The original story: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html?_r=1
http://open.salon.com/blog/jshill/2010/08/26/something_is_rotten_in_the_united_states_of_america
One of the problems, as I see it, is that there are people who don't fit the mold Arnett is proposing. The fact that Arnett admits that some people may not ever go through the stage of emerging adulthood, further weakens his case. Science is supposed to be methodical; theories proven through repeatable stages and procedures. Seems to me by ignoring the well established classical stage theory Arnett is ignoring scientific method. Not everyone goes through a mid-life crisis thus, it doesn't qualify as a life stage, like adolescence ... so why should a quarter-life crisis qualify?
The other point to take issue with in this argument is the potential of federally/socially funded programs, similar to the 'savings accounts' alluded to in the article—programs similar to Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton's proposal of baby bonds. See article: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3668781&page=1
If emerging adulthood can qualify as a new life stage could this become a reality? What are the dangers/issues with this possibility? Could the qualification of emerging adulthood as a life stage lead to a demographic making excuses for indecision and irresponsibility (i.e. I am the way I am because I am supposed to be this way—it is a biological law of growth)?
Furthermore, semantically this debate is a nightmare. Of all the media I personally have looked into on this subject, for the purposes of this post, I have yet to come across an adequate (or universally agreed upon) definition of adulthood. A definition which is, after all, at the very root of this discussion. That being said, it would be interesting to explore the definition of adulthood and why these societal markers that seem to represent adulthood should even be considered in the first place.
And finally, for a laugh(?) ... clips from one of the show "Big Lake" mentioned in the original article:
http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=358399&title=family-therapy
http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=342771&title=big-lake-extended-trailer
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ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with the author of “What Is It About 20-Somethings,” Robin Marantz Henig, when she says that most people are not allowed to do many things such as age out of foster care, drink, and rent a car until they reach their early to mid-twenties (3). How can society expect individuals to become more independent by the time they reach their twenties if most states require an age limit within “20-something” to be considered legal to perform such acts as the ones previously mentioned? It is also important to realize that the cost of living in some states are much more expensive than other states, which makes it even more difficult for individuals to move out of their parents’ homes at an early age, but this should not prevent them from finding a job, going to school, or doing any other things that will help them move out of their comfort zone, become more independent and not rely on their parents for any financial support.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article and several of the replies and other articles associated with it, I had to stop and think about how my life has changed since i was 20 something. Now that I am no longer 20 something, I find myself thinking of owning a home and having a family, something i wouldnt even imagine 5-10 years ago. I have done what Arnett said and used my 20s as a transition phase.
ReplyDeleteI believed it should be a life stage just as i think mid-life should be...Though not everyone's mid-life crisis is extreme and devastating, i think it is a stage that everyone goes through. I consider this to be the time in ones adult life when they start looking back at the mistakes they have made in their past, contemplating regrets and reassessing their future to see how they can make the best out of what they have left and what they have or hasnt accomplished.
20 something has now become the transitional stage of ones life. Where as, in accordance with Arnett, a century ago the teenage years was for transitioning ones life. I do however think it is not a reflection of the economy or times as it is a complete culture makeover. Many moons ago teenages would take on husbands/wives and start a family and get into the work force to support them. Now thats a idea that is considered closer to mid 30s than anywhere else. The twenties now belong to parties, education and work before a family is considered. Maybe its because too many feel they are giving something up when its time to take on a family as their behavour and life has to change. 20 something has now become a stage for the social butterflies of society and not families as it once was. I also thought about the friends i lost in the war on Iraq who were under 21, too young to drink but old enough to fight a war and die for their country. When i posted this questions to my Facebook friends, I was told that not everyone mature at the same age but have you ever seen anyone turned away from the army and war because they were not mature enough. just a few things to think about...
"Could the qualification of emerging adulthood as a life stage lead to a demographic making excuses for indecision and irresponsibility?"
