Markers of Adulthood

Question 1

Andrew, Eggerling-Boeck, Sandefur, and Smith 2006 – The Inner Side of the Transition to Adulthood: How Young Adults see the Process of Becoming an Adult

Answer 1

Authors ask focus groups how they define adulthood. They find that psychological issues are central (independence, responsibility, and a stable identity), but that these psychological attributes often depend on (conduits) of roles.

Question 2

Benson and Furstenberg 2005 – Entry into Adulthood? Are Adult Role Transitions Meaningful Markers of Adult Identity?

Answer 2

Use the Philadelphia Educational Longitudinal Study (PELS) to assess how role transitions influence adult identities. The sample consists of black, low-income youth from 19 to 21. More of their sample identifies as adults than Arnett’s did. Financial independence, supporting their families, moving out of their parent’s house (so long as they’re employed), and parenthood (for women) are key predictors. Roles continue to matter for segments of the population.

Question 3

Eliason, Mortimer, and Vuolo 2015 – The Transition to Adulthood: Life Course Structures and Subjective Perceptions

Answer 3

Use the YDS and Latent Class Analysis to assess various life pathways and their connections to adult identities. Pathways include married working parent, single working parent, traditional student, single working, and married working non-parent. Alignment of various roles predicts adult identity, namely: full-time employment, marriage, and parenthood. Early single parents and traditional student have weakest adult identities. Roles still matter, but perhaps they trigger subjective beliefs (or vice versa). They suggest locus of control may dictate the onset of adult identities.

Question 4

MacMillan 2006 – ‘Constructing Adulthood’: Agency and Subjectivity in the Transition to Adulthood

Answer 4

How does agency influence the transition to adulthood? This introductory chapter argues that roles continue to matter, although the requirements associated with adult identities fluctuate depending on the roles.

Question 5

Modell, Furstenberg Jr., and Hershberg 1976 – Social Change and Transitions to Adulthood in Historical Perspective

Answer 5

Use Philadelphia data (1880-1970) to show changes in timing of transitions. They use the age of people at the snapshots when the data are collected. Education has been drawn out, but timing of marriage and leaving the home happened earlier. Pathways are becoming more individualized and institutionalized. They measure these things across five concepts: prevalence, timing, spread, congruity (similarlity within and across cohorts), and integration (simultaneous transitions).

Question 6

Shanahan, Porfeli, Mortimer, and Erickson 2005 – Subjective Age Identity and the Transition to Adulthood: When do Adolescents Become Adults?

Answer 6

Use the YDS to test whether adult identities are taken on depending on roles or a combination of roles. Home-making transitions (marrying, self-home, children) support adult identities while leaving education and work do not. Financial independence does support adult identities. “They measure these things across five concepts: prevalence, timing, spread, congruity (similarlity within and across cohorts), and integration (simultaneous transitions).The transition to adulthood has become more complex and relies on a comibnation of decision to be made.