EMERGING ADULTHOOD HDFS 129 1 Jeff Arnett young adulthood Emerging adulthood a distinct period of development that differs from adolescence and Takes place between 18 25 years of age and is characterized by independent role exploration and frequent change o You don t automatically become an adult when you get married or have children 1970 typical 21 year old Married or about to get married Caring for a child or planning for a pregnancy Done with education or very close to being done Settled into a job or role of full time mother Today typical 21 year old Marriage parenthood not for another 5 years Education may last more years Will experience job change WHY Invention of birth control Sexual revolution of 60s and 70s o Sex before marriage is relatively new in our society Increase in years devoted to higher education Change in women s roles Change in how young people view becoming an adult LOVE Adolescents dating is primarily recreational and experimental Emerging Adults dating is a serious search for a partner Young Adults 75 married with children WORK Adolescents o Service job o Purpose of work to support leisure activities o 95 enrolled in school Emerging Adults o Laying groundwork for adult occupation o 60 go on to higher education o 32 complete 4 or more years of college o Trying out unusual work educational possibilities Young Adults o Settled into career o Only 10 involved in higher education Age of instability changing the plan Jeff Arnett Changing major in college Dropping out of college Dissatisfaction with work Romantic relationships HDFS 129 2 MOVING Emerging adults have the highest rate of residential change of any age group Why do emerging adults move so much o Going to college wanting to move away from parents dropping out of college changing roommates wanting to live with significant other breaking up with significant other graduating from college new job graduate school EXAMINING WORLDVIEWS Enter emerging adulthood with worldviews learned in childhood and adolescence College students are exposed to greater diversity and as a result change worldviews Emerging adults who do not attend college are as likely as college students to examine existing worldviews and form their own set of beliefs and values Most emerging adults are pessimistic about the future of society Reports of drug use and loneliness are higher during emerging adulthood than at any other time during the lifespan Emerging adults can go out and drink 3 or 4 times a week without looking like alcoholics What are the top 3 criteria for achieving adulthood Accepting responsibility for yourself Making independent decisions Being financially independent A few more points EA extends identity development Vastly different from others Play a more active role in own development Without college there is less excitement and personal growth in EA INTIMACY Open supportive and tender relationship without the fear of losing one s self TRUST Able to put aside self at times because self is secure SECURE IDENTITY ISOLATION Self absorption fear of losing one s elf unwillingness to compromise HDFS 129 3 FRIENDSHIPS COME BEFORE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS In Adolescence o Female friendships are face to face with emphasis on self disclosure o Male friendships are side by side with emphasis on cooperation leadership and In Adulthood o Males demonstrate more competitiveness less agreement and less self disclosure competition than females Self disclosure levels in friendships LOWEST male male HIGHER male female HIGHEST female female o Females feel lonely if they are not self disclosing need to tell someone In heterosexual marriages males most often name their wives as their best friends Women most often name another female as their best friend not their husband Divorce is therefore emotionally devastating for men IDENTITY STATUS AND INTIMACY FORECLOSED not conflict commitment made o Avoid conflict in relationship and in life DIFFUSED no conflict no commitment o Difficulty with commitment adopt partner s identity lack depth MORATORIUM conflict but no commitment o Still figuring it out in and out of relationships ACHIEVED conflict experienced and commitment made o Most success in relationships CAREER PLANS Males are more likely to enter into a committed relationship AFTER career plans are made Females need clarification of interpersonal relationships preceded career plans Women marry younger Women initiate divorce more often ATTACHMENT AND INTIMACY research of Phil Shaver SECURELY ATTACHED 55 feel close to others can depend on them INSECURE ANXIOUS 20 not trusting cling to partner jealous overly dependent INSECURE AVOIDANT 25 uncomfortable being close find intimacy unpleasant little emotional expression HDFS 129 4 Authenticity to feel and know I am being real genuine and honest in relationships Empathy to be attuned to other s feelings and thoughts How do we foster healthy relationships Mutual empathy emotional responsivity Mutual Authenticity relational honesty Sexual Socialization Making sense of what we see do Slides sent to Molly guest speaker http tinyurl com PSUGeneStudy 25 gift card MARRIAGE Average duration of marriage 9 years Average age at marriage o 1950 Males just under 23 years Females just above 20 years o Presently Males just above 27 years Females just above 25 years People have an unrealistic expectation of what marriage is Andrew Cherlin The Marriage Go Round The State of Marriage and the Family in American Today AMERICANS GET MARRIED MORE DIVORCED MORE AND HAVE MORE LIVE IN PARTNERS THAN PEOPLE IN ANY OTHER WESTERN INDUSTRIALIZED NATION Concern the cumulative effect of all of this partnering on children Children who have experienced multiple transitions at home o Have more behavioral problems at school o Have sex at an earlier age o Less likely to graduate from high school o More likely to have a first child outside of marriage Children in America are for more likely to see their parents partnerships break up than are children in most other countries Cherlin s advice is to SLOW DOWN Myths About Marriage HDFS 129 5 1 Conflict will ruin your marriage 2 Affairs are the main cause for divorce 3 Men are not biologically made for marriage 4 The best marriages are when couples have the same interests What helps to make a marriage work 1 Solving solvable problems division of chores sending money 2 Letting your partner influence you 3 Creating a shared meaning of marriage 4 Turn toward each other rather than away AN UNHAPPY