TY - JOUR
T1 - What Alters the Experience of Emerging Adulthood? How the Experience of Emerging Adulthood Differs According to Socioeconomic Status and Critical Life Events
AU - Landberg, Monique
AU - Lee, Bora
AU - Noack, Peter
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SE 408/21-1).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood and SAGE Publishing.
PY - 2019/6/1
Y1 - 2019/6/1
N2 - The present mixed-methods study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the experience of emerging adulthood (EA). In Study 1, the associations among SES, EA, and critical life events (CLEs) were explored. CLEs were examined as a mediator between SES and EA in a German sample (N = 3,269). Participants’ educational attainment, SES, and occupation-related prestige were associated with the experience of EA. For example, lower SES was associated with higher perceived instability, with more experienced CLEs mediating this relationship. Lower SES was associated with a higher number of CLEs, which, for example, was related to more focus on others. In Study 2, interview data from emerging adults with low educational attainment who were engaged in vocational training (N = 12) were analyzed. In addition to reporting many CLEs, themes regarding their perception of their current life phase were established, indicating that low-SES youth experience aspects of EA as well.
AB - The present mixed-methods study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the experience of emerging adulthood (EA). In Study 1, the associations among SES, EA, and critical life events (CLEs) were explored. CLEs were examined as a mediator between SES and EA in a German sample (N = 3,269). Participants’ educational attainment, SES, and occupation-related prestige were associated with the experience of EA. For example, lower SES was associated with higher perceived instability, with more experienced CLEs mediating this relationship. Lower SES was associated with a higher number of CLEs, which, for example, was related to more focus on others. In Study 2, interview data from emerging adults with low educational attainment who were engaged in vocational training (N = 12) were analyzed. In addition to reporting many CLEs, themes regarding their perception of their current life phase were established, indicating that low-SES youth experience aspects of EA as well.
KW - critical life events
KW - disadvantaged young adults
KW - emerging adulthood
KW - mixed methods
KW - socioeconomic status
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062348207&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/2167696819831793
DO - 10.1177/2167696819831793
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85062348207
SN - 2167-6968
VL - 7
SP - 208
EP - 222
JO - Emerging Adulthood
JF - Emerging Adulthood
IS - 3
ER -