Constructing Adulthood in Contemporary Societies

In America and other industrialized countries there
has been a delay in attainment of traditional markers
of adulthood (i.e. marriage, parenthood, completion
of education, and full-time employment). Young people
are becoming “adults” much later than previous
generations, and their ideas of what it means to be
an adult are shifting. Some have claimed that a new
period of life called “emerging adulthood” is forming,
in which young people feel as if they are not yet full
adults (Arnett 1997, 2000, 2004). However, while
this period may exist for middle-class youth, it may
not reflect the experience of working-class youth (Silva
2013). Based on my data I argue that, while middle-
class young adults are more likely to experience
a period of emerging adulthood and pursue a fulfilling
adult life, working-class youth are more focused on
financial stability and are not as likely to experience a
period of “emerging adulthood.”