ReplyDeleteGood question, Shane. Henig puts a positive spin on the qualities of this question, certainly, writing that indecision and irresponsibility are, contrarily, "the sense of possibilities...[where emerging adults] have not yet tempered their idealistic visions of what awaits." (6) I take issue with the spin that she puts on this as it seems to me to be an outgrowth of the commonly heard term applied to teens, invincibility complex. I have never heard anyone apply the idea of "an invincibility complex" to a situation with a positive outcome.
The semantic break between Henig's optimistic "sense of possibilities" and the general "invincibility complex" is that the later mainly deals with physical invincibility in context with perceived surroundings (i.e. things will not change) while the former can be construed as a dumbed-down megalomania, where one doesn't have delusions about the present -- rather, the future.
Still, and I don't mean to nullify my own argument, but I wonder as well if this has proper precedent to be considered applicable to "all". Or is it, as Henig mentions and Jason Hill insists, an epiphenomenon that is merely restricted to affluent 20-somethings whose parents made them believe they could be rockstars, regardless?
Over the past years, human life had changed tremendously. It is not as traditionally as before. The “transition to adulthood” is quite different nowadays. Many people don’t follow the five milestones as in “completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having a child.” However, it is not unusual because survival had become difficult for many individuals. Not everyone is capable of completing school and able to be financially stable. The “transition to adulthood” holds greater responsibilities and obstacles in this century.
ReplyDeleteReading the article I found that I agreed with Arnett that there is an actual point in life where we transition from one stage to another. I do not think that an age limit should be set on emerging adulthood because it is something that is personal. There is always a transition because a transition simply means a change from one stage to another. Some people take longer to transition and some people transition very quickly and easily. I do not agree that an entire new stage needs to be established but rather the idea of a transition. Ways to help people going through this transition would benefit them. We do need to address the fact that there is a transition and we need to recognize that people can be stuck in that transition. We have to respect the needs of other people and help them to complete the transition.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article "Why are so many people in their 20s taking so long to grow up?" i had never gave it so much thought of all the mistakes that us young people do. We give up so many job opportunities, and take advantage of our freedom that at the end of the day we forget what is important like college. Many of us take the whole college situation as a joke, and just go to college because someone told us to. I believe that people from the 20th century and people like our parents and before are very different when it comes to the aging transition. before morals were taken more serious now the young people don't respect themselves or others. Back to the time period when my parents were young, they were more responsible.
ReplyDeleteI blame the government system of the United States. They are who to blame when it comes to why are most of the young so lazy and disrespectful. Ever since birth Americans always had in a way more authority over their parents.
I agree with a lot of things that are stated in the article "What is it about 20-somethings?" by Robin Marantz Henig. The part where Henig states all the things we are able to do once we are 18 and all the thing we are unable to do until we are in our 20s, show us why people in their 20s are taking so long to grow up. One of the five milestones is, becoming financially independent but how can we, when legally I'm suppose to use my parents' income for financial aid until I am 24 years old. I feel like they are saying to me, "oh you’re free to do whatever you want, but wait there's a set of rules to your freedom." I personally think it is all these age laws that are holding us back from reaching the five milestones or reaching the adulthood.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Arnett and I think that a life stage of “emerging adulthood” exists. First of all, it’s true that in modern world the adulthood (or what people would call adulthood 20 years ago) is being delayed. I would agree, though, that this phenomenon can be observed mostly in developed countries, like US. I think it s a good thing though, because here people have a luxury to go through the period when they can explore themselves, and they do not have to settle down for something they are not sure about out of necessity.
ReplyDeleteOne of the counter arguments to this theory that article proposes is that people in developing countries “skip” the stage of emerging adulthood , and, thus, it can not be a new “stage” of life. I think that in developing countries people, indeed, start career and get married much earlier then “emerging adults” in US, but I think that in those cultures it happens because young people may not have a choice to explore their opportunities ( may be because there are not so many of them). People are pressured to get married young because the “normal” age for marriage in such cultures is 20 -25 and because the premarital cohabitation is seen as a bad thing. In addition to that, in some cultures it is normal that young people in their twenties live with their parents even after getting married and having kids. The reasons for that are the low salaries that do not allow young people achieve financial independence in some countries, or tradition, that requires people to live in big families (where adults take care of both- their elder parents and their kids). So even in some countries where people get married and start their career early they are still supported by their parents throughout their twenties.
