By Christian Smith

There is a new and important stage in life in American culture, and it is not entirely clear that the Christian church understands or particularly knows what to do with it. I am talking about what scholars call “emerging adulthood.” This is the time of life between ages 18 and 30, roughly, a phase which in recent decades has morphed into quite a new experience for many. Researchers in sociology, psychology, and human development have been investigating the contours of this new life stage and have recently published some fascinating books on the subject, whose findings are well worth pondering for their implications for church and culture.

To grasp the significance of emerging adulthood, it is necessary first to realize that life stages are not naturally given as immutable phases of existence. Rather, they are cultural constructions that interact with biology and material production, and are profoundly shaped by the social and institutional conditions that generate and sustain them. So, “teenager” and “adolescence” as representing a distinct stage of life were very much 20th-century inventions, brought into being by changes in mass education, child labor laws, urbanization and suburbanization, mass consumerism, and the media. Similarly, a new, distinct, and important stage in life, situated between the teenage years and full-fledged adulthood, has emerged in our culture in recent decades—reshaping the meaning of self, youth, relationships, and life commitments as well as a variety of behaviors and dispositions among the young.

What are the social forces that have given rise to this emerging adulthood? Four are particularly important. First is the growth of higher education. The GI Bill, changes in the American economy, and government subsidizing of community colleges and state universities led in the second half of the last century to a dramatic rise in the number of high school graduates going on to college and university. More recently, many feel pressured—in pursuit of the American dream—to add years of graduate school education on top of their bachelor’s degree. As a result, a huge proportion of American youth are no longer stopping school and beginning stable careers at age 18 but are extending their formal schooling well into their twenties. And those who are aiming to join America’s professional and knowledge classes—those who most powerfully shape our culture and society—are continuing in graduate and professional school programs often up until their thirties.

A second and related social change crucial to the rise of emerging adulthood is the delay of marriage by American youth over the last decades. Between 1950 and 2000, the median age of first marriage for women rose from 20 to 25 years old. For men during that same time the median age rose from 22 to 27 years old. The sharpest increase for both took place after 1970. Half a century ago, many young people were anxious to get out of high school, marry, settle down, have children, and start a long-term career. But many youth today, especially but not exclusively men, face almost a decade between high school graduation and marriage to spend exploring life’s many options in unprecedented freedom.

A third major social transformation contributing to the rise of emerging adulthood as a distinct life phase concerns changes in the American and global economy that undermine stable, lifelong careers and replace them instead with careers of lower security, more frequent job changes, and an ongoing need for new training and education. Most young people today know they need to approach their careers with a variety of skills, maximal flexibility, and readiness to re-tool as needed. That itself pushes youth toward extended schooling, delay of marriage, and, arguably, a general psychological orientation of maximizing options and postponing commitments. Far from being happy to graduate from high school and take the factory job their father or uncle arranged for them (which probably doesn’t exist in any case), many youth today spend five to ten years experimenting with different job and career options before finally deciding on a long-term career direction.

Finally, and in part as a response to all of the above, parents of today’s youth, aware of the resources often required to succeed, seem increasingly willing to extend financial and other support to their children, well into their twenties and even into their early thirties. According to best estimates, offered in Chapter 12 of On the Frontier of Adulthood, American parents spend on their children an average of $38,340 per child in total material assistance (cash, housing, educational expenses, food, etc.) over the 17-year period between ages 18 and 34. These resources help to subsidize the freedom that emerging adults enjoy to take a good, long time before settling down into full adulthood, as culturally defined by the end of schooling, financial independence, and new family formation.

These four social transformations together have helped dramatically to alter the experience of American life between the ages of 18 and 30. Studies agree that the transition to adulthood today is more complex, disjointed, and confusing than it was in past decades. The steps through and to schooling, first real job, marriage, and parenthood are simply less well organized and coherent today than they were in generations past. At the same time, these years are marked by an historically unparalleled freedom to roam, experiment, learn (or not), move on, and try again.

