Social Change and Entry to Adulthood
Title
Social Change and Entry to Adulthood
Author
Mortimer, Jeylan T.
Research Area
Social Processes
Topic
Life Course
Abstract
The effects of social change on the transition to adulthood are manifest in large‐scale societal and institutional changes, alterations in relationships and networks, and shifts in individual psychological orientations and behaviors. This essay reviews key foundational work that has established the framework for our understanding of social change and the transition to adulthood, highlighting Mannheim and Elder's theoretical contributions and early empirical studies of age norms, status attainment, and the timing and sequencing of adult role markers. It then describes major ongoing programs of research on the movement from school to work, pathways of transition, familial financial and residential support of transitioning children, and both adult roles and character traits as sources of adult identity. Finally, in view of ongoing societal trends, it calls for future studies of inequality and its implications for the diverging destinies of youth that depend on their social class origin, race, and gender; shifts in the bases of youth age‐related and other identities; the consequences of social media for transitional dynamics; and the implications of transitional patterns for young adult health, cross‐national comparative studies, and youth responses to climate change.