However, there is a fine line between the “emerging” adults and just plain lazy young people who just have an opportunity to stay home because their parents will pay their bills. I think that in US one can go through the phase of “emerging adulthood” without making his parents support them financially. Yes, 20-smth phase is time for one to explore the world and figure out what one wants to do with his life, what qualities he is looking for in a potential life-partner and what job he would enjoy doing, but it doesn’t mean that one should sit on his parents’ neck till he’s 30. Changing 7 jobs to find what you like is fine, not having any job and asking parents for money to go out – is not.
Easiest to focus on when reading the article was the loopholes in ideology and pitfalls of science and opinion. Shane brought up a point that I think people kind of overlooked (maybe because it was at the end of your post?); the never-ending search for this definition of adulthood (while we are all busy conjuring an image of what we picture adulthood to be) that seems to be 1. undefined within this article and 2. undefined - well - period.
ReplyDeleteToby brought up an equally valid counterpoint when he stated "How can we as a society be satisfied with such a limited understanding of our adult lives?"
Weirdly enough, I'm able to agree 100% with each of them (how that is, I'm not exactly sure). How can I try to understand something that is undefinable? But how and why would I want to rely soley on a "limited understanding" to use Toby's words, to try to figure out my "adult" life.
To be quite honest, I'm not sure. If being an adult means financial independence, committing to relationships both romantic and plutonic, completing my education and securing a career that I'm passionate about and that makes me happy...then yes, I think I'd rather enjoy being an adult. But if in that same token, being adult means not being able to travel for months at a time with no particular direction or destination (I'm thinking South America hiking trip), go on ridiculous experiences and adventures (I've always wanted to go to Burning Man), and making close but distant friends along the way...well I don't know if I'm quite cut out then to be an adult.
I guess I have some time though to ponder what lies ahead (however amazing, beautiful, scary and daunting it may be) because lucky me, I'm not even in this hypothetical new age-group :D
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ReplyDeleteOne thing to point out is the rate of divorce has skyrocketed. Back in the days of our grandparents, divorce was a rare thing. Instability like that can also cause instability in other parts of the child's life. Back in the days our grandparents, they didn't have time for "identity exploration." By the early 20s, the older generations were already married with kid on the way so they didn't have time to think and bounce from career to career. Also if you look at people who came from other countries like our families did. When they came here the mentality was to make money and support your family. It wasn't about having a job you love..It was about making money. They didn't have many options so they were forced to do what they had to do.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S.A. is a country of immigrants. A lot of people out there have parents who became established. Those children now have the mentality and mindset that even if they aren't making a lot of money they will be supported by their parents. I am not criticizing the new generations, I am just saying that there are more children with options. They don't have that fear that they need to rush into a job.
All in all, I believe the high rate of divorce influences instability within the society. I also believe the mentality has changed. It used to be get married, have kids, and have a good paying job. The mentality now is find something you love, find a good career, get financially stabile, then raise a family. Why do you think a lot of top executives are now having kids in their late 30s and 40s? They waited until they were established to build a family.
I am currently confused on my major. If I was thrown into a situation where I didn't have support from my family and I had a kid on the way my mentality would change. I would grow up faster and pick a career faster.
Although I agree with a lot of what Henig has to say about the rise of the "emerging adulthood" youth, I have to disagree with the main point she was trying to drive home in her article; that the emerging adulthood phase should be considered and is, in fact, a stage of life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what she says, down to every punctuation, about the extended journey to adulthood. She states that individuals in our current times need to take more years to ultimately reach the five milestones of adulthood. She describes the individuals of this time of having to take more years of education, years of experimentation, and years of finding the right niche they fit into adulthood within society. To further reinforce her point, she describes the arguments of proponents of the emerging adulthood phase, and introduces recent evidence and addresses counterarguments.
