Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach Chapter 1 Introduction Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach by Jeffrey Jensen

Adolescence and Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Emerging Adulthood: A

Cultural ApproachCultural Approach

Chapter 1 Chapter 1

IntroductionIntroduction

Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett. Copyright © 2004 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Themes of the Book: An OverviewThemes of the Book: An Overview

Cultural ContrastsCultural Contrasts Historical ContrastsHistorical Contrasts Interdisciplinary ApproachInterdisciplinary Approach Gender IssuesGender Issues GlobalizationGlobalization


Chapter Content OverviewChapter Content Overview

Adolescence in Western Cultures Adolescence in Western Cultures throughout the agesthroughout the ages

Adolescence and Emerging Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Transitions to adulthoodAdulthood: Transitions to adulthood

Research and theory on Research and theory on adolescence and emerging adolescence and emerging adulthoodadulthood


Adolescence is….Adolescence is….

…The period after puberty begins and before adult roles are taken on…

…culturally constructed

…a fairly new term, coming into common usage in the early 20th Century


Adolescence: A Cultural ConstructAdolescence: A Cultural Construct

Almost all cultures recognize Almost all cultures recognize “adolescence” as a life period“adolescence” as a life period

The length, content and daily The length, content and daily experience differs across culturesexperience differs across cultures

Different cultures define adult status, Different cultures define adult status, roles and responsibilities differentlyroles and responsibilities differently


Ancient Times Ancient Times Early Christian Times through the Early Christian Times through the

Middle AgesMiddle Ages 1500 – 18901500 – 1890 The Age of Adolescence, The Age of Adolescence,

1890-19201890-1920

Adolescence in Western CulturesAdolescence in Western Cultures


Adolescence in Western CulturesAdolescence in Western CulturesAncient GreeceAncient Greece

Infancy (birth – 7)

Childhood (7-14)

Adolescence (14-21)

Plato on EducationLife Stage

Capacity for reason allows for study of science and math

Education should focus on sports and music

The infant’s mind is too undeveloped to learn much


The Age of Adolescence: 1890-1920The Age of Adolescence: 1890-1920

Contributing Factors:Contributing Factors:

1.1. Legislation prohibiting Legislation prohibiting child labourchild labour

2.2. Compulsory educationCompulsory education

3.3. Adolescence as a Adolescence as a distinct field of distinct field of scholarshipscholarship


Inventionist Views: Do you Agree?Inventionist Views: Do you Agree?

““Child labor laws are a way of keeping Child labor laws are a way of keeping young people out of useful work.”young people out of useful work.”

““The education system just The education system just institutionalizes young people to institutionalizes young people to make them passive and compliant to make them passive and compliant to authority.”authority.”


G. Stanley Hall: Key IdeasG. Stanley Hall: Key Ideas Child Study Movement – research to Child Study Movement – research to

better the lives of children and better the lives of children and adolescentsadolescents

Recapitulation – development of an Recapitulation – development of an individual reenacts evolution of individual reenacts evolution of human specieshuman species

Storm and Stress – upheaval and Storm and Stress – upheaval and disorder is a normal part of disorder is a normal part of adolescent developmentadolescent development


Adolescence: Adolescence: From Hall’s Time to Our TimeFrom Hall’s Time to Our Time

From 1900 to 1970, initial age of From 1900 to 1970, initial age of menarche has declined (from 15 to menarche has declined (from 15 to 12.5 years)12.5 years)

First signs of puberty begin about 2 First signs of puberty begin about 2 years prior to menarcheyears prior to menarche

19001900 20002000

14-24 years14-24 years 10-18 years10-18 years


Emerging Adulthood is the age of…Emerging Adulthood is the age of…

Identity Identity explorationsexplorations

InstabilityInstability Self-focusSelf-focus Feeling in-betweenFeeling in-between PossibilitiesPossibilities

Who Am I? Am I going to find an

apartment? Am I going to like moving away to study? Am I really an adult now?


The Transition to Adulthood: The Transition to Adulthood: American StyleAmerican Style

Legally an adult at age 18Legally an adult at age 18

Characterized by Characterized by Individualism:Individualism:• Accepting responsibility for oneselfAccepting responsibility for oneself• Making independent decisionsMaking independent decisions• Becoming financially independentBecoming financially independent


The Transition to Adulthood: The Transition to Adulthood: Other PerspectivesOther Perspectives

IsraelIsrael ArgentinaArgentina S. KoreaS. Korea

Completing Completing Military Military ServiceService

Being able to Being able to support a support a family family financiallyfinancially

Being able to Being able to support their support their parents parents financiallyfinancially


Individualism & InterdependenceIndividualism & Interdependence

In traditional cultures, In traditional cultures, marriagemarriage marks the transition to adulthoodmarks the transition to adulthood

Explain this in terms of values of Explain this in terms of values of individualism vs. individualism vs. collectivismcollectivism or or interdependenceinterdependence..