What has emerged from this new situation has been variously labeled “extended adolescence,” “youthhood,” “adultolescence,” “young adulthood,” the “twenty-somethings,” and “emerging adulthood.” I find persuasive Jeffrey Arnett’s argument that, of all of these labels, “emerging adulthood” is the most appropriate—because rather than viewing these years as simply the last hurrah of adolescence or an early stage of real adulthood, it recognizes the unique characteristics of this phase of life. These, according to Arnett in Emerging Adulthood, mark this stage as one of intense (1) identity exploration, (2) instability, (3) focus on self, (4) feeling in limbo, in transition, in-between, and (5) sense of possibilities, opportunities, and unparalleled hope. These, of course, are also often accompanied by big doses of transience, confusion, anxiety, self-obsession, melodrama, conflict, and disappointment. Many popular television shows of the last two decades—Beverly Hills 90210, Dawson’s Creek, Seinfeld, and Friends, for example—have taken as their point of departure the character and challenges of this new, in-between stage of life. I think it all signifies something big and serious.

“We Americans have so many grave problems to solve, many threatening evils to fight, and many deeds to do, if, as we hope and believe, we have the wisdom, the strength, and the courage and the virtue to do them. But we must face facts as they are. We must neither surrender ourselves to a foolish optimism, nor succumb to a timid and ignoble pessimism…” Forum, 1894 “What Americanism Means.” Theodore Roosevelt. In, EM 480.

After giving my copy of Atlas Shrugged to Zach a while back, I stole his copy of The Rise and Fall of Theodore Roosevelt. The biography, by Edmund Morris, is wonderful, accessible and eloquent. In the context of PTP, Teddy Roosevelt was a wanderer, answering the call to adventure constantly throughout his distinguished life.

He was also an egomaniac, but seemingly selfless in his contributions to society and his family. It is that selflessness that has struck a chord. This trip, driven by its characters, would not have succeeded save for selfless acts by all parties involved. Zach sleeps anywhere. Brett is a flexible scheduler. Jay is incredibly generous.

In the building of fraternal relationships it is important not to lose sight of man’s individualist tendencies. For four months, with varying complexity, individualism has been all but abandoned, replaced by a collective mind, happiness and sense of accomplishment. This is something Teddy never grasped.

For a man who considers himself independent, I have come to rely entirely on the three men around me. I see myself in the reflection of their eyes. I hear my thoughts in the context of what they say. I live my life only as they live theirs, sharing in success, failure, elation and sadness. In understanding my companions, I have lived this trip four times, infinitely more than a man-as-an-island could.

Recently, someone noticed that I have yet to drive the RV. In my own defense, I consider myself entirely too crazy to spend long hours under any kind of stress; I have what some call delicate sensibilities. Driving hunched, white-knuckled and blind in a New Jersey thunderstorm is best left to a person of stronger mental fortitude, more competent during six-hour, nervous, self-assessment.

But Zach and Brett (Puppy and the Captain) have become entirely comfortable behind the wheel, carrying our crew through Oregon, Delaware, Georgia, Texas and now, home. I am so grateful to them, for ensuring our safety and for taking the responsibility so willingly. Without drivers, we’d be in Phoenix. Whatever my contribution to PTP, it holds not a candle to what they have done.

I write this without pretense of humor to say just how much I have come to love and respect my fellow travelers. Brett, Zach and Jay have made this trip a once in a lifetime experience, that no one can ever take away from me. I appreciate them so earnestly, for everything they are and are not, and for everything they’ve allowed me to be.

Cheers, to wisdom, strength, courage and virtue, and the defeat of ignoble pessimism. Cheers to the fate that brought me here, and to those with whom I have been brought.

xo
Noah Pollock

Listening to NPR, on the drive from Boston to New York, we were introduced to the ‘Jena Six.’ The year-old story had not yet been brought to its current level of media frenzy, and hearing it told as it was, I saw something seriously wrong going on. With a flexible southern schedule, Pursue the Passion, under my suggestion, scheduled a stop in Jena, to interview activists, and see what’s really going on.

It has been a month since we arrived in New York City. National media coverage has been revelatory, and none more than a September 26th OP-ED in the New York Times, by Reed Walters, the district attorney of LaSalle Parish. In the story as I knew it, Mr. Walters played the villain, the government thug. Yet as the initial outrage subsided, replaced by a more informed outrage, I came to believe that legally, Mr. Walters faithfully executed his post. In a hasty rush to oversimplified judgment, I placed the world’s racial woes squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Walters.

