Ch. 3 - Social

Question 1

What are social transitions?

Answer 1

changes in social roles or status that are recognized by society

often from child to adult

Question 2

What is social redefinition?

Answer 2

public recognition that the person’s status has changed

universal

specific characteristics vary drastically between cultures

Question 3

What are some examples of social redefinition rituals from other cultures?

Answer 3

Mandan Tribe
- trials to become adult warrior, 4-day survival ordeal followed by being slashed to give scars that serve as sign of adulthood to others

Indigenous Australians
- walkabout: live in the wilderness alone for as long as 6 months, separation from community to develop patience, self-confidence, survival skills

Question 4

What is female genital mutilation?

Answer 4

genital cutting that occurs before marriage, process that “needs to be done” in many African countries/tribes despite it being illegal

usually with improper sanitation or tools

Question 5

What are the characteristics of transition into adulthood in North America? (7)

Answer 5

lacks clarity
- less obvious, no processes recognized by entire society

is a process
- series of events over many years

not universal
- no indicators common to all

inconsistent
- different rites have different ages, different people have different expectations upon them in different contexts

puberty marks onset of transition

long period of adolescence/transition
- marginal person for long time

can be continuous or discontinuous depending on the circumstances

Question 6

What is extrusion?

Answer 6

real or symbolic separation from parents

ex. summer camp, sleepovers, going away to college/university

sign that adolescent is getting older

Question 7

What is scarification? Do we have this in North America?

Answer 7

intentional creation of scars as part of an initiation ceremony

seems strange to us, but people across North America also have body rituals

• piercings, tattoos, shaving, makeup
• also emerge around puberty

Question 8

What 7 types of impacts do social redefinition have?

Answer 8

identity
autonomy
interpersonal relationships
careers and work-related behaviour
political status
economic status
legal status

Question 9

How does social redefinition impact identity?

Answer 9

being treated and viewed as an adult leads to assuming more adult roles and thinking more about adult issues

Question 10

How does social redefinition impact autonomy?

Answer 10

more freedom in activities and choices, more independence

but also more expectations/obligations

Question 11

How does social redefinition impact interpersonal relationships?

Answer 11

intimate relationships are permitted and expected

expected to control themselves and exhibit socially appropriate behaviour

set example for younger relatives

communication style with adults changes

Question 12

How does social redefinition impact careers and work-related behaviour?

Answer 12

expected to get a career/join the work force

causes thinking about the future

Question 13

How does social redefinition impact political status?

Answer 13

allows voting at 18

Question 14

How does social redefinition impact economic status?

Answer 14

income/savings allow control over the self and finances for the first time

Question 15

How does social redefinition impact legal status?

Answer 15

ages vary for different activities

legally an adult at 18

Question 16

How has society made adolescence a distinct period?

Answer 16

redefining roles and creating a lengthy transition from childhood to adulthood

has only come to exist in its current form within the past 100 years

longer today than it has ever been before (though deciding on its beginning and end points are entirely subjective)

Question 17

How long did adolescence (marked as the time between menarche and marriage) last in the mid-19th century compared to now? What are the implications of this?

Answer 17

went from 5 years to 15 years

live with parents longer - impact parent-child relationship

economic maturity far behind their psychological maturity

allows time for formal education that is necessary to transition to adult work roles - but school is not something that all individuals enjoy equally

Question 18

What are inventionists?

Answer 18

theorists who argue the period of adolescence is a social invention

defined primarily by the way society recognizes the period

Question 19

How did industrialization impact adolescence?

Answer 19

brought new patterns of work, education, and family life

job shortage due to machines replacing workers, meant adolescents were competing with adults for jobs, removed adolescents from the labour force by turning them into full time students

argument that young people should be kept out of the work force because the working conditions were too dangerous

Question 20

What is a teenager by definition?

Answer 20

young person

connotation more frivolous and lighthearted than adolescent

term popularized about 50 years ago

Question 21

What ages are considered “youth”?

Answer 21

18-22

Question 22

What is emerging adulthood?

Answer 22

18-25

neither adolescence or adulthood but a unique developmental period

doesn’t exist in all cultures - only the most Westernized

mixed reports on mental health - some say period of floundering some say period of carefree optimism and independence

Question 23

What are the 5 main features of emerging adulthood?

Answer 23

exploration of possible identities before making enduring choices

instability in work, romantic relationships, and living arrangements

focus on oneself and on functioning as an independent person

feeling of being between adolescence and adulthood

sense that life holds many possibilities

Question 24

How has marriage, living at home, and education changed since the Baby Boom era?

Answer 24

fewer marry and at an older age

far more live with their parents

far more go straight into college vs. full-time employment or the military

Question 25

What is a continuous versus a discontinuous transition?

Answer 25

continuous = entered into gradually
- children transitioning into adult work roles on the family farm

discontinuous = entered into abruptly

• entering the labour force for the first time after graduating
• common in contemporary society