the adult in society original content copyright © holt mcdougal. additions and changes to the...

The Adult in Society

Original Content Copyright © Holt McDougal. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.

Chapter 6: The Adult in Society

Case Study: The Opt-Out Revolution

Section 1: Early and Middle Adulthood

Section 2: The World of Work

Section 3: The Later Years

Simulation: Applying What You’ve Learned



New York Times journalist Lisa Belkin discussed the

phenomenon of high-achieving women who left the

workplace in order to be stay-at-home moms. Although the

research was informal and based on a population not

representative of all women, her article showed an intriguing

trend. Many women are choosing to spend their days

raising their children instead of pursuing career goals. In

addition to the pull of family, one sociologist found that

mixed messages from husbands and employers often push

women from the workplace.

Case Study: The Opt-Out Revolution



Early and Middle Adulthood

• In American society, adult stages of development are experienced differently by men and women.

• Every adult has a life structure that is characterized by a combination of statuses, roles, activities, goals, values, beliefs, and life circumstances.

• Daniel Levinson developed a theory of adult male development based on three main eras: early, middle, and late adulthood.

• The stages of adult female development are heavily influenced by marriage, work, family, and raising children.

Section 1 at a Glance



Reading Focus• What are the main eras in Daniel Levinson’s theory of adult male

development?

• How does adult female development differ from adult male development?

Main Idea

• Men and women progress through adult development in different

ways.

Early and Middle Adulthood



What if being an adult doesn't answer all of life's questions?



Life Structure

• The combination of statuses, roles, activities, goals, values, beliefs, and life circumstances that characterize an individual

• Life structures show common patterns across many social groups

• Includes early, middle, and late adulthood

The Age 30 Transition

• Ages 28 through 32

• Crucial because lives often change direction here

• Ends the novice phase, when men prepare to enter full adulthood

Early Adulthood


• Going to college or getting a job

• Transition into the adult world

• Expected to explore opportunities as well as make commitments

Adult Male Development



The Midlife Transition


• A bridge between early and middle adulthood

• Questioning of life structures

• Major goal is to escape the pressure of unattainable dreams from youth

• Becoming a mentor can lessen the stress associated with this stage

• The degree of difficulty that an individual experiences in a period depends on his success in mastering the previous period.

Settling Down


• Major task is achieving success

• Try to establish themselves in society, usually through occupational advancement

• Commit to things that are important to them

• Separation from mentors in order to define own identity



Reading Check

Compare

How are the age 30 transition and the midlife transition similar?

Answer: Individuals question their life structures during both transitions.



Similarities with Men

• Levinson: Go through basically the same stages of adult development, but great difference in social roles and identities

• Frieze and Sales: Three phases specific to women

Entering the Adult World

• Most become mothers in their 20s

• Dual roles of motherhood and career cause added strain

• A break in employment for childbearing can limit career

Leaving the Family

• Physical and psychological break from family

• Developing a life plan

• May value marriage over work

Re-entering the World of Work

• Occurs when children reach school age

• Commitment to career at same time husband is doubting his career

Adult Female Development



Answer: Women differ from men in their social roles and identities and deal differently with the developmental tasks associated with each stage of adult development.

Find the Main Idea

What factors make adult female development different from adult male development?

Reading Check



The World of Work

• American workers often spend nearly 50 years in the labor force, making the world of work one of the most important components of adult life.

• The composition of the labor force and the nature of work has changed greatly over the last 100 years.

• According to opinion polls and social science research, most Americans report being satisfied with their jobs.




Reading Focus• How has the labor force in the United States changed?

• In what ways has the nature of work changed?

• What factors contribute to job satisfaction?

Main Idea

The world of work is a major component of adult life. In the last 100

years, major changes have transformed the organization of work and

the composition of the labor force.

The World of Work



How far would you be willing to go for your dream job?



Labor Force• All individuals age 16 and older who are employed in paid positions

or who are seeking paid employment.

• People who are not paid for their labor are part of the informal economy.

• In 2007, 66 percent of U.S. population over age 16 was in the labor force.

Work• Work involves performing all of the tasks necessary to produce

goods and provide services that meet human needs.

• The basis for the economy

• Typical individual will spend about 50 years in the labor force

The Labor Force



Composition of Labor Force

• Recent decades have seen increase in number of working women

• Women hold just over half of professional jobs—high-status occupations that require specialized skills and knowledge obtained through formal education

• Fastest growing minority group, Hispanics, are increasing in labor force, too

Occupations



Unemployment

• Unemployment occurs when a person does not have a job but is actively seeking employment

• Unemployment rate is the percentage of the civilian labor force that is unemployed but actively seeking employment

• Unemployment rate varies across social groups

• Five percent unemployment considered acceptable in the United States



Answer: more women and minorities in the labor force, higher workforce level of education, women holding more professional positions

Summarize

What major trends characterize U.S. employment patterns?

Reading Check



• In 1900:

– 35 percent worked in agriculture

– 45 percent worked in manufacturing

– 20 percent worked in professions, management, office work, and sales

• In 1950:

– Manufacturing dominated

• Today:

– 13 percent work in agriculture and manufacturing

– 76 percent work in professions, management, office work, and sales

• Globalization

– New technology has changed the economy.

– Many manufacturing jobs have been outsourced, or sent to countries where labor is less expensive.