It was both ignorant and wrong of me.

Although Jena appears to enjoy a rich history of racial inequality, it neither exists within a vacuum, nor without tacit American approval. My family taught me that prejudice, in all its forms, is repulsive. But this case reminded me that bigotry continues to be my problem, as it was of my mother’s generation, and the one before that. Although I applaud those working in Jena, for bringing the issue to international attention, I do not see how we can help there. We will, therefore, not be going to Jena, instead visiting Mobile, AL and Biloxi, MS.

This is not to say that what is happening in Jena is unimportant, but with Pursue the Passion in mind, I see not how our visit there would help the situation. I’ve always wanted to visit Mobile, home of the Arnold family from Red Sky at Morning, one of my favorite books. From there we are afforded the opportunity to drive the southern coast of the United States, something we are all excited about, stopping in Biloxi, and then on to New Orleans.

Much of this trip is about personal growth. I see our visiting Alabama and Mississippi as greater opportunities for growth than visiting the already overwhelmed Jena. In Mobile and Biloxi, we will continue to do what we do: meet people, hear their stories and see how they live. Education through experience is incredibly powerful, and I am proud of our seeing the country. In seeing the states for all their uniqueness, we see how similar they are; we see people, regardless of color or locale, and learn that kindness is a universal trait. With each stop we make, our ignorance, no matter how benign, subsides.

I have been wrestling with this decision for some time. I invite, and would greatly appreciate, commentary, whether positive or negative. Feel free to comment on this BLOG, or contact me at: noah@pursuethepassion.com

This is a column written by David Brooks in the New York Times. I’m posting it here because we are on an odyssey adventure of our own, so I thought it was appropriate. Hope you enjoy…

By David Brooks:

There used to be four common life phases: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Now, there are at least six: childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age. Of the new ones, the least understood is odyssey, the decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood.

During this decade, 20-somethings go to school and take breaks from school. They live with friends and they live at home. They fall in and out of love. They try one career and then try another.

Their parents grow increasingly anxious. These parents understand that there’s bound to be a transition phase between student life and adult life. But when they look at their own grown children, they see the transition stretching five years, seven and beyond. The parents don’t even detect a clear sense of direction in their children’s lives. They look at them and see the things that are being delayed.

They see that people in this age bracket are delaying marriage. They’re delaying having children. They’re delaying permanent employment. People who were born before 1964 tend to define adulthood by certain accomplishments — moving away from home, becoming financially independent, getting married and starting a family.

In 1960, roughly 70 percent of 30-year-olds had achieved these things. By 2000, fewer than 40 percent of 30-year-olds had done the same.

Yet with a little imagination it’s possible even for baby boomers to understand what it’s like to be in the middle of the odyssey years. It’s possible to see that this period of improvisation is a sensible response to modern conditions.

Two of the country’s best social scientists have been trying to understand this new life phase. William Galston of the Brookings Institution has recently completed a research project for the Hewlett Foundation. Robert Wuthnow of Princeton has just published a tremendously valuable book, “After the Baby Boomers” that looks at young adulthood through the prism of religious practice.

Through their work, you can see the spirit of fluidity that now characterizes this stage. Young people grow up in tightly structured childhoods, Wuthnow observes, but then graduate into a world characterized by uncertainty, diversity, searching and tinkering. Old success recipes don’t apply, new norms have not been established and everything seems to give way to a less permanent version of itself.

Dating gives way to Facebook and hooking up. Marriage gives way to cohabitation. Church attendance gives way to spiritual longing. Newspaper reading gives way to blogging. (In 1970, 49 percent of adults in their 20s read a daily paper; now it’s at 21 percent.)

The job market is fluid. Graduating seniors don’t find corporations offering them jobs that will guide them all the way to retirement. Instead they find a vast menu of information economy options, few of which they have heard of or prepared for.

Social life is fluid. There’s been a shift in the balance of power between the genders. Thirty-six percent of female workers in their 20s now have a college degree, compared with 23 percent of male workers. Male wages have stagnated over the past decades, while female wages have risen.

