Changes in the Social Landscape Flashcards
What is social redefinition?
The process through which an individual’s position or status is redefined by society
What happens in all societies in contexts of adolescence?
- Adolescence is a period of social transition.
- The individual comes to be recognized as an adult
What is identity?
How we perceive ourselves
- Attaining adult status causes adolescents to feel more mature and to think more seriously about future work and family roles
What is autonomy?
Our sense of independence
- Adult status leads to shifts in responsibility, independence, and freedom.
- The adolescent-turned-adult faces a wider range of decisions that have serious long-term consequences
What do you face in relationships?
Face new decisions about intimacy, dating, and marriage
What is achievement?
Adolescents must attain a certain age before becoming a full-time employee or leaving school of their own volition
What is the age of majority?
The designated age at which an individual is recognize as an adult
True or False: Adolescence lasts longer today than ever before.
True
Individuals start puberty earlier and enter into adult roles of work and family later than ever before!
How long did adolescence lasts in the middle of the 19th century?
Around 5 years
How long did adolescence last by 1900?
It lasted 7 years
How many years passed between menarche and marriage by 2010 on average?
15 years
The elongation of adolescence is most evident in our living arrangement, why?
We live with our parents long after we are sexually mature because:
- The cost of living independently has risen
- More formal education is now necessary to take on adult work roles
Who are inventionists?
Theorists who argue that the period of adolescence is mainly a social invention
- Adolescence is defined primarily by the ways in which society does or does not recognize the period as distinct from childhood or adulthood.
Is adolescence defined differently in different cultures and historical periods?
Yes.
Problems experienced during adolescence may be due to society’s definition of adolescence, not cognitive or biological changes
What is the impact of industrialization on adolescence?
Industrialization broke the connection between what individuals learned in childhood and what they would need to know as adults
- Parents encouraged younger people to stay in school longer
- Staying in school lessened job competition between adolescents and adults
Who are child protectionists?
Individuals who argued, early in the twentieth century, that adolescents needed to be keep out of the labor force to protect them from the hazards of the workplace
What are the origins of adolescence as we know it today?
- In the late nineteenth century, adolescence came to be viewed as a lengthy time of preparation for adulthood
- This view started in the middle class and spread
What is a teenager?
A term popularized about 50 years ago to refer to young people; it connoted a more frivolous and lighthearted image than did adolescent..
What is the term youth?
A term used to refer to individuals ages 18 to 22
- Used to refer to 14-15 year olds
What is emerging adulthood?
Emerging adulthood is a term that has been applied for those between 18–25, who are caught between adolescence and adulthood
What are the 5 characteristics of emerging adults?
- The exploration of possible identities before making enduring choices
- Instability in work, romantic relationships, and living arrangements
- A focus on oneself and independent functioning
- The feeling of being caught between adolescence and adulthood
- The sense that life holds many possibilities
Is emerging adulthood universal?
No.
Emerging adulthood does not exist in all cultures
Is emerging adulthood experienced by everyone?
May not be experienced by everyone
- Several recent analyses indicate that there is great variability among people in their mid-20s with respect to the dimensions of emerging adulthood
The existence of emerging adulthood may have a lot to do with values and priorities, not just the economy
Emerging adults want to take time before assuming full adult responsibilities
What is the psychological well-being in emerging adulthood?
Very little research on the topic, we know that:
- Can be a difficult time of floundering and financial instability
- Can be a time of carefree independence
- Is associated with significant rates of mental illness and suicide
What are two dimensions that are important when talking about the process of social redefinition?
Clarity and Continuity
What is clarity?
Refers to the Explicitness of the transition from adolescent to adult
What is continuity?
Refers to the Smoothness of transition from adolescent to adult