Describe the transitional period known as emerging adulthood, and explain what circumstances are most likely to allow one to experience this period

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
In industrialized nations such as the United States, the time between the teenage years and when one assumes adult responsibilities is not as short as it used to be. This added length has resulted in a new transitional phase of development from one’s late teens to one’s mid-20s referred to as emerging adulthood (Arnett, 2007).
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More young people are attending college, especially women. The median age of marriage has risen and parenthood is often delayed such that emerging adulthood prolongs identity development as young people pursue education, travel, explore various career paths, and experiment with varying love relationships (Arnett, 2010). Even at a subjective level, young people don’t feel like they have assumed adult responsibilities.
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However, emerging adulthood does not occur for all young people. In many non-Western cultures, there is no delay between the teen years and adult roles; young people work, get married, and raise families in adolescence or soon after (UNICEF, 2009). Even in Western nations like the United States that have postponed adult roles, a transitional period of emerging adulthood is not possible for young people with limited economic resources or little education or for those who experience early parenthood.