Emerging and Young Adulthood: Multiple Perspectives, Diverse Narratives

The delayed onset of maturity from adolescence to adulthood is gaining the considerable attention of scholars, not to mention that of the parents and the young adults themselves. The chapters in this volume examine the experiences of numerous individuals in their 20s and early 30s – as well as parents and employers – the end result of which is a finely nuanced, research-based portrait of today’s aging adolescents and the increasingly high hurdles they must jump to reach full-fledged adulthood.The chapters of Emerging and Young Adulthood: Multiple Perspectives, Diverse Narratives:Feature scores of narratives told by research subjects in their own words.Represent a broad racial and ethnic cross-section of subjects.Include the experiences of working class individuals, a population that has been ignored in previous studies.Pinpoint specific clinical issues relating to this generation’s behavioral patterns.Challenge much of the conventional wisdom about emerging and young adults.This volume reaches beyond facile "Gen X" and "quarterlife crisis" constructs to reveal the many diverse voices of young adults – their attitudes toward life, work, relationships, peers, and identities – and incorporates the diverse perspectives of parents and employers. It is a must-have resource for developmental, school, and counseling psychologists and therapists as well as for researchers and graduate-level students._____________________________________________________________________"Varda Konstam has written a fascinating and compelling book about the lives of young people in the process of crossing over from an unsettled emerging adulthood to a more stable young adulthood. Using the rich materials from her interviews, she provides insights on a wide range of topics in their lives. A special strength of the book is that she obtained interviews not only from the young people themselves but from their parents and employers. Anyone interested in the lives and futures of today’s emerging adults will enjoy and learn from this book."Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Clark University, Author of 'Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties'"Konstam makes a strong case that there are unique qualities to the contemporary transition to adulthood. And the author articulates the significant cultural, economic, and demographic patterns that uniquely affect the trajectories of this generation's emerging adults. A thoughtful case is made for the tasks of balancing aspirations and expectations in this cohort as well as choices to be made and relevant constraints. The use of narratives from individuals transitioning to adulthood adds immensely to the richness and value of this book."Barbara Tinsley, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University