Week 8 - Emerging adulthood (20 > 30's)

Question 1

distinguishing features of emerging adulthood including cultural context

Answer 1

EA period between adolescense and the heavy responsibility of adulthood

1: Age of identity explorations
2: Age of instability
3: Age of self-focus
4: Age of feeling in-between
5: Age of possibilities

Cultural -
Europe has longest period of EA
Australia up to 30 then responsibility
Asian smaller EA (must financially support parents)
Developing countries: urban yes, rural no.

Question 2

physical changes, functioning, sleep patterns, health, safety

Answer 2

Physical -
Physical peak (reaction, grip, bone density)
Least susceptible to illness but lifestyle choices encourage poor nutrition, high stress and lack of sleep.

Sleep -
2/3 sleep problems
1/4 severe sleep disturbances

Injury/fatality -
Major threat to life - car accidents

Substance abuse -
Peaks 18-24.
Peak and decline associated with unstructured socialising

Question 3

cognitive development, post-formal thinking

Answer 3

Piaget’s formal operations over-emphasises abstraction and under-emphasises ambiguities of real-life.
Made way for suggestion of POST-FORMAL OPERATIONS stage.

Post-Formal thinkers will -
Understand that knowledge is subjective and relative
Can accept contradiction as a basic aspect of reality.

Pragmatism: adapting logical thinking to the practical constraints of real-life situations

Reflective judgement: the capacity to evaluate the accuracy and logical coherence of evidence and arguments

Question 4

education and work issues

Answer 4

Uni or Vocational training (Trade)?
Benefits of tertiary education - 
Higher earnings and occupational status
Verbal and quantitative skills
Oral/written skills
Distinct identity
Social confidence
Increases self-concept and psychological wellbeing

Work -
EA seek ‘identity’ based work (enjoyment and want to do)
5 careers and 17 jobs on average
Permanent jobs have transitioned to temporary assignments = Gig economy
Employability not employment is now the focus
Unemployment and underemployment is issue for EA

Question 5

emotional and social development, the self, cultural beliefs, social and cultural contexts.

Answer 5

Erikson - Identity and identity confusion (5th stage)
Moral, religious, political, social, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, education and vocational views reconciled by now
If these things are resolved = sense of self
If not = identity confusion

Marcia’s identity status -
Diffusion: neither exploration or commitment
Moratorium: exploration but no commitment
Foreclosure: commitment but no exploration
Achievement: commitment and exploration

Key areas to develop identity: love, work and ideology

Culture -
Individualistic or collectivist culture makes big difference in identity.