FAQ’s
What is emerging adulthood?
Emerging Adults: the in-between age by Christopher Munsey:
 The author defines emerging adulthood as an age of identity exploration,
age of instability, age of self-focus, age of feeling in between, age of
possibilities (line 21-30)
Culture and Adolescent Development by Chen C and Farruggia:
 “all societies have the notion of adolescence” (line 25)
 “few or no formal initiation ceremonies exist in industrialized societies,
leaving the period of adolescence with no clear beginning or the end.” (line
27) < leaves more room for confusion and stress
 “This disjunction between biology and society has the potential to create a
difficult transitional period for adolescents.” (line 37)
Use this quotation to introduce the idea that location/nourishment
plays a role in puberty
Emerging Adulthood; A Theory of Development From the Late Teens Through
the Twenties:
 “that emerging adulthood exists only in cultures that allow young people a
prolonged period of independent role exploration during the late teens and
twenties.
 “years from the late teens through the twenties are years of profound
change and importance. “
 “relative independence from social roles and from normative expectations
“
 “late twenties for most people, it is no longer normative for the late teens
and early twenties to be a time of entering and settling into long-term adult
roles “
 “prolonged adolescence typical of industrialized societies and on the
psychosocial moratorium“
 “Emerging adults have the highest rates of residential change of any age
group. “
 “ For emerging adults, college education is often pursued in a nonlinear
way, frequently com- bined with work, and punctuated by periods of
nonattendance, “
 “Per- haps it is difficult for young people to feel they have reached
adulthood before they have established a stable residence, finished
school, settled into a career, and married (or at least committed
themselves to a long-term love relationship). “
 “The explorations that occur in emerging adulthood become sharply
restricted with parenthood, be- cause it requires taking on the
responsibilities of protecting and providing for a young child. With
parenthood, the focus of concern shifts inexorably from responsibility for
one's self to responsibility for others. “
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“Identity formation involves trying out various life possibilities and
gradually moving toward making enduring decisions,”
“By emerging adulthood, dating is more likely to take place in couples, and
the focus is less on recreation and more on exploring the potential for
emotional and physical” “intimacy.
“Emerg- ing adults begin to consider how their work experiences will lay
the groundwork for the jobs they may have through adulthood. “
Why some emerging adults do well, why some struggle?
Emerging Adults: the in-between age by Christopher Munsey:

“They shared a perception of "feeling in between"--knowing they were
pulling clear of the struggles of adolescence and starting to feel
responsible for themselves, but still closely tied to their parents and
family.”
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Culture and Adolescent Development by Chen C and Farruggia:
 Socio-Emotional development:
o 1. Effects of parental warmth:
Physical + verbal ways, the impact on well being, self-esteem,
academic achievement.
Lack of it can result in negative psychological impact
Complex/industrialized society : perceive parents as less
warm/more rejecting compared to traditional countries
Ppl that work aren’t as much as home, therefore used to separation
o 2. Consequences of parent-adolescent conflict:
Will result in more conflicts during adolescence with parents
o 3. Timetable of establishing autonomy from parents
Adolescence, post-adolescence, jeunesse: retour sur quelques interpretations by
Olivia Galland:
 Geography/location is a factor of easy the transition will be
 Nothern Europe: easier to become independent from parents, emotionally
+ financially due to government’s help giving out aids
 Souther Europe: harder to leave the nest due to family oriented traditions
but also the economy. More unemployment, less financial aids available
for young adults.
Does it apply to men and women differently? If so, how?
Emerging Adults: the in-between age by Christopher Munsey:

“women now make up a majority of college undergraduates, and
many want to build a career before they marry and have children”
Les jeunes adultes en Europe: independence residentielle activite,
ressources by Christine Chambaz
In Europe:
 women leave parents’ home earlier than men
 women start living with significant other b/w 22-25 years old
 b/w 26-29 years old: 8 women out of 10 moved out, 6 of them are
living with significant others. When only 6 men out 10 moved out, 4
living with significant other
 moving out is part of emerging adulthood > direct link with financial
independence
Does emerging adulthood come from the sense of individualism or group?
