The “Inner Side” of the Transition to Adulthood: How Young Adults See the Process of Becoming an Adult

Andrew, Megan; Eggerling-Boeck, Jennifer; Sandefur, Gary D.; Smith, Buffy

doi:10.1016/s1040-2608(06)11009-6

Cited by 25 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…In countries that had a higher percent of individuals between the ages of 15 and 64 in the country, respondents were more likely to assign a higher threshold to the ending of youth. This can be explained by that fact that in these countries, the younger and older generations are relatively smaller, and thus, this middle group engages in less caregiving roles, which are known to affect one's age identity (Andrew et al 2006;Barrett 2005;Toothman and Barrett 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers have examined this period in relation to major milestones, such as the entrance into the labor force, the acquisition of residential and economic independence, and the formation of a family (Andrew et al 2006;Benson and Furstenberg 2006;Billari and Liefbroer 2010;Kirkpatrick Johnson et al 2007). Others have identified personal qualities as indicative of the emergence of young adulthood (Arnett 2000;Johnson et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Macro- and micro-level predictors of age categorization: results from the European Social Survey

et al. 2013

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This study evaluated macro-and micro-level variables associated with individuals' perception of the ending of youth, the beginning of old age, and the length of the middle age period. The European Social Survey is a biennial multi-country, cross-sectional survey. Our analysis is based on the fourth wave, which included a rotating module on ageism. The source sample consisted of 28 countries and a total of 54,988 respondents. Whereas macro-level variability accounted for 14 % of the variance associated with the perception of the ending of youth, only 5.7 % of the variance associated with the perception of the beginning of old age was accounted for by macro-level variability. Almost 10 % of the variance associated with the perception of the middle age period was associated with macro-level variability. Different patterns of macro-and micro-level correlates emerged for the ending of youth, beginning of old age, and the period of middle age. Overall, results demonstrate that individual differences in the perception of the ending of youth, the beginning of old age, and the length of the middle age period are more pronounced than contextual differences. Results also suggest that individuals' mental maps regarding the timing of these events are not necessarily concordant.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Macro- and micro-level predictors of age categorization: results from the European Social Survey

et al. 2013

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“…Likewise, assuming professional responsibilities early on, without first considering different values and occupational choices, could lead to tensions throughout the entire adult stage of life. In this group, the effect of viewing oneself as forced to "act like an adult" without perceiving oneself to be one must be borne in mind (Andrew et al, 2007;Mary, 2014). On the flip side lie the self-perceived adults, whose consideration as adults seems to stem mostly from having acquired a set of qualities indicative of psychological maturity, which are ultimately considered the most important requirements for adulthood.…”

Section: Variations Associated With Gender and Adult Status Groupmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, studies into German youths (Reitzle, ) and Dutch youths (Plug, Zeijl & Du Bois‐Reymond, ) found that in less educated participants, subjective adulthood was still connected to role transitions. Second, some qualitative studies found that while traditional markers of adulthood had become much less important, they had not disappeared entirely from the discussion of “what makes an adult” (Andrew, Eggerling‐Boeck, Sandefur & Smith, ; Mary, ; Molgat, ). Role transitions have been reconceptualized as the “means of achieving or confirming subjectively the more individualistic dimensions of adulthood” (Molgat, , p. 508).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Becoming an adult: A proposed typology of adult status based on a study of Spanish youths

Zacarés

Desfilis

Torres

2015

Scandinavian J Psychology

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Emerging adulthood is a transitional period which has been examined in relatively few studies in Southern European countries. This study has two aims: (1) to determine the features of emerging adulthood in Spain based on criteria for adulthood and experiential dimensions; and (2) to explore whether variations in these criteria are related to gender and adult status (self-classification as an adult and adult role adoption). Participants included 347 young Spanish people, aged 18-30, who completed a questionnaire about their conceptions of adulthood. They used similar criteria for adulthood to other Western countries, placing an extremely strong emphasis on psychological maturity criteria in comparison with role transition indicators. Important variations were observed in both the importance and achievement of criteria for adulthood according to gender and adult status. The results likewise suggest there may be different psychosocial profiles associated with each adult status group. The relevance of this classification to future research in the field of emerging adulthood is discussed.

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“…Indeed, responsibility for self (Arnett 2000), or self and others (Pallas 2007; Andrew et al 2007; Macmillan 2007), is emerging as one of the key themes in current research on what it means to grow up and become an adult.…”

Section: The Life Course and Age Identitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growing up Faster, Feeling Older: Hardship in Childhood and Adolescence

Johnson

Mollborn

2009

Soc Psychol Q

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We examine whether hardship while growing up shapes subjective age identity, as well as three types of experiences through which it may occur. Drawing on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we find that hardship in several domains during childhood and adolescence is associated with feeling relatively older and self-identifying as an adult in the late teens and twenties. Specifically, young people who as adolescents felt unsafe in their schools or neighborhoods, witnessed or were victims of violence, had fewer economic resources in the household, and lived in certain family structures, reported older subjective ages (by one or both measures). We find no evidence that hardship’s association with subjective age is mediated by work responsibilities in adolescence or by anticipating a very curtailed life span, but entering adult roles earlier mediates or partially mediates many of these relationships.

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The “Inner Side” of the Transition to Adulthood: How Young Adults See the Process of Becoming an Adult

Cited by 25 publications

References 15 publications

Macro- and micro-level predictors of age categorization: results from the European Social Survey

Macro- and micro-level predictors of age categorization: results from the European Social Survey

Becoming an adult: A proposed typology of adult status based on a study of Spanish youths

Growing up Faster, Feeling Older: Hardship in Childhood and Adolescence

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