Scientific Study of Adolescence and Scientific Study of Adolescence and Emerging AdulthoodEmerging Adulthood

Applying Standards of the Applying Standards of the Scientific Scientific MethodMethod::• HypothesesHypotheses – finding an answer to an – finding an answer to an

important question that emerges from theory important question that emerges from theory or previous researchor previous research

• SamplingSampling – choosing participants to represent – choosing participants to represent the population of interestthe population of interest

• ProcedureProcedure – the way the study is conducted – the way the study is conducted and data is collectedand data is collected

• MethodsMethods – strategies for collecting data – strategies for collecting dataAdolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett. Copyright © 2004 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Research Issue: Sampling a Population Research Issue: Sampling a Population

A researcher surveys young adults A researcher surveys young adults in a drug rehabilitation program to in a drug rehabilitation program to find out about the frequency of find out about the frequency of drug use among American urban drug use among American urban adolescents. She determines that adolescents. She determines that 100% of the young adults in the 100% of the young adults in the sample have used drugs.sample have used drugs.

Is this sample generalizable to the Is this sample generalizable to the population? Explain and discuss.population? Explain and discuss.


Research Issue: Informed Consent Research Issue: Informed Consent

A researcher wants to observe A researcher wants to observe adolescents in their “habitat.” She adolescents in their “habitat.” She goes to a school and hangs out, goes to a school and hangs out, taking pictures and talking to taking pictures and talking to students about their lives. The students about their lives. The adolescents do not know she is a adolescents do not know she is a researcher. researcher.

Is this an ethical way of conducting Is this an ethical way of conducting research? Explain and discuss in research? Explain and discuss in terms of terms of informed consentinformed consent..


Research Issue: Reliability & Validity Research Issue: Reliability & Validity

You have a 50 pound weight that has been You have a 50 pound weight that has been tested on a NASA scale. You put it on your tested on a NASA scale. You put it on your bathroom scale and it reads 45 pounds. You bathroom scale and it reads 45 pounds. You weigh it five more times, each yielding a weigh it five more times, each yielding a result of 45 pounds. result of 45 pounds.

Is your scale a Is your scale a reliable reliable measure? Is your scale measure? Is your scale a a validvalid measure? Explain. measure? Explain.

FLY-IN ANSWER!•The scale is reliable because it obtains the same results every time.•The scale is NOT valid because it is NOT truly or accurately measuring the weight (given that the NASA scale is valid).


Research MethodsResearch MethodsMethodMethod DescriptionDescription ExampleExample

EthnographyEthnography Participant Participant observationobservation

Mead in SamoaMead in SamoaHarvard Adolescence Harvard Adolescence ProjectProject

Biological Biological MeasurementMeasurement

Measurement of Measurement of biological factors biological factors (e.g., timing of (e.g., timing of puberty)puberty)

Tanner (timing and Tanner (timing and sequence of pubertal sequence of pubertal change)change)

Experimental Experimental ResearchResearch

Treatment and Treatment and control (non-control (non-treatment) groupstreatment) groups

Research on media use Research on media use (p. 24)(p. 24)Testing anti-smoking Testing anti-smoking interventionsinterventions

Daily Daily RecordsRecords

Participants wear Participants wear beepers and record beepers and record their experiences at their experiences at intervalsintervals

Experience Sampling Experience Sampling Method – Beeper studiesMethod – Beeper studies


Research Methods Research Methods

Note: Combining methods allows for a rich and comprehensive understanding


Type of DataType of Data QuantitativeQuantitative QualitativeQualitative

StrategiesStrategies Close ended Close ended questionnairesquestionnaires

InterviewsInterviews

ApplicationsApplications Large scale surveys Large scale surveys (e.g., Monitoring the (e.g., Monitoring the Future)Future)

Adolescents and emerging Adolescents and emerging adults describe their own adults describe their own experiences in their own experiences in their own wordswords

DrawbacksDrawbacks Restrictive in terms of Restrictive in terms of responsesresponses

Coding and categorizing is Coding and categorizing is time-consumingtime-consuming

BenefitsBenefits Yields Large scale, Yields Large scale, comprehensive datacomprehensive data

Richness and complexity Richness and complexity

Correlation versus CausationCorrelation versus CausationExample: In a study, physical Example: In a study, physical exercise was found to be related to exercise was found to be related to happiness. The more people happiness. The more people exercised they tended to be happier. exercised they tended to be happier. Can we assert that exercise causes Can we assert that exercise causes happiness?happiness?

FLY-IN ANSWER!•Correlation does not imply causation.•Interpretation is needed to understand relation between correlation and causation.


Documents

Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach Chapter 1 Introduction Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach by Jeffrey Jensen