It is these counterarguments, however, that i find more convincing. This isn't exactly due to the rhetoric (or lack of proper rhetoric ) used in the piece or my critic of it, but rather of my own personal opinions and upbringing, and how they made me side with the opposition with this article. Henig points out that some people (and a large portion of modern society) consider the individuals in the emerging adulthood youth to be lazy and "late bloomers," suggesting that they should hurry up and find their niche in life, and to so-called "catch up" with the rest of the people who I'll consider "early bloomers" for the sake of this line of reasoning. In fact, I believe this whole argument is skirting around the idea of maturity. I see the progression to adulthood as a progression to maturity, as I find the definition to maturity as the understanding of the world around oneself, in all of its complexity, and finding your proper and purposeful role in it all. The people within this emerging adulthood phase are delaying the maturity, and as described by Arnett, "not simply for self indulgence...(but to) use the (time) for self-focus and identity exploration to transform their lives." He describes in another section, "young men and women are more self-focused than at any other time of life, less certain about the future and yet also more optimistic... They have not tempered...the dreary, dead-end jobs, the bitter divorces, the disappointing and disrespectful children...none of them imagine that this is what the future holds for them." But, isn't that what maturity is? To acknowledge and deal with the struggles of life; to deal with the constant stress of jobs, relationships, families, etc. and to build a life against the overwhelming odds? At the risk of sounding really pessimistic, I don't think I have ever encountered a society defined "mature" man who never went through any of these hardships in his life. I usually avoid the personal anecdotes, but I have a friend who, after high school (we graduated at the same time), he decided he would "take a year off" of all school so that he could relax, enjoy himself for once away from all the work and hardships, and explore his options. Or as he put it, to "simply enjoy his age." However, though he really enjoyed himself for that year, he accomplished nothing in pursuit of adulthood: he played Call of Duty for thousands of hours, hung out with friends, and went out constantly.
When we (his friends) think of him, we all think of how selfish and immature it was of him to evade responsibility and enjoy the easy life, while we all struggled in our first year of college. The point I'm ultimately trying to make is that the time not spent towards maturity is usually "wasted" in the eyes of society, and judging by the feel I received about a large (though certainty not all) percent of the youth in this phase (living at home, traveling, getting nurtured from their parents, etc) they're delaying their progression to maturity. "Failure to launch" youths are usually shamed by society, and they are critiqued heavily. In some of these instances, it is a choice made by privileged youths. And in that way, having a choice in the matter denies that this phase is a sociological life phase.
ReplyDeleteThe counter evidence suggested on page 13 also resonates within me; "Even Arnett admits that not every young person goes through a period of "emerging adulthood." For there to be some individuals who can merely avoid this phase, it would very, very hard, as Lerner states, to accept "emerging adulthood" as a life phase. And I find many cases of people avoiding this phase so often, especially in a city like New York. Unwed, teenage mothers forced to mature so quickly with a newborn baby in their hands, newly made homeless people forced to reconsider their life and future actions, and even arranged marriages at young ages. This overwhelming population, I feel, bypass the luxury of the emerging adulthood phase, and enter into a (mostly respectable) life of maturity.
Finally, even though I do not accept Henig and the proponents of the emerging adulthood phase that this is a definite sociological and biological phase in life, I do have to admit that a very large amount of people are in this situation, and need help, or simply adjustments to a society not specifically geared towards them. I agree that there need to be some societal reconfiguration around them, and at the very least, an acceptance that these youths exist.
As of where I stand in this matter, I am in and am slowly progressing within this time period. However, I do not want to spend too long in it; I find maturity, and its benefits to both me, society, and my family, to be much more rewarding.
In this very culturally relevant article, "What is It About 20-Somethings?" I couldn't help but think of how difficult it must have been for the author to find an approach that would satisfy the reader. In these times when cultural progression has been forced down a different path based on outside forces, I would find it extremely difficult to summarize this generation. The shift in typical judgment of age through the years has definitely been leaning towards this based on increased life span but it was hard for me to not think of my own personal relationships with people in their '20's and '30's and how unique each on is. I think the idea of "emerging adulthood" until scientifically proven more precisely could be added to the list of life stages but isn't necessary in aiding to describe a person's life. I think more importantly the stages that are set in place can now be redefined first.
