Becoming an Adult At what age does a person become an adult? Here are some possible answers: 16: age at which you may be eligible to obtain a driver's license 18: age at which you can vote 21: age at which you can legally drink alcohol 22: approximate age at which you graduate from college Whatever age at which you become financially independent In non-industrialized countries and in many different cultures, adolescents become adults through a ritual in which the young person performs some feat or exhibits a specific behavior. In industrialized cultures, this process is not as clear. Think back to the period of your life when you were becoming an adult. At what age did you feel that you truly were an adult? What educational, work, or social experiences promoted the sense of full adulthood? The transition to adulthood in the United States today is difficult and can last for many years. Young adults have many choices in lifestyle, career, and education. The process can be confusing. Young adults often find themselves on a wrong path. For example, college students in the United States change majors an average of three times before graduation. American adults are expected to change careers at least three times in early adulthood. Cultural norms play a role in developing a path for the transitional process for young adults. For example, in the United States, if a person has decided to attend college, the expectation is that he or she will begin college shortly after high school graduation. But in many European countries, adolescents are encouraged to travel or work before entering college. Normative pressures also change with generations. What is acceptable today might have been unacceptable 30 years ago. Socioeconomic circumstances play an important role in any cultural and historical context. In the 1930s in the United States, many adolescents could not go to high school because they were needed to farm or work in order to support their families of origin. The need for dependence on family is related to opportunities for economic independence, as well as the time and cost of education. Likewise, the need for independence is strong in many families and cultures. Community norms and community economic circumstances also contribute to dependence and independence. This week, you have examined the economic and career opportunities of several cultures. Now you are going to contrast educational and career opportunities for young adults as they relate to two cultural and historical contexts. To prepare for this Discussion: • Review Chapter 10 in the course text, Experiencing the Lifespan . • Review the article "Perceptions of the Transition to Adulthood Among Chinese and American Emerging Adults," in the Learning Resources. • Choose two contexts, one cultural and one historical. • Think about what it means to be an adult in each of these two contexts. • Contrast the educational and career opportunities in each of the.

1. Becoming an Adult
At what age does a person become an adult? Here are some
possible answers:
16: age at which you may be eligible to obtain a driver's license
18: age at which you can vote
21: age at which you can legally drink alcohol
22: approximate age at which you graduate from college
Whatever age at which you become financially independent
In non-industrialized countries and in many different cultures,
adolescents become adults through a ritual in which the young
person performs some feat or exhibits a specific behavior. In
industrialized cultures, this process is not as clear.
Think back to the period of your life when you were becoming
an adult. At what age did you feel that you truly were an adult?
What educational, work, or social experiences promoted the
sense of full adulthood?
The transition to adulthood in the United States today is
difficult and can last for many years. Young adults have many
choices in lifestyle, career, and education. The process can be
confusing. Young adults often find themselves on a wrong path.
For example, college students in the United States change
majors an average of three times before graduation. American

2. adults are expected to change careers at least three times in
early adulthood.
Cultural norms play a role in developing a path for the
transitional process for young adults. For example, in the
United States, if a person has decided to attend college, the
expectation is that he or she will begin college shortly after
high school graduation. But in many European countries,
adolescents are encouraged to travel or work before entering
college. Normative pressures also change with generations.
What is acceptable today might have been unacceptable 30
years ago.
Socioeconomic circumstances play an important role in any
cultural and historical context. In the 1930s in the United
States, many adolescents could not go to high school because
they were needed to farm or work in order to support their
families of origin.
The need for dependence on family is related to opportunities
for economic independence, as well as the time and cost of
education. Likewise, the need for independence is strong in
many families and cultures. Community norms and community
economic circumstances also contribute to dependence and
independence.
This week, you have examined the economic and career
opportunities of several cultures. Now you are going to contrast
educational and career opportunities for young adults as they
relate to two cultural and historical contexts.
To prepare for this Discussion:

3. •
Review Chapter 10 in the course text,
Experiencing the Lifespan
.
•
Review the article "Perceptions of the Transition to Adulthood
Among Chinese and American Emerging Adults," in the
Learning Resources.
•
Choose two contexts, one cultural and one historical.
•
Think about what it means to be an adult in each of these two
contexts.
•
Contrast the educational and career opportunities in each of
these two contexts.
•
Think about the socioeconomic status related to the time or
culture you selected.
•
Consider the concepts of on-time/off-time and the social clock
within each context.

4. •
Consider the need for dependence/independence for each
context.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 4
a brief description of the cultural or historical context you
selected, including the socioeconomic state related to the
cultural or historical context. Then describe the expectation of
what adult attainment means in each context. Contrast the
educational and career opportunities between the two contexts.
Finally, contrast the potential attainment of adult status,
considering at least one of the following concepts: social clock,
on-time/off-time, or independence/dependence.
Note:
Put the cultural or historical context you selected in the first
line of your post. You will be asked to respond to a colleague
who selected a different cultural or historical context than you
did.