Final answer:
Emerging adulthood is a phase characterized by frequent changes in jobs, relationships, and residences, influenced by longer life spans, increased educational requirements, workforce changes, and cultural shifts. The Boomerang Generation reflects this trend of returned home post-college due to job scarcity. Adulthood's expectation shifts towards responsibility and settling down, as defined by societal norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Emerging Adulthood
Emerging adulthood is the phase of life where individuals experience significant changes and delay the onset of traditional adult roles. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent in Western cultures and our current times, where individuals often change jobs, relationships, and locations frequently. Several factors contribute to this trend: longer life expectations in industrialized nations, higher education demands, changes in the workforce, and shifting cultural expectations. A significant aspect is the Boomerang Generation, a term for recent college graduates returning home due to inadequate employment opportunities.
Education systems and societal expectations in different countries, ranging from immediate workforce entry to taking gap years, and mandatory military service, influence these transitions. Governments also play a role by establishing legal age norms for adulthood responsibilities and benefits based on age. Moreover, the economic conditions, as mentioned by the New York Times, have led Millennials to postpone traditional adulthood, contributing to a prolonged emerging adulthood phase.
During the socialization process, adulthood introduces new expectations and roles, emphasizing responsibility and commitment. Pleasures of youth give way to societal pressures to 'settle down', with individuals focusing more on family and career.