Chapter 6: The Adult in Society - Weeblymsmccleskeyhistory.weebly.com/uploads/5/4/8/7/54876939/chapter_6.pdfChapter 6: The Adult in Society Case Study: ... Changes in Late Adulthood

The Adult in Society

Original Content Copyright © Holt McDougal. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.

Chapter 6: The Adult in Society

Case Study: The Opt-Out Revolution

Section 1: Early and Middle Adulthood

Section 2: The World of Work

Section 3: The Later Years

Simulation: Applying What You’ve Learned



New York Times journalist Lisa Belkin discussed the

phenomenon of high-achieving women who left the

workplace in order to be stay-at-home moms. Although the

research was informal and based on a population not

representative of all women, her article showed an

intriguing trend. Many women are choosing to spend their

days raising their children instead of pursuing career goals.

In addition to the pull of family, one sociologist found that

mixed messages from husbands and employers often push

women from the workplace.

Case Study: The Opt-Out Revolution





Early and Middle Adulthood

• In American society, adult stages of development are

experienced differently by men and women.

• Every adult has a life structure that is characterized by a

combination of statuses, roles, activities, goals, values,

beliefs, and life circumstances.

• Daniel Levinson developed a theory of adult male

development based on three main eras: early, middle,

and late adulthood.

• The stages of adult female development are heavily

influenced by marriage, work, family, and raising children.

Section 1 at a Glance



What if being an adult

doesn't answer all of

life's questions?



Life Structure

• The combination of statuses, roles, activities, goals, values, beliefs, and life

circumstances that characterize an individual

• Life structures show common patterns across many social groups

• Includes early, middle, and late adulthood

The Age 30 Transition

• Ages 28 through 32

• Crucial because lives often change

direction here

• Ends the novice phase, when men

prepare to enter full adulthood

Early Adulthood


• Going to college or getting a job

• Transition into the adult world

• Expected to explore opportunities

as well as make commitments

Adult Male Development





The Midlife Transition


• A bridge between early and middle

adulthood

• Questioning of life structures

• Major goal is to escape the

pressure of unattainable dreams

from youth

• Becoming a mentor can lessen the

stress associated with this stage

• The degree of difficulty that an

individual experiences in a period

depends on his success in

mastering the previous period.

Settling Down


• Major task is achieving success

• Try to establish themselves in

society, usually through

occupational advancement

• Commit to things that are

important to them

• Separation from mentors in order

to define own identity

• Mentor – fosters a person’s

development by believing in

them and helping them

achieve their dreams





Similarities with Men

• Levinson: Go through basically the

same stages of adult development,

but great difference in social roles

and identities

• Frieze and Sales: Three phases

specific to women

Entering the Adult World

• Most become mothers in their 20s

• Dual roles of motherhood and

career cause added strain

• A break in employment for

childbearing can limit career

Leaving the Family

• Physical and psychological break

from family

• Developing a life plan

• May value marriage over work

Re-entering the World

of Work

• Occurs when children reach school

age

• Commitment to career at same

time husband is doubting his career

Adult Female Development





The World of Work

• American workers often spend nearly 50 years in the

labor force, making the world of work one of the most

important components of adult life.

• The composition of the labor force and the nature of work

has changed greatly over the last 100 years.

• According to opinion polls and social science research,

most Americans report being satisfied with their jobs.




How far would you be

willing to go for your

dream job?



Labor Force

• All individuals age 16 and older who are employed in paid positions

or who are seeking paid employment.

• People who are not paid for their labor are part of the informal

economy.

• In 2007, 66 percent of U.S. population over age 16 was in the labor

force.

Work

• Work involves performing all of the tasks necessary to produce

goods and provide services that meet human needs.

• The basis for the economy

• Typical individual will spend about 50 years in the labor force

The Labor Force



Composition of Labor Force

• Recent decades have seen increase in number of working women

• Women hold just over half of professional jobs—high-status

occupations that require specialized skills and knowledge obtained

through formal education

• Fastest growing minority group, Hispanics, are increasing in labor

force, too

Occupations



Unemployment

• Unemployment occurs when a

person does not have a job but is

actively seeking employment

• Unemployment rate is the

percentage of the civilian labor

force that is unemployed but

actively seeking employment

• Unemployment rate varies across

social groups

• Five percent unemployment

considered acceptable in the

United States



• In 1900:

– 35 percent worked in agriculture

– 45 percent worked in manufacturing

– 20 percent worked in professions, management, office work, and sales

• In 1950:

– Manufacturing dominated

• Today:

– 13 percent work in agriculture and manufacturing

– 76 percent work in professions, management, office work, and sales

• Globalization

– New technology has changed the economy.

– Many manufacturing jobs have been outsourced, or sent to countries

where labor is less expensive.

