Bài giảng Human Development 2e - Chapter 9 Young adults

Chapter 9Young adultsDevelopment in adulthoodIs adulthood an end point for 'development'?Can people develop through adult life?What does a theory of development in adulthood look like?Does physiological development reverse once 'maturity' has been reached?There is no single developmental pathway that must be followed from birth to death.Milestones of young adulthoodGetting settled in a job or careerFinding and settling with a long-term partnerBuying a house Having childrenThese milestones are being delayed and some are not even part of the life plan of some young adults.Impact of migrationMany young adults leave their home country in search of adventure and/or better jobs.Youthful migration can mean a delay in 'settling down' and can lead to settling down in a new country.Families now have family ties around the world.Long-term partnerships can bridge cultural boundaries.Intergenerational effectsHistorical and structural economic changes mean:increased life expectancyexpectations of tertiary qualificationslow pay and fewer career options.These interact with generational effects, such as:differences in expectations between older and younger cohortsfamiliarity with technological developments.These produce new experiences in the young adult period.Psychological development in young adulthood Piaget's theory suggested cognitive development reaches its peak by young adulthood:logical thinkingmoral principlesability to think hypothetically.Claiborne and Drewery argue that young adults are more adaptive.They tolerate ambiguity more readily than previous generations.Crystallised and fluid intelligence means that the older we get the more experience we have to use to solve problems.Personality developmentIs personality fixed for life?Or does it change through life?Three popular theories of development that apply to adulthood:Maslow's hierarchy of needs Erikson's psychosocial challengesLevinson's theory of development through adulthood.Maslow's hierarchy of needsErikson's crisis of intimacy versus isolationDevelopmental crisis: learning to reach out and make profoundly meaningful contact with another, without losing a sense of your own self or becoming competitive with the other personLevinson's theory of adult developmentEnd of adolescence: leaving home and becoming more independentMid-20s: finding a career, marrying and setting up a homeAge 30: reassessing work and family life choicesFinally: 'becoming one's own man'Critiques of Levinson's theoryThe theory relies on the idea of periods of stability interspersed with periods of instability, called transitions.The theory has been critiqued for confusing the social expectations of a culture with biological norms or development.The timing suggested for these transitions is no longer relevant.Careers and career managementThere is a changing situation in today's world.There is more variety of jobs.Jobs are often temporary and some may go out of existence.New jobs are created quickly.Careers are not seen as 'for life'.Changes in the job market are not always predictable.Educational pathways are less clear.John Holland's (1973, 1996) theory of occupational choice Holland proposed personality types:realisticinvestigativesocialartisticconventionalenterprising.Assumption: These types can be matched to jobs.Most jobs and people fit into these categories. This theory is the basis of many job search programmes.The changing nature of paid work in the life spanMany cultures in the world do not have paid employment or unemployment.Unemployment is a characteristic of post-industrial societies.There is a lot of unpaid work and volunteering (e.g. taking care of family/whānau).Having a good job does not only depend on skills but also on what jobs are available.Unemployment in AotearoaYoung people are encouraged to remain in tertiary education; this hides youth unemployment.Paid work = more than one hour of work per week for financial gain.More people are in part-time work.Most people believe they have a right to paid work.Being unemployed for a long period can be socially and psychologically damaging.EmploymentParticipation in the paid workforce has gone up.63% of women are now in the paid workforce, compared with 74% of men.Flexible hours are important.More men work part time than previously.Having a job organises your time, affords social contact and gives you an identity.Most people will experience periods out of the paid workforce during adulthood.Settling downYoung adults are marrying later than older generations.Cohabitation (or de facto) is common.History suggests that people used to marry because they were pregnant.'Ex-nuptial' births have increased as a proportion of all births—which means that there are fewer 'nuptial' births.The availability and use of contraception has changed the way young adults develop their intimate and long-term relationships.Becoming a familyIn general people are having fewer children than previously.There are many patterns of family life.A family lifecycle The ages of children affect the demands on their parents' lives.Children affect parents, just as parents affect children.Understanding the needs and expectations of each stage of family life is important for planning parents' lives.Each stage can be enjoyable.Change happens quickly.Taking care of children is an investment in their future.A family lifecycle (cont.)The changing needs of children and the effects on parents can be reflected in:couples without childrena period of child-bearingfamilies with young childrenfamilies with children starting schoolprimary school-aged childrenyoung adolescentsyouthentering tertiary educationchildren leave homegrandparenting.Reflecting on young adulthoodDecisions made in young adulthood can set the structure of your adult life.Developmental outcomes in adulthood do not follow simple causal patterns.The ecology of your life is complex but by the end of young adulthood some of this becomes clearer.The quality of the interactions and the environment produce developmental outcomes.Development is constructed.