Emerging and Young Adulthood: Multiple Perspectives, Diverse Narratives

177 Pages·2007·2.257 MB·English

by  Varda Konstam (auth.)

ADVANCING RESPONSIBLE
ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
Varda Konstam
Emerging and
Young Adulthood
Multiple Perspectives,
Diverse Narratives
Emerging and
Young Adulthood
Advancing ResponsibleAdolescent Development
SeriesEditor:
RogerJ.R.Levesque,IndianaUniversity,Bloomington,USA
EMERGINGANDYOUNGADULTHOOD
MultiplePerspectives,DiverseNarratives
byVardaKonstam
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Emerging and
Young Adulthood
Multiple Perspectives,
Diverse Narratives
Varda Konstam
VardaKonstam
DepartmentofCounselingandSchoolPsychology
UniversityofMassachusettsBoston
Boston,MA01778
USA
[email protected]
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2007926111
ISBN-13:978-0-387-71032-7 e-ISBN-13:978-0-387-71033-4
Printedonacid-freepaper.
©2007SpringerScience+BusinessMedia,LLC
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—myinspirations
Acknowledgements
AspecialthankyoutoAmaliDeZoysaforprovidinginvaluablesupport,persis-
tenceandsteadfastnessthroughouttheprocessofwritingthisbook.Iwouldalso
liketothankPhyllisLafferforhercontinuedsupport.
vii
Prologue
Havingtwochildren,oneinthethickofnavigatingemergingadulthood,theother
abouttoenterit,Ifoundmyselfstrugglingbetweenbeingunderstandinginterms
ofhowdifficultitistonegotiateaseeminglymorecomplexanduncertainenvi-
ronment,andexpectingthatmychildrenpickupthepaceandlivetheirlivesusing
developmentalmarkersthatIhadinternalized.Iviewedmyselfasoverlyindulgent
and involved in the lives of my children. How could I be helpful in my role as
parent,friend,andconfidante?
Itwaseasytobejudgmental. Iwasmarriedat21, hadacareerthatexceeded
my expectations by age 27, and my first child at the age of 29. I listened to
my internal voice saying, “You don’t really get what it’s like out there, these
aredifferenttimesthatrequiredifferentapproaches,differentwaysofbeingand
coping.”Idecidedtousemyanalyticandclinicalskills,insteadofmywell-honed
judgmentalskills,andconvincedmyselftobemoreopentoalternativeperspectives
andwaysofthinkingaboutthisdevelopmentalperiod.Iwasgoingtograpplewith
theissues,andcommunicatemynewfoundunderstandingtostudentsandpotential
practitionersinthefield,aswellasthemajorstakeholders,individualsnegotiating
and/or interfacing with emerging and young adults, parents, and employers. I
wasdeterminedtousemyenergiesconstructivelyandembarkonwritingabook
that was grounded in the academic literature, provided clarity and reassurance
whenever possible, but at the same time did not present an overly optimistic
picturethatwasreassuringforreassurancesake.
What happens to emerging adults as they “emerge” from their 20s? How can
we integrate their diverse narratives and perspectives and go beyond what we
already know about them? My instincts and clinical skills told me they were
not a monolithic group, and that the meanings they attached to this develop-
mental period were diverse and textured, informed in part by the experiences
theyencounteredintheir20s. Intheprocess, Iwouldtrytodecipherandunder-
standwhatskill-sets,personalcharacteristics,andenvironmentalcontextsenable
emergingandyoungadultstothriveinahighlychallengingworkandinterpersonal
environment.
ix
x EmergingandYoungAdulthood
The diverse voices of the major stakeholders are represented: emerging and
young adults, parents, and employers. The Chinese ideograph indicating crisis
suggestsdangeraswellasopportunity.Listeningtothevariousstakeholderswill
provideauniqueopportunitytoviewthisdevelopmentaljuncturefrommultiple
perspectivesandintheprocessexpandtheexistingliterature.
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Prologue ix
Chapter1 Introduction 1
Chapter2 Identity 13
Chapter3 CulturalConsiderationsandEmerging
andYoungAdulthood 29
Chapter4 VoicesofEmergingandYoungAdults:
InPursuitofaCareerPath 43
Chapter5 VoicesofEmergingandYoungAdults:
FromtheProfessionaltothePersonal 59
Chapter6 The“Tyranny”ofChoice:ARe-Examination
ofthePrevailingNarrative 81
Chapter7 ParentalVoices:“AdjustmentReactions
toChildren’sAdultLife” 97
Chapter8 VoicesofEmployers:Overlappingand
DisparateViews 111
Chapter9 RunningonEmpty,RunningonFull:
SummaryandSynthesis 129
AppendixA Methods 149
AppendixB EmergingandYoungAdultQuestionnaire 159
AppendixC ParentQuestionnaire 163
AppendixD EmployerQuestionnaire 167
Index 169
xi