ReplyDeleteThe article "What is it about 20-Somethings?" highlighted many, many, MANY points that I myself have pondered in my own personal life, about myself and my peers. I do STRONGLY believe that the present day media's acceptance and heavy promotion of premarital sex, has directly lead to the feeling that it's taking this generation a longer time to "grow-up". The average "20something yr old" is out partying, doing drugs, and having sex, no one is tied down because its a cultural norm at this point, to have multiple sex partners, not be married, with a job & a kid on the way. I strongly resent this cultural norm, and do everything in my power to NOT conform, but it is sadly the main attitude that the majority of 20 something yr old's have.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I believe the economic recession has directly lead to theses feelings as well because young adults are unable to get well-paying jobs directly out of a 4 year liberal arts program, so they're accomplishing higher degrees for better job opportunities, and obviously taking more time to reach their "career stage" and depending on their parents & their income to support them.
I do believe recent current events have made it close to impossible for the average person in our generation to be established in our early 20's, but I do NOT believe there calls for another "age denomination" as Arnett suggests "Emerging Adulthood" should become. I think "we" as in 20 something year olds, need to figure out exactly what works best for OUR own personal lives, and not rely on a psychological term to define us, rather, we should personally define ourselves & not fall into some category.
Its funny, the second I got to this blog and saw what the title was, i chuckled to myself. like Amy above me, have also had my fare share of personal relationships with people in their 20's and 30's. each person is so different its amazing to watch. i had one male friend who found the girl of his dreams, got a job and married her all before he was 21. then i look at another male friend who is 32 and is at a totally different place in his life. i see the point that this article is making and i agree to an extent. i agree that parents helicoptering over their kids is not such a great idea but truth is every person is different. they all mature at different levels at different times. i don't believe this is something that should be measured and that in time most people will get to where they need to be in life.
ReplyDeleteWith the change in time its hard to compare the past times to todays world. For one, cost of living has grown significantly.This makes it more difficult for young people to become totally independant. One other factor is culture, now USA has become a much more diverse place with many different cultural practises. in some these cultures the chil becomes indpendant at a later date.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Prof. Dodson. Specialized in science and medicine Henig does take a liking to Arnett and his idea of "emerging adulthood". Like Lillian,I personally believe that there does exist a transition from adolescence to adulthood. However, there is no specific time(like age or "20-somethings") for this transition to take place in a person's live. Some of us don't have the privilege to experience this idea of "emerging adulthood" and take our time to decide what it is we want to do with our lives until we are done deciding. In the article Henig quotes a psychologist who explain that sometimes people outgrow their brains and reach adulthood before the brain does. Many people; including myself, are force to reach adulthood due to survival. I had no choice but to grow up and become an "adult" during my first year of college at the age of seventeen while working as a full-time in order to support myself and provide for my son. So I wonder why does my age has to intervene between me and SOCIETY recognizing me as an "adult"?
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the people in America is that we are so caught up and worry about what other people approve to. The idea of having a certain age to become an "adult" is just another social construct that society has created in order to oppress those who have yet reach that age. If agreeing with the argument that there is a delay in people reaching adulthood, can we say that this crisis is taking place due to the fact that we are too concern about whether society will classify us as "adults" or adolescents and this cause us to remain in between adolescence and adulthood(no man's land)? Perhaps this in-between allows us to not worry about the approvals of others or would we then be force to choose whether to become a self-dependent "adult" or to remain mom and dad's wild adolescent?
I believe society has shaped the way we see our self today. Young adults are more independent in choosing their own lifestyle. Woman have become more self sufficient and independent and prefer later marriages or no marriages as life has become more busy and commercialized and other priorities have crept in.
ReplyDeleteThe diversity among young adults has increased throughout the years. In the early years education was the top priority in achieving success and getting jobs. Now teenagers are doing full time jobs and are not concerned with finishing their education. Some are taking a different route by going back to school after a good period of time spent in the job market and also as education is now being more prioritized by companies.
I feel there is a cycle that the article follows as the development of people and their surroundings change humans adopt in how they should live according to their priorities.