The Changing Nature of Work





Opinion polls• 42 percent said they were

“very satisfied” with their jobs.

• 38 percent said they were

“somewhat satisfied.”

Factors for dissatisfaction• On-the-job stress

• Retirement and insurance benefits

• Salary

• Recognition

• Chances for promotion

Factors for satisfaction• Interesting nature of their work

• Salary

• Working hours

• Workplace safety

• Relations with co-workers

Job and career changes• Changing jobs and/or careers is

a well-established pattern in the

United States

• Average worker changes

companies nine times, careers

five to six times

Job Satisfaction



The Later Years

• Social development continues throughout adulthood and

well into the final stages of life.

• People age 65 and older make up the fastest growing

segment of the world’s population.

• Older Americans face many challenges, including

physical and mental decline, dependency, and death.

• For many aging Americans, retirement opens up a new

world full of freedom and new opportunities for growth

and change.




Why are seventy-

somethings braving

frostbite and altitude

sickness to conquer

Earth's highest peak?



• Gerontology is the scientific study of aging.

• Social gerontology is the study of the nonphysical aspects of aging.

• Young-old

– Ages 65 through 74

• Middle-old

– Ages 75 through 84

• Old-old

– Ages 85 and older

Statistics

• Age 65 and older: 11 percent of U.S. population in 1980; over 12

percent in 2000; projected to be 20 percent by 2030

Changes in Late Adulthood





Adjustment to Retirement

• Retirement involves loss of role and status associated with a

particular job as well as with being a working adult.

• Some are greatly bothered by this loss; others rank it as low stress.

• Factors such as income, health, social networks, and identity affect a

person’s adjustment to retirement.

• Loss of independence can have negative consequences.



Physical and Mental Functioning

• Aging involves the weakening and slowing of body processes.

• Intellectual ability declines very little.

• Alzheimer’s disease is a leading form of dementia.

Dealing with Dependency and Death

• Dependency is the shift from being an independent adult to being

dependent on others for physical or financial assistance.

• Most elderly people fear dependency, and it is known to cause stress

in parent-child relationships.



Click on the image to play the Interactive.

../ifs/ch06/soc_ch06_if.html

../ifs/ch06/soc_ch06_if.html



• Retirement is often accompanied by a feeling of freedom.

– Free time to try new things, travel, attend college, pursue

activities such as crafts, golf, or gardening, or become politically

active

– Begin second or volunteer career

• Individuals who have planned for retirement have a better

position to take advantage of the opportunities in this

period of life.

– Financial planning

– Broadening one’s interests

– Developing hobbies

– Taking care of one’s health

New Opportunities



Challenging Stereotypes about the Aging

According to popular wisdom, as people grow older, they grow more

rigid in their habits and more conservative in their social and political

thinking. But is this true?

Current Research in Sociology

• Stereotypes about older people

becoming more conservative

have been proven inaccurate by

studies.

• In fact, older people grow more

liberal on many subjects.

• One possible explanation is that

as society has become less

conservative about topics such

as race relations or premarital

sex, the difference is more

noticeable in older respondents.

• Results show that people’s

attitudes grow and change

throughout their lives.





Thinking Critically

• Why do you think stereotypes of aging Americans as

conservative persist?

• Do you think it is possible to use people’s age to predict

their attitudes on topics? Explain.



Trading Places: Becoming Your Parent’s Parent

How would you cope with becoming your parent’s

caregiver?

• In this lab you will review the

stages of adulthood.

• Work in small groups to

describe the symptoms of an

aging person.

• Role-play the roles of aging

parent and adult children.

1. Introduction

Simulation: Applying What You’ve Learned

• Select at least two changes that

would lead to an adult parent

becoming dependent.

• Describe the changes that an

adult child would encounter in

caring for his or her dependent

parent.

2. Writing the Case Study





3. Reversing Roles

• Work with your groups to

brainstorm what life would be

like when the parent and child

roles reverse.

• Identify why specific decisions

might be a source of conflict.

4. The Simulation

• Review with your group the

case study you wrote.

• Write a short script that focuses

on a conflict that arises

between an aging parent and

an adult child.

• Perform the script for the class.

Simulation (cont.)



5. Discussion

What did you learn from this

simulation? As a group, discuss

the following:

• How successful were the simulations

in illustrating the challenges faced by

families?

• Which role would you rather be in?

• How are the reversed roles similar to

the relationship of a parent and

child?

• Do you think a third party would be

helpful or not?

Simulation (cont.)

Documents

Chapter 6: The Adult in Society - Weeblymsmccleskeyhistory.weebly.com/uploads/5/4/8/7/54876939/chapter_6.pdfChapter 6: The Adult in Society Case Study: ... Changes in Late Adulthood