+

Young Adulthood: Love and Work

“Lieben und artbeiten.” ~Sigmund Freud

+Transition to Adulthood Accepting responsibility for oneself Making independent decisions Becoming financially independent Intimacy versus isolation is central conflict according to

Erikson Cultural variations include:

Israeli’s completing military service Korean support parents financially Traditional cultures focus on marriage

+

Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love

+Changes in Love

The three components follow a predictable trajectory

+Marriage

Marriage may exist for several reasons: Uniting people to serve complementary gender roles Reduces sexual competition Necessary for the species

Variation between cultures in choice of marriage partners, economics and number of marriage partners

+

+Arranged Marriages

Romantic love may not be a basis for marriage for all cultures

Arranged marriages are an alliance between families with love developing after marriage Commitment first and attachment second Marriage is also seen as an economic institution

Many traditional cultures are shifting from “arranged” to semi arranged

+Western Marital Roles

Western view of marriage strongly based on intimacy and sexual relationships

Focus on ideal mate could lead to marital dissatisfaction

Belief in self-fulfillment in marriage leads to high divorce rate in the U.S.

+

Figure 10.3 Divorce Peaks in Young Adulthood

+ Divorce

Causes of divorce include Age at marriage—younger than 25 Divorced parents Socioeconomic status—conflict and stress over finances Partner behavior—drinking or drug use, infidelity

Adjustments after divorce hardest in first 1–2 years

+Single Adults Compared to married young adults it was thought

being single led to Increased mental health problems Physical health problems Substance abuse

Thorough analysis has shown all these negative effects were overblown

Ethnic variations exist in singlehood African Americans have higher rates of cohabitation than

other groups In Asian countries (urban) 1/3 of woman 30-34 are single In Japan, single young adults are the happiest group

+Gay and Lesbian Partnerships

There are similarities between homosexual and heterosexual partnerships Seek long term relationship Seek out similar partners and have similar areas of conflict

Differences include Gay couples tolerate sexual episodes more than lesbian or

heterosexual couples Higher sexual activity

Many differences are fading as acceptance increases

+Becoming a Parent

Traditional countries Becoming a parent is extremely important Fertility is goal of a woman and men enjoy greater status

Developed countries Parenting is a choice and may not be extremely important Parents more likely to be on their own although there are

ethnic group differences

Single motherhood is higher now than 50 years ago In U.S. there are ethnic and education differences

+The Meaning of Work Most people work to make a living but also find meaning

in their work Research has found that people have four common ways

in which personal fulfillment is derived from work

Developing and becoming self

Union with others to pursue a common purpose

Expressing self

Serving others

+Choosing an Occupation

Holland’s Theory of Occupational Choice People pursue careers that are a good fit between

their abilities and interests Six personality types that combine these factors:

investigative, social, realistic, artistic, conventional, and enterprising

Holland’s theory does not tell us much about the differences among ethnic groups or other cultural groups

+Super’s Theory People progress along a continuum of vocational

maturity through five stages Implementation stage Establishment stage Maintenance stage Deceleration stage Retirement stage

Occupational aspirations at age 16 in the U.K. predicted occupational attainments at 33

In the U.S., people change occupations several times during adulthood

+Occupational Development How we advance within chosen occupations depends

on many factors including

Expectations

Support from coworkers

Priorities

Job satisfaction

+Occupational Expectations Changing interests and failure can be cause for

changing the dream Leaving school and learning about the real world is

often a time of reality shock for young adults Job satisfaction tends to increase with age

Probably because with advancing age, workers tend to select and stay with jobs that satisfy them and move on from work that is less satisfying

+The Role of Mentors and Coaches More experienced workers often communicate the most

critical kinds of information rather than formal training

Mentors help young workers avoid trouble and explain the unwritten rules of the job

Mentors often guide young workers and help to ensure that they are noticed and get credit from supervisors

+The Role of Mentors (Cont)

Kram described four phases of the mentoring relationship:

Initiation

Cultivation

Separation

Redefinition

+Work-Family Conflict Dual-earner couples have difficulty finding time for each

other The amount of time is not necessarily the most important

issue as long as they enjoy the time together and it is spent in shared activities

Many mothers have to return to work after the birth of a baby Some women struggle with the issue of returning to work,

weighing financial need and the need to care for their children Some women feel the need to return to work as a result of

attachment to their work Giving up work means a redefinition of one’s identity

Highest level of stress was during the peak parenting years when there were often at least two preschool children in the home

+Division of Household Labor Women spend up to 50% more hours per week than

men in family work Unequal division of labor is the greatest source of

arguments and unhappiness in two-earner households While men have increased the amount of time spent

on household chores, the greatest amount of the increase is on the weekends

+ Division of Household Labor

The division of household labor is often the result of people’s experience with their parents’ assignment of chores

Men are more satisfied with the division of household labor

Women are not as concerned about the amount of time men spend on household chores as when there are certain “women’s chores” that men will not perform

Even when women enjoy doing tasks that are traditionally considered “women’s work,” they may still experience role strain when a partner does not also engage in these tasks

+Support in the Home

Women are more satisfied when men take on tasks that are traditionally women’s chores

African American and Hispanic men spend more time on household chores than European American men