Coming of age in Samoa by Margaret Mead:
 USA’s way of raising children:
o greater amount of individualism and development of personality
o greater number of choices which are permitted to each individual >
exposed to foreign influence
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Samoan’s way of raising children:
o general casualness
o not many consequences, monotone life
o taught not to care about ppl, no high hopes
o “For where no one feels very strongly, the adolescent will not be
tortured by poignant situations”
o parenting is a composed affair, not as close with parents b/c raised
by a multiple women and men
o big families
o lack of specialized feeling, comes from lack of affection
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Samoans are less likely to experience a complicated emerging adulthood
because they are not exposed to many foreign influences, less
questioning due to their culture’s focus on group instead of individualism
like in the US
Adolescence, post-adolescence, jeunesse: retour sur quelques interpretations by
Olivia Galland:
 Southern Europe traditions prevent from child smoothly moving out
 Children are supposed to live with their parents until marriage if they are
allowed to move out
 Many generations live together
 However, children moved out later than other countries but have a great
quality of private and emotional life
 This shows that focusing on the group prevent from having to deal with
emerging adulthood
-Emerging Adulthood comes from individualism.
-Younger people are exposed to more ways of thinking which leaves more room
to questioning
How much of an impact does culture have on young adults?
(Question answered in Synthesis Briefing 2: Agreeing to Agree)
Adolescence, post-adolescence, jeunesse: retour sur quelques interpretations by
Olivia Galland:
Culture and Adolescent Development by Chen C and Farruggia:
Coming of age in Samoa by Margaret Mead:
What can be done to help more make a successful transition?
The Adolescent Society by James Coleman:
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“if the attention of the adolescent culture can be directed toward, rather
than away from, those educational goals which adults hold for children,
then this provides a far more fundamental and satisfactory solution to the
problem of focusing teenagers’ attention on learning.”
- Starting with teenagers, we should try to understand them more. Suit their
interest at a younger age
-If one becomes interested in what he/she is studying at a young age, will most
likely have fewer questions in the next years
-let teenagers experience different fields without any consequences
-not as much pressure to know what he/she is supposed to do career wise
because he/she will have a better idea
Emerging Adulthood and early adulthood – Wikipedia article :
 “As a child switches from the role of a dependent to the role of a
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fellow adult, the family dynamic changes significantly. At this
stage, it is important that parents acknowledge and accept their
child's status as an adult.”
It is important for parents to be aware of this transitional phase and be
understandable
Most emerging adults are already stressed out or worried about their
future, do not unnecessary additional pressure from peers
Additional Questions:
What are the differences between emerging adults in America vs Europe?
What are the causes?
What is unique to America? Why?
Works Cited
Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen. “Emerging Adulthood: A Theory of Development From the
Late Teens through the twenties”. American Psychologist 55.5 (2000);
469-480. Web.
Chambaz, Christine. Les Jeunes Adultes en Europe: independence résidentielle,
activité, ressources. Dossier Jeunes Adultes 65 (2001): 53-71. Web.
Chuansheng, Chean and Susan Farruggia. Culture and Adolescent
Development. Center for Cross-Cultural Research 11.2 (2002).Web.
Coleman, James. The Adolescent Society; The Social Life of the Teenager and
its Impact on Education. Free Press of Glencoe, (1961). Web.
Galland, Olivier. “Adolescence, Post-Adolescence, Jeunesse: Retour Sur
Quelques interpretations.” Revue Française de Sociologie 42.4 (2001):
611-640. Web.
Mead, Margaret. Coming of Age in Samoa: A Psychological Study of Primitive
Youth in Western Civilisation. New York: William Morrow and Company,
(1928):195-209. Web.
Munsey, Christopher. “Emerging Adults: The in-between age”, Monitor Staff. 37.6
(2006):68. Web.
Wikipedia Article “Emerging Adulthood and early adulthood”