter child childhood Chinese American church cohabitation collectivism collectivistic college students commitment course deists Developmental Psychology divorce dreams early twenties entering marriage especially ethnic group experience father feel friends Goldscheider graduate happy high school hope identity explorations important Internet dating interviews 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 religion religious beliefs responsibility self-focused sexual sexual intercourse sexual revolution social someone stressful there's things transition to adulthood University of Missouri values young adulthood young women