Rites of Passage in Emerging Adulthood: Perspectives of Young Mormons

Abstract

This study explores the role that culture, particularly religious rites of passage, may play in emerging adulthood by examining the demographics, criteria for adulthood, identity development, and risk behavior of Mormon emerging adults.

The Influence of a Small Christian University's Culture on Selected Characteristics of Emerging Adulthood

“…According to Arnett (2000), Mormon youth experience ''considerable social pressure'' (p. 15) to marry and begin having children at an early Emerging Adulthood 209 age. Nelson (2003) observes that in contrast to the highly structured nature of the Mormon culture, the majority culture of the United States provides little structure for emerging adults; there are few messages telling youth what they should be doing. A highly structured subculture is one that prescribes for the individual many of the roles and responsibilities that an individual should assume and also imposes considerable pressure on the individual to assume those roles and responsibilities.…”

“…The average age of marriage and first born has risen, and there is an increase in opportunities for individuals to develop a plan for their life. Nelson's (2003) work extends the idea of the potential influence of a subculture on the process of emerging adulthood. He studied emerging adults who were attending Brigham Young University (Provo, UT), a university that is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS).…”

“…For example, emerging adults within the Mormon culture tend to exhibit characteristics, such as shortened times of exploration that are different from the majority culture. According to Arnett (2000) and Nelson (2003) individuals within the Mormon culture spend less time exploring because they are given specific roles and responsibilities that they ''should'' embrace, such as marriage and parenthood at an early age. This reduced exploration may also be a result of limited opportunities such as those within lower socioeconomic strata, certain ethnicities, or rural environments.…”

“…This study investigated possible influences by examining student involvement in subculture-based activities, subjective criteria for adulthood, identity perceptions-specifically, religious identity-and behavior of emerging adults. These categories were chosen in order to facilitate a comparison of results with Nelson's (2003Nelson's ( , 2005, Arnett's (1994Arnett's ( , 1997Arnett's ( , 2000Arnett's ( , 2001, and Arnett and Jensen's (2002) work. The LDS subculture was chosen as a reference point because of the availability of data from that subculture and due to the belief that the LDS culture provided an example of a highly structured subculture.…”

The Development of a Qualitative Extension of the Identity Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA) Measure Using Relational Data Analysis (RDA)

“…However, at this stage, most young people do not consider themselves adults and have not taken on all adult responsibilities (i.e., a full-time job, marriage, and parenthood). In both qualitative and quantitative studies, three criteria for adulthood have been found with emerging adults: accepting responsibility for yourself; making independent decisions; and, becoming financially independent (Arnett, 1994;1997;1998;2001;Nelson, 2003). Over time, emerging adults take on more responsibility, are confident in making their own decisions, and are financially independent.…”