Emerging Adulthood Identity and Transitions: Strategies for Counsellors

1. Emerging Adulthood Identity and Transitions: Strategies for Counsellors Anne Marshall, PhD (amarshal@uvic.ca) Francis Guenette, MA (francisg@uvic.ca) Nabiha Rawdah, BA (nrawdah@uvic.ca)

2. Emerging Adulthood • A term first introduced by Arnett (2004) as a “new and historically unprecedented period of the life course” (p.4) • Five essential qualities: • Identity Exploration • Instability • Self-Focused • Feeling In-Between, In Transition • Possibilities Source: Arnett, J.J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York: Oxford University Press.

3. Distinguishing Emerging Adulthood • From Adolescence…. • Emerging adults have usually moved out, reached full reproductive maturity, and enrolled in post-secondary schooling • From Young Adulthood…. • Young adulthood (30+ yrs) still describes adults, whereas most emerging adults do not feel like adults yet • “Emerging” captures the exploratory, unstable, fluid quality of this period Source: Arnett, J.J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York: Oxford University Press.

4. Emerging Adulthood: Diverse Theoretical and Research Perspectives • Arnett (2004) –a unique developmental phase in the human life span, more diverse than any other phase • Cote (2007) – a time of exploration occurring within a societal framework of economic instability; an industrial or post-industrial phenomenon related to affluence (more urban than rural reality) • Hendry (2007) – asks how useful is the term “emerging adulthood”? Is it merely descriptive of a certain lifestyle for a certain group of people in a certain affluent society? • Buhl and Lanz (2007) – the concrete realization, determinants, and implications of emerging adulthood vary between, and within, European countries

5. Transitions • Informed by crisis theory – “a disturbance of the equilibrium” • Occurs if an event or non-event results in a change in assumptions about oneself and the world and thus requires a corresponding change in one’s behavior and relationships (Schlossberg,1984) • Types: • Anticipated • Unanticipated • Chronic • Non-event • The 4-S System for Coping With Transitions (Situation, Self, Supports, Strategies) Source: Schlossberg, N. K. (1984). Counseling adults in transition: Linking practice with theory. New York: Springer Publishing.

6. Supportive Factors in the Transition Process • Economic Security • Emotional Security • Health • Supportive Work, Family or School Environment • Prior Transition Skills and Experiences • Transition Planning and Support Source: Bridges, W. (1995). Making sense of life’s changes. New York: Addison-Wesley.

7. Vulnerability Factors in the Transition Process • Economic Insecurity • Emotional Insecurity • Health and Illness • Hostile Work, Family, or School Environment • Poor Transition Management Source: Bridges, W. (1995). Making sense of life’s changes. New York: Addison-Wesley.

8. Our Research Context • Exploring emerging adulthood, career and life transitions through the lens of emerging adults themselves • Self-report data gathered through focus groups, qualitative interviews, and survey questionnaires • Central research questions focus on the range of concerns and challenges typically identified and faced by emerging adults living in both rural and urban communities in BC • Working towards an overall understanding of the difficulties, as well as strengths, emerging adults experience and demonstrate in various aspects of their lives (school, work, family, health, social, and community factors)

9. The 4-S System for Coping With Transitions • Situation • Self • Supports • Strategies Source: Schlossberg, N.K. (2001). Understanding and coping with transitions. In H.G. Rosenthal (Ed.), Favorite counseling and therapy homework assignments. Philadelphia, PA: Brunner-Routledge.

10. 1. Situation 2. Self Movie Title Character 4. Strategies 3. Supports