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Transitions to Adulthood in a Changing Economy: No Work, No Family, No Future?

2000; Wiley; Volume: 62; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

1741-3737

Barbara Mitchell,

demographic modeling and climate adaptation

Transitions to Adulthood in a Changing Economy: No Work, No Family, No Future? Alan Booth, Ann C. Crouter, & Michael J. Shanahan (Eds.). Westport, CT: Praeger. 1999. 285 pp. ISBN 0-- 275-96238-5. $65.00 cloth. It is well documented that youth transitions to adulthood have become increasingly prolonged and individualized in advanced industrial societies. In an era of global competition, widening social inequality, and technological innovation, dramatic changes have occurred that shape the timing and nature of young people's choices and lifestyles. Surprisingly, however, social scientists have expressed modest interest in carefully examining the fundamental issues underlying modern-day youth transitions. Therefore, this edited collection of 16 papers from Pennsylvania State University's fifth annual Family Symposium represents a timely and valuable addition to the literature. The book is organized into four thematic sections, each addressing a particular dimension of the transition to adulthood. Each section begins with a chapter addressing a specific question, and three subsequent chapters provide discussions of the lead paper. The question posed in the first section is, How has the changing structure of opportunities affected transitions to adulthood? Martha Hill and W Jean Yeung provide an answer through an excellent and comprehensive panoramic view of the changing opportunity landscape and the different terrains that various subgroups of the population face. Their emphasis is on the economic climate and trends in youths' attitudes and behaviors. In response, J. Lawrence Arber outlines an agenda for future research and highlights how public policy often does not meet the needs of young adults, particularly those who are poor and those who are poorly educated. John Laub contributes to the discussion by emphasizing the differential experience of youths involved in crime and delinquency during the transition to adulthood. Lynn White further adds to the dialogue with an informative account of how economic trends relate to changes in marriage and parenthood. Guiding the second section of the book is the question, How do prior experiences in the family affect transitions to adulthood? Kelly Musick and Larry Bumpass examine the extent to which various outcomes related to children's living arrangements are mediated by parents' attitudes and behavior. Particularly noteworthy is the authors' innovative attempt to differentiate intact family structures according to the level of marital conflict. Martha Cox and Ronald Rindfuss expand on this work with thoughtful papers on several key issues, such as the importance of considering a child's gender (Cox) and the nature of diversity in the lives of children (Rindfuss). …