This has fundamentally scrambled the courtship rituals and decreased the pressure to get married. Educated women can get many of the things they want (income, status, identity) without marriage, while they find it harder (or, if they’re working-class, next to impossible) to find a suitably accomplished mate.

The odyssey years are not about slacking off. There are intense competitive pressures as a result of the vast numbers of people chasing relatively few opportunities. Moreover, surveys show that people living through these years have highly traditional aspirations (they rate parenthood more highly than their own parents did) even as they lead improvising lives.

Rather, what we’re seeing is the creation of a new life phase, just as adolescence came into being a century ago. It’s a phase in which some social institutions flourish — knitting circles, Teach for America — while others — churches, political parties — have trouble establishing ties.

But there is every reason to think this phase will grow more pronounced in the coming years. European nations are traveling this route ahead of us, Galston notes. Europeans delay marriage even longer than we do and spend even more years shifting between the job market and higher education.

And as the new generational structure solidifies, social and economic entrepreneurs will create new rites and institutions. Someday people will look back and wonder at the vast social changes wrought by the emerging social group that saw their situations first captured by “Friends” and later by “Knocked Up.”

Whether you’re choosing a college major, debating between two job offers, or contemplating a career change, chances are at one time or another you’ll have to choose between your passion and your paycheck. That’s not to say you can’t do what you love and get paid well for it, but there’s a reason why so many people drive home from the office in their Mercedes completely stressed out while I go home in my Hyundai with a smile on my face, eager to log on to my laptop later that night. The bottom line is finding a career you love–or at least remotely like–and transforming the way you approach your job. After all, wouldn’t it be better to live to work rather than work to live?!

Read the full interview »

I love to do guest posts for other blogs because it allows you to reach an audience you normally wouldn’t reach. I don’t like to repost them to my blog unless I am proud of them.

This is a post that may be repetitive for the people that read this blog on a daily basis, but you know what, it’s good writing that I’m proud of. It’s about how I plan to change the world.

Read the full interview »

Kimberly Pirtle is an intuitive life coach and holistic healer. She blogs about the power of positive thinking for creating bliss in our lives at http://www.uncoveryourbliss.com/blog/

Being wrong (or worrying that we will be wrong) about something as important as what we want to do with our lives is hard. It’s one of the fastest ways down the path of indecision and fear. What do we do if we invest time and money working towards a goal and then we get there and it’s not what we thought it would be? How can we trust ourselves if we took risks and now we’re headed down an uncharted path? Here’s the truth: That is life to its most basic definition. Life is change and the unexpected. Even if you live a charmed life and always know what you want to do and go out and do it you will be faced with unexpected events and people. I would go so far as to say that most of our meaningful living is done within the flow of change and unexpected events. Those are the times when we can’t run on autopilot and must call on who we are to find our way.

Read the full interview »

Many students mistake passion for pleasure. A passion can be incredibly frustrating, overwhelming, sometimes even downright painful.

Most students mis-assume that passion must overtake you right away. A passion can be a small flicker – you can tell it’s a passion when its flames are ones you want to fan. It does not start out as a blaze of glory.

A number of students believe there is some great (high-paying) fun job out there somewhere if they can just find it, that does not come with a lot of stress, and that is as much fun as effort. I have not yet seen this job.

Finally, a substantial number of students mistake passion for profit. The belief is that if they do something they really love, they will make lots of money at it. To the contrary, my observation is that most passions insure, at least in the short term, poverty – not wealth.

So why don’t students “Pursue the Passion?”

Read the full interview »

(This is a post I did for Employee Evolution, a site that helps our young generation answer the hard-hitting questions that come with career transitions.)

Half of the American work force is satisfied with their job, while the other half dreads reporting to a job they hate, working for a boss they can’t stand. As a senior at the University of Arizona, I was determined to join the group passionate about their work. But the biggest obstacle that stood in my way was that I did not know how to get to where I wanted to be, or for that matter, what I should do with my life.

“What should I do with my life” is a question on the minds of many students and young professionals because it’s a damn good question. You just spent four, five, six years in school and now you’re expected to answer it. You have parents pressuring you, friends and colleagues off to undoubtedly successful starts to long careers, and then you have your situation. I’m here to tell you not to worry. Not everyone has their life figured out at our age. In fact, no one really has it figured out.

Read the full interview »