The Changing Nature of Work



Answer: globalization and outsourcing

Identify Cause and Effect

What has caused the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs?

Reading Check



Opinion polls• 42 percent said they were

“very satisfied” with their jobs.

• 38 percent said they were “somewhat satisfied.”

Factors for dissatisfaction• On-the-job stress

• Retirement and insurance benefits

• Salary

• Recognition

• Chances for promotion

Factors for satisfaction• Interesting nature of their work

• Salary

• Working hours

• Workplace safety

• Relations with co-workers

Job and career changes• Changing jobs and/or careers is

a well-established pattern in the United States

• Average worker changes companies nine times, careers five to six times

Job Satisfaction



Answer: According to a 2007 Harris poll, 43 percent of respondents stated they were “very satisfied” with their jobs. Another 36 percent reported they were “somewhat satisfied.”

Identify Supporting Details

What statistics indicate a high level of job satisfaction among U.S. workers?

Reading Check



The Later Years

• Social development continues throughout adulthood and well into the final stages of life.

• People age 65 and older make up the fastest growing segment of the world’s population.

• Older Americans face many challenges, including physical and mental decline, dependency, and death.

• For many aging Americans, retirement opens up a new world full of freedom and new opportunities for growth and change.




Reading Focus• What changes characterize late adulthood?

• What new opportunities do older Americans enjoy?

Main Idea

Americans entering the later years, or old age, face a new set of life

transitions, challenges, and opportunities.

The Later Years



Why are seventy-somethings braving frostbite and altitude sickness to conquer Earth's highest peak?



• Gerontology is the scientific study of aging.

• Social gerontology is the study of the nonphysical aspects of aging.

• Young-old

– Ages 65 through 74

• Middle-old

– Ages 75 through 84

• Old-old

– Ages 85 and older

Statistics• Age 65 and older: 11 percent of U.S. population in 1980; over 12

percent in 2000; projected to be 20 percent by 2030

Changes in Late Adulthood



Adjustment to Retirement

• Retirement involves loss of role and status associated with a particular job as well as with being a working adult.

• Some are greatly bothered by this loss; others rank it as low stress.

• Factors such as income, health, social networks, and identity affect a person’s adjustment to retirement.

• Loss of independence can have negative consequences.



Physical and Mental Functioning

• Aging involves the weakening and slowing of body processes.

• Intellectual ability declines very little.

• Alzheimer’s disease is a leading form of dementia.

Dealing with Dependency and Death

• Dependency is the shift from being an independent adult to being dependent on others for physical or financial assistance.

• Most elderly people fear dependency, and it is known to cause stress in parent-child relationships.



Click on the image to play the Interactive.



Answer: It changes an individual’s status in society, requiring the individual to assume new roles and behavior, and it often reverses the parent-child relationship

Cause and Effect

How does dependency change an older person’s life?

Reading Check



• Retirement is often accompanied by a feeling of freedom.

– Free time to try new things, travel, attend college, pursue activities such as crafts, golf, or gardening, or become politically active

– Begin second or volunteer career

• Individuals who have planned for retirement have a better position to take advantage of the opportunities in this period of life.

– Financial planning

– Broadening one’s interests

– Developing hobbies

– Taking care of one’s health

New Opportunities



Answer: an appreciation by others of the skills and experience possessed by older Americans, established programs such as the Foster Grandparent program that recruit older adults for volunteer positions

Draw Conclusions

What social factors contribute to the ability of older Americans to volunteer in their community?

Reading Check



Challenging Stereotypes about the Aging

According to popular wisdom, as people grow older, they grow more

rigid in their habits and more conservative in their social and political

thinking. But is this true?

Current Research in Sociology

• Stereotypes about older people becoming more conservative have been proven inaccurate by studies.

• In fact, older people grow more liberal on many subjects.

• One possible explanation is that as society has become less conservative about topics such as race relations or premarital sex, the difference is more noticeable in older respondents.

• Results show that people’s attitudes grow and change throughout their lives.



Thinking Critically• Why do you think stereotypes of aging Americans as

conservative persist?

• Do you think it is possible to use people’s age to predict their attitudes on topics? Explain.



Trading Places: Becoming Your Parent’s Parent

How would you cope with becoming your parent’s

caregiver?

• In this lab you will review the stages of adulthood.

• Work in small groups to describe the symptoms of an aging person.

• Role-play the roles of aging parent and adult children.

1. Introduction

Simulation: Applying What You’ve Learned

• Select at least two changes that would lead to an adult parent becoming dependent.

• Describe the changes that an adult child would encounter in caring for his or her dependent parent.

2. Writing the Case Study



3. Reversing Roles

• Work with your groups to brainstorm what life would be like when the parent and child roles reverse.

• Identify why specific decisions might be a source of conflict.

4. The Simulation

• Review with your group the case study you wrote.

• Write a short script that focuses on a conflict that arises between an aging parent and an adult child.

• Perform the script for the class.

Simulation (cont.)



5. Discussion

What did you learn from this simulation? As a group, discuss the following:

• How successful were the simulations in illustrating the challenges faced by families?

• Which role would you rather be in?

• How are the reversed roles similar to the relationship of a parent and child?

• Do you think a third party would be helpful or not?

Simulation (cont.)

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