In my entire 18 years of age, I have never heard the term “emerging adulthood”. Being this my third year at Liberty, I finally found a term that defines this season of my life. I am from Peru and people who are my age do not experience what I do because they stay home their complete career in college (if they opt to go) and then get married, and that is the moment where they face adulthood. I am the exception. I came for an educational experience from a Biblical perspective. As Arnett says in his article about Emerging Adulthood, “Some emerging adults move to a different part of the country or the world to pursue opportunities in education”. (2006) I came when I was 16 years old, I knew I was going to face many challenges and changes in my …show more content…
Recently all the plans that I had for the summer changed (again), and I am getting used to the fact that I cannot control my own life, not even my vacations. I belong to God and He in his sovereignty decides what to do in my life, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.” (Romans 14:18, KJV) People are different and God has a unique process for every single person. I have questioned myself if it was a good idea to leave home at 16, to live my environment, my people, my parents, and then I remember that God brought me here and even though it was not in plans to come, I obeyed God. And although sometimes I cannot see the why, I have learned to trust God no matter what.
In conclusion, I felt comprehended when I learned about instability in emerging adulthood. Instability can make people grow and realize that staying for a long time in the same place can make us comfortable, when in reality, as Christians, we should constantly be going out of our comfort zone. Now I see the benefits of this age of instability. I would never change all the experiences that I am acquiring. Now I am going to Peru for three months and even though I have never stayed that long since I came here, I know for sure that God will show me his sufficiency as much as he showed it to me
Now, that I am older and more mature, I can do the things I have always wanted to do as well as the things I never knew I wanted to do. I can do without authority; I can do without a plan, but all within reason. I can get a job to earn money, and know not to do it away. I can live on my own with said money, but all I could afford is a dismal apartment. At this point, I am all but disillusioned by what I thought was freedom. Though still with my goals, they know longer seem to fit. What I Iooked forward to, I would rather not see.
Those of us that have celebrated those magical birthdays between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one can all share our “coming-of-age” stories; the tales of how we defined ourselves to be grown-ups and independent of our parents or guardians’ care. The transition from adolescence into adulthood varies all around the world. If you were like me and born in the United States, adulthood is recognized by the government once you turn eighteen years old. Although, in this culture, once you turn eighteen perhaps your parents recognized it for you and sent you to college or go into the world and find your own way. Elsewhere in the world, different cultures and religions around the world set their own mark to when they believe this metamorphosis takes place. This can be heavily influenced by one’s parents, religion or through traditional ceremonies or rituals.
...In closing, adulthood, the longest period in the life cycle spanning the years from adolescence to old age and involves decisions about many aspects of earlier goals, family value and identify the individual 's life (Austrian, 2008). Currently, the largest cohort in the United States, the best educated and most affluent, many find themselves in the sandwich generation, caring for children and parents, while reaching a peak in their careers (Austrian, 2008). Between the years of 1960 to 1985 the baby boomer population increased by 24 percent, with an expectation to increase by 47 percent between 1990 and 2050 (Austrian, 2008). Every transition involves the termination of an existing life structure and the initiation of new ones with sociocultural life evolving around class, religion, ethnicity, family, politics and work (Austrian, 2008; Levinson, et al. 1978:420).
If all Arnett’s talk about emerging adulthood sounds vaguely familiar . . . well, it should. Forty years ago, an article appeared in The American Scholar that declared “a new stage of life” for the period between adolescence and young adulthood. This was 1970 when the oldest members of the baby boom generation — the parents of today’s 20-somethings — were 24. Young people of the day “can’t seem to ‘settle down,’ ” wrote the Yale psychologist Kenneth Keniston. He called the new stage of life “youth.”
Growing up for me some would say it was rather difficult and in some ways I would agree. There have been a lot of rough times that I have been through. This has and will affect my life for the rest of my life. The leading up to adoption, adoption and after adoption are the reasons my life were difficult.
But is emerging adulthood a period that every young person experiences through their life, in every culture and exactly the same ages or are there any restrictions for young people to experience this emerging phase. Marriage was the significance that a person entered adulthood, it usually happened between the ages of 16-18 for females and 18-20 for males. This small window before marriage only allows for a period of adolescences but no emerging adulthood. So this means that emerging adulthood is not a universal phase but one that only is experienced by those people that delay taking any adult like responsibilities until past their teens. Because some countries are extremely industrialized the requirement of people to have a higher education is reinforced, many emerging adults remain in school until their early or mid twenties to obtain a gainful position.
