 |
|
|
The Michigan Study of Life Transitions Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D. M. H. & Eccles, J. S. (Year
1 - Fall). The Transition to Adulthood in This paper will provide an overview of the MSALT Adult
Interview Study conducted as a part of the MacArthur Qualitive Interview Study. The Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D. M. H. (Year 1 – Fall/Winter). Life on the Forgotten Path: How High School Dropouts and Non-College Adults from the Forgotten Half Transition into Adulthood. This study will focus on the transition to adulthood for
dropout and non-college young adults. At
a time when the period of adolescence and transitioning to adulthood
has lengthened is response to increased enrollment in higher education,
have those who cannot or choose not to go to college been affected
by this changing social context, or do their life paths mirror those
of previous generations? This study will perform cross-site analyses
in order to describe the transition to adulthood for dropouts and non-college
adults who have not obtained a college degree. What
do their work and family choices look like? How might that compare to those who do
attend college and graduate? It
is expected that, while developmental theory has accommodated the college
experience, the resulting bias could further cast non-college adults
in a negative light. It is argued that, without the option
for or choice of the college experience, movement into adult work and
family roles occur earlier, but not necessarily prematurely, for non-college
young adults. Implications
for developmental theory, as well as public policy and interventions
with non-college young adults are discussed. Madden, B. W. & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D. M. H. (Year 1 – Fall/Winter). Growing Up Is Hard To Do: The Impact Of Mental Illness And Drug Abuse On The Transition To Adulthood. This study will examine occurrences of mental illness and/or
drug abuse during adolescence and their effects on the transition to
adulthood. Becoming a successful
adult can be a difficult task in its own right, but psychological disturbances
and excessive drug use substantially compound this difficulty. However, some adolescents afflicted with
these maladies manage to overcome them and develop and healthy, happy,
and subjectively successful adult lifestyles. Why
are some able to do this while others are not? Can factors such as parental support,
academic achievement, involvement in extra-curricular activities, and
social services such as counseling help these adolescents become successful
adults? Which of these
are important factors and which are not? Are
certain types of mental illness or drug abuse more sensitive to certain
factors? A contention is made that many such adolescents
come from unstable homes and lack parental support, making the involvement
of schools and social services all the more important. Implications for parents, schools, and
public policy are discussed. Nathaniel Israel and Debra M. H. Jozefowicz-Simbeni
(Year 1 – Fall/Winter), “Mobility and meanings: perspectives
on residential/school mobility and homelessness.” This
paper will explore the role of past and current residential/school
mobility and homelessness on life trajectories, the formation of
personal identities and expectations for future stability and economic
success. The effect of homelessness and frequent
mobility on school achievement and dropout has been explored in some
depth, but the effect of homelessness and mobility on life trajectories
and choices, conceptions of the self and on perceptions of the likelihood
of future economic self-sufficiency or prosperity are relatively
understudied. This study will examine both the meanings
assigned to mobility and homelessness occurring during childhood
and adolescence, and the significance of recent mobility and/or lack
of stable housing in terms of their contribution to perceptions of
one’s identity and life-course trajectory. Thematic
analyses will be conducted regarding how identity development, life
choices, and future stability and economic success are described
among those with frequent or infrequent moves. A
final set of codes will be developed and applied to understand how
these groups differ in terms of these issues. Implications
for housing and educational policies and practices, as well as for
individual and family interventions will be discussed. Eccles, J. S. & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D. M. H. (Year 1 – Winter/Summer). The Impact of College Experiences on Adult Career and Family Choices: How Young Adults Piece Together Multiple Roles. This study will look how college experiences structure
or fail to structure transitions into career and family roles, and
how life during college and/or family choices moderate career development. Cross-site analyses will be conducted
to examine how social identities such as gender, social class, race/ethnicity,
and immigration intersect to influence the role that higher education
plays in framing career and family options and choices. Particular
attention will be paid to how individual young adults “weave” together
pieces of their identities (perceptions of abilities, values, etc.)
and create their own career paths. Results
will inform theories of educational attainment and career development,
as well as policies and practices needed to be responsive to young
adult needs as they attempt to define themselves, craft a career and/or
integrate family choices as a result of their educational experiences. Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D. M. H. & Hobson,
R. (Year 1 – Fall-Summer – Student Project). “I Don’t Want To Be Like You…But
Somehow I Am: How Young Adults Avoid and Fail To Avoid Being Like
Their Mothers