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2 - Thinking about the Transition to Adulthood: From Grand Narratives to Useful Theories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2009

By
Michael J. Shanahan  and
Kyle C. Longest
Edited by
Ingrid Schoon  and
Rainer K. Silbereisen
Ingrid Schoon
Affiliation:
Institute of Education, University of London
Rainer K. Silbereisen
Affiliation:
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany
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Summary

The study of adolescence and young adulthood has been markedly influenced by “grand narratives” that purport to offer encompassing descriptions of these periods of life. Most organismic theories of development – which view the biography as a progression through universal stages – count as grand narratives. According to such theories, all humans must proceed through a sequence of stages that reflect a “maturational unfolding” of qualities that everyone shares. For example, Erikson (1968) maintained that everyone must pass through the stages of industry versus inferiority and then intimacy versus isolation, reflecting the intrinsic nature of ego development. A more recent example is Arnett's (2000) concept of “emerging adulthood,” which he proposed as a new phase of the life course between adolescence and adulthood. According to his conceptualization, during emerging adulthood, youth explore roles and identities with little commitment. Although emerging adulthood is not an organismic theory of development that supposes a universally shared set of experiences, the concept has been proposed as a new phase of the life course in contemporary Western societies. Thus, it has the “across-the-board” quality of a grand narrative.

In fact, emerging adulthood has become common currency among researchers and policy makers. Arnett's seminal article on emerging adulthood in American Psychologist has been cited, according to the Google Scholar, more than seven hundred times as of mid-2008, and the concept has been the organizing principle of regularly held conferences, edited volumes, and an international encyclopedia.

Type
Chapter
Information
Transitions from School to Work
Globalization, Individualization, and Patterns of Diversity
 , pp. 30 - 42
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

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References

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