I do not believe anyone's transition into adulthood is enjoyable or smooth, losing your ignorance and being made aware of real world problems isn't exactly what you wish for. The event that marked my transition into adulthood is certainly nothing I would wish on anyone, but if I had not experienced this, I wouldn't have become someone who learned to take responsibility, and find reasonable solutions to seemingly impossible tasks.
As far as I am concerned there are two main factors that could define adulthood which is the religion and level of maturity. The first factor is composed of tradition, experience, spiritual education which combine explained the important of the religious factor in the definition of the world adult. While, the level of maturity is integrated by the possible lacking of common sense, impulsivity and life planning. If this both factor and each of its components are combined together, it is possible to have a definition of the world adult. As one great writer once mention: every side has to main connotations which are: one related to society and the other to
When Arnett first introduced the term Emerging Adulthood, he defined it as “a period of development bridging adolescence and young adulthood, during which young people are no longer adolescents but have not attained full adult status” (Arnett, 2004, p. 312). In many cases, emerging adulthood can be a rather lengthy transition period, typically beginning around the age of 18 and coming to its end around the age of 25, although Arnett would likely extend the upper age boundary to the age of 29 (as cited in Santrock, 2015, p. 402; Arnett, 2004). However, depending on the course of an individual’s life, one may be considered an adult at a much younger, or a much older age. A few examples of this may be related to an emerging adult’s self-identity,
J. J. Arnett argues his theory about a developmental stage individuals go through of 18-25 year olds as a new concept, (Arnett, 2000, pp. 469). He describes emerging adulthood as being a sustained period of time where this age group, as mentioned previously, explores their roles preceding being an adult. These movements can include events similarly by taking longer than previous years to get married and have children, moving back in with their parents at a point during this age span, exploring self-identities, not feeling like an adult and feelings of self-failure. James E. Cote, who is a previous colleague of Arnett argues the opposite about this concept being an unexperienced developmental stage Arnett calls, “Emerging Adulthood”. Cote states
When I was younger, I always wanted to be an adult. I was fortunate enough to have enjoyed a happy childhood, but something about being an adult mesmerized me. As I've gotten older, however, I've realized the naivety of this misconception and I've seen the struggles of adulthood firsthand.Back then, I had no idea that my transition to adulthood would occur much sooner than expected and in a way that no one should have to endure. When I was sixteen years old, my transition to adulthood was marked by my unexpected responsibility as a caregiver for my ill mother.
Young adulthood is also at a point where we take risk with edgework. Young adults do the most extreme jobs out there such as extreme bike deliver. Young adults are also in college to get a great job and financial successful. Young adulthood is when us human try and find love! Some people seek for intimacy, some seek for passion, and ours seek for commitment. We search for love all over the world. Young adults go on social networks to find love, blind dates hook-ups, and choice over-load. Young adulthood set us up to become adults and to take care of ourselves and love ones.
Everyone that have ever lived to adulthood, understand that difficulty of the transition to it from childhood. As of right now, I am in the prime of the “coming of age “transition. The overwhelming pressure of our society that forces the adolescence to assimilate the social norms is felt by many. Just as in our first steps, our first words or anything that is expected in our human milestones, coming of age is one of them. It may variety from different societies, religious responsibility or modern legal convention; everyone had to reach this point eventually.
Growing up as a “bright” teenager I have habits of making some “smart”choices. I do things like studying for test, being nice to my parents, and getting good grades. Then came one day when I was in eighth grade, I was walking from my friends house to mine, I saw a steel rim with a hard ground lying beneath it. You know teenagers, we’re about as dumb as a bucket of hair. A teenager with something to hang on, sounds scary right.
Adulthood has often been associated with independence. It serves as a turning point in life where one has to take responsibility for oneself and no longer being dependent on his or her family. Early adulthood, usually begins from late teens or early twenties and will last until the thirties (Santrock, 2013). Early adulthood revolves around changes and exploration while middle and late adulthood are more of stability. The transition from adolescence and adulthood differs among every individual. The onset of the transition is determined by many factors such as culture, family background, and the personality of the individual. Emerging adulthood (as cited in Santrock, 2014) is the term to describe the transition period from adolescence to adulthood.