Download - Young Adulthood: Love and Work
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Young Adulthood: Love and Work
“Lieben und artbeiten.” ~Sigmund Freud
+Transition to Adulthood Accepting responsibility for oneself Making independent decisions Becoming financially independent Intimacy versus isolation is central conflict according to
Erikson Cultural variations include:
Israeli’s completing military service Korean support parents financially Traditional cultures focus on marriage
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Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love
+Changes in Love
The three components follow a predictable trajectory
+Marriage
Marriage may exist for several reasons: Uniting people to serve complementary gender roles Reduces sexual competition Necessary for the species
Variation between cultures in choice of marriage partners, economics and number of marriage partners
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+Arranged Marriages
Romantic love may not be a basis for marriage for all cultures
Arranged marriages are an alliance between families with love developing after marriage Commitment first and attachment second Marriage is also seen as an economic institution
Many traditional cultures are shifting from “arranged” to semi arranged
+Western Marital Roles
Western view of marriage strongly based on intimacy and sexual relationships
Focus on ideal mate could lead to marital dissatisfaction
Belief in self-fulfillment in marriage leads to high divorce rate in the U.S.
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Figure 10.3 Divorce Peaks in Young Adulthood
+ Divorce
Causes of divorce include Age at marriage—younger than 25 Divorced parents Socioeconomic status—conflict and stress over finances Partner behavior—drinking or drug use, infidelity
Adjustments after divorce hardest in first 1–2 years
+Single Adults Compared to married young adults it was thought
being single led to Increased mental health problems Physical health problems Substance abuse
Thorough analysis has shown all these negative effects were overblown
Ethnic variations exist in singlehood African Americans have higher rates of cohabitation than
other groups In Asian countries (urban) 1/3 of woman 30-34 are single In Japan, single young adults are the happiest group
+Gay and Lesbian Partnerships
There are similarities between homosexual and heterosexual partnerships Seek long term relationship Seek out similar partners and have similar areas of conflict
Differences include Gay couples tolerate sexual episodes more than lesbian or
heterosexual couples Higher sexual activity
Many differences are fading as acceptance increases
+Becoming a Parent
Traditional countries Becoming a parent is extremely important Fertility is goal of a woman and men enjoy greater status
Developed countries Parenting is a choice and may not be extremely important Parents more likely to be on their own although there are
ethnic group differences
Single motherhood is higher now than 50 years ago In U.S. there are ethnic and education differences
+The Meaning of Work Most people work to make a living but also find meaning
in their work Research has found that people have four common ways
in which personal fulfillment is derived from work
Developing and becoming self
Union with others to pursue a common purpose
Expressing self
Serving others
+Choosing an Occupation
Holland’s Theory of Occupational Choice People pursue careers that are a good fit between
their abilities and interests Six personality types that combine these factors:
investigative, social, realistic, artistic, conventional, and enterprising
Holland’s theory does not tell us much about the differences among ethnic groups or other cultural groups
+Super’s Theory People progress along a continuum of vocational
maturity through five stages Implementation stage Establishment stage Maintenance stage Deceleration stage Retirement stage
Occupational aspirations at age 16 in the U.K. predicted occupational attainments at 33
In the U.S., people change occupations several times during adulthood
+Occupational Development How we advance within chosen occupations depends
on many factors including
Expectations
Support from coworkers
Priorities
Job satisfaction
+Occupational Expectations Changing interests and failure can be cause for
changing the dream Leaving school and learning about the real world is
often a time of reality shock for young adults Job satisfaction tends to increase with age
Probably because with advancing age, workers tend to select and stay with jobs that satisfy them and move on from work that is less satisfying
+The Role of Mentors and Coaches More experienced workers often communicate the most
critical kinds of information rather than formal training
Mentors help young workers avoid trouble and explain the unwritten rules of the job
Mentors often guide young workers and help to ensure that they are noticed and get credit from supervisors
+The Role of Mentors (Cont)
Kram described four phases of the mentoring relationship:
Initiation
Cultivation
Separation
Redefinition
+Work-Family Conflict Dual-earner couples have difficulty finding time for each
other The amount of time is not necessarily the most important
issue as long as they enjoy the time together and it is spent in shared activities
Many mothers have to return to work after the birth of a baby Some women struggle with the issue of returning to work,
weighing financial need and the need to care for their children Some women feel the need to return to work as a result of
attachment to their work Giving up work means a redefinition of one’s identity
Highest level of stress was during the peak parenting years when there were often at least two preschool children in the home
+Division of Household Labor Women spend up to 50% more hours per week than
men in family work Unequal division of labor is the greatest source of
arguments and unhappiness in two-earner households While men have increased the amount of time spent
on household chores, the greatest amount of the increase is on the weekends
+ Division of Household Labor
The division of household labor is often the result of people’s experience with their parents’ assignment of chores
Men are more satisfied with the division of household labor
Women are not as concerned about the amount of time men spend on household chores as when there are certain “women’s chores” that men will not perform
Even when women enjoy doing tasks that are traditionally considered “women’s work,” they may still experience role strain when a partner does not also engage in these tasks
+Support in the Home
Women are more satisfied when men take on tasks that are traditionally women’s chores
African American and Hispanic men spend more time on household chores than European American men