Title: Social Transitions
1Social Transitions
- Social Transitions Historically
- Common Practices in Social Redefinition
- Process
- Separation
- Transition
- Re-incorporation
- Rites of Passage
- Changes in Clarity Continuity
- Contemporary Adolescence
2Socialization is
- The process by which people acquire the
behaviors and beliefs of their culture
Socialization Outcomes
- Self-regulation ability to comply with social
norms - Role preparation for roles in work, gender,
institutions such as marriage, parenthood - Cultivation of sources of meaning whats
important? Whats to be lived for?
3Adolescence as a Social Invention
- Adolescence defined primarily by being distinct
from childhood or adulthood, not by cognitive and
biological changes - Inventionists stress that because we perceive
adolescence as distinct, it exists as a distinct
period of the lifespan - Relative to other cultures and historical periods
- Problems experienced during adolescence may be
due to societys definition of adolescence, not
cognitive or biological changes
4Adolescence as a Social Invention
- Roots in the Industrial Revolution
- Young people excluded from labor force
- Economic dependence on elders
- Formal schooling is lengthened
- New Terminology
- Teenager
- Youth
- Emerging adulthood
5Emerging Adulthood
- Arnetts (1998) term for ages 18-25 caught
between adolescence and adulthood, characterized
by - Exploring possible identities before making
enduring choices - Unstable work, romantic relationships, and living
situations - Focus on oneself and independent functioning
- Subjective feeling of being caught between
adolescence and adulthood - Subjective feeling that life holds many
possibilities
6Social Redefinition
- A time of change in social roles and status
- How society defines adolescence
- Contemporary society vs. traditional cultures
- Implications for development
- Identity, autonomy, responsibility, intimacy,
sexuality, achievement
7Social Redefinition and Psychosocial Development
- Identity
- Attainment of adult status causes adolescent to
feel more adult-like - Autonomy
- Adult status leads to shifts in responsibility,
independence, and freedom - Intimacy, dating and marriage
- Need for new decisions about sexual activity
- Achievement
- Becoming a full-time employee leave school of
their own volition -
8The Process of Social Redefinition
- Contemporary America Movement through a series
of status transitions with a cohort over a period
of years - Driving, purchasing alcohol, etc.
- Generally begins at age 15 or 16
- Permission to drive, work, leave school
- Voting, age 18
- Purchasing alcoholic beverages, age 21
- Timetable is affected by economics, politics, and
culture
9The Process
- Three themes
- Separation
- Transition
- Reincorporation
10The Process
- Separation
- Extrusion Real or symbolic separation from
parents
11Social Redefinition Three Major Components
- Transition
- Separation of males and females
- Brother-sister avoidance
- Passing on of cultural, historical, and practical
information - from the adult generation to the newly inducted
cohort of young people
12The Process of Social Redefinition
- Some societies mark social redefinition of the
young person with a dramatic and elaborate
initiation ceremony called a rite of passage - This often marks the beginning of a long period
of training
13Social Redefinition Rites of Passage
- Cushion emotional disruption
- Anchoring
- Provides a sense of belonging to both individual
and society - Inform
- Individual and society
- Attempt to provide clarity
14Social Redefinition
- Reciprocity
- Privileges and rights in exchange for good
conduct - Change in status
- Interpersonal
- Political
- Economic
- Legal
15Changes in Status
- Two-sided alteration in status
- Given privileges/rights reserved for societys
adults - Increased expectations for
- self-management
- personal responsibility
- social participation
16Four Major Changes in Status
- Interpersonal
- Political
- Economic
- Legal
17Changes in Interpersonal Status
- Addressed with adult titles
- Maintain new types of social relationships with
- Parents and elders
- Younger individuals whose status has not yet
changed - New interpersonal obligations
- Taking care of and setting example for younger
members of family
18Changes in Political Status
- More extensive participation in the communitys
decision making - Voting (U.S. citizens)
- Ceremonial life (Navajo people - formal
initiation ceremony) - Expected to serve their communities in emergency
and train for warfare
19Changes in Economic Status
- May own property and maintain control over their
income - Until age 16, belongs to parents
- Until 18, cannot enter into legal contract like a
car lease - Age is a prerequisite for employment in certain
occupations - Child labor laws in the United States
- Expected to pay taxes
20Changes in Legal Status
- Ability to participate in activities typically
reserved for adults - Gambling
- Purchasing alcohol, smoking
- Driving, voting
- Expected to take increased responsibility for
self-management and social participation
21Types of transitions I
- Clarity explicit markers of beginning and end
of adolescence - Traditional cultures ceremonies, initiations
- Contemporary culture
- Less of an emphasis on attainment of roles
- Arnett (1998) what defines adulthood?
- Accept responsibility for consequences of actions
- Financially independent
22Social Transitions The Importance of Clarity
- Lewins Marginal man
- caught between two cultural systems and feel
alienated by one or both . - threats to identity may lead to higher levels of
deviance, excessive anxiety and psychiatric
instability - Contemporary trends in status according to
Arnett - Less emphasis on attaining a specific role and
more emphasis on self-reliance - Decline in importance of family roles
- Similar criteria for males and females, fewer
gender-typed role expectations
23Social Transitions Clarity in Industrialized
Societies
- Given the absence of clarity
- People of the same chronological age may feel
more mature or less mature than age-mates - No clear indication of when adult
responsibilities and privileges begin - How adolescents view themselves today
- Less emphasis on attainment of specific roles
- Less emphasis on importance of family roles
- Fewer gender role differences
24Social Transitions Clarity in Traditional
Cultures
- Social redefinition is clearly recognized
- Formal initiation ceremony
- Boys timing of ceremony varies
- Girls timing usually linked to menarche
- Physical appearance is often changed (clothing,
circumcision) - Adults clearly differentiated from children
25Social Transitions Clarity in Previous Eras
- Baby boom generation (1950s-1960s)
- Finishing school, moving out, getting married all
occurred early and within narrow timeframe - Transition in the early 19th century was more
disorderly and prolonged (like today) - School viewed as children
- Work viewed as adults
- Timetable depended on household/family needs
26Types of transitions II
- Continuity smoothness of passage into adulthood
- Continuous
- Gradual transitions, in which the adolescent
assumes the roles and status of adulthood bit by
bit - Assume new roles a bit at a time with lots of
preparation and training - Discontinuous
- Sudden transitions, in which the adolescents
entrance into adulthood is more abrupt, with
little or no training - Thrust into new roles with little preparation
27Continuity and Discontinuity
- Modern society is very discontinuous
- Little preparation for roles of worker, parent,
citizen - Call to improve school-to-work transition
- Youth apprenticeship model
- Options for non-college-bound high school
students - Make transition more like traditional cultures
previous eras
28Discontinuity
- Socializing of adolescents for adult roles
(worker, parent) adequate? - Contributes to psychological and behavioral
problems - Benedict creates stress
- Abrupt transitions
- Teenage parents
- School drop-outs
- Moving out of family home
29The Transition into Adulthood in Contemporary
Society
- Two trends are reshaping the transition
- The transition period is getting longerPuberty
occurs earlier and schooling lasts longer. - Success in the labor force is more dependent on
formal schooling
30Contemporary Transitions
- In all societies
- Adolescence is a period of social transition
- The individual comes to be recognized as an adult
- The social transition is less explicit in
contemporary U.S. society than in traditional
cultures
Osgood, Ruth, Eccles, Jacobs, Barber (2005)
31(No Transcript)
32The Transition into Adulthood in Contemporary
Society
- Adolescents are living at home longer than ever
before - 55 U.S. 20- to 22-year-olds
- May be a result of increased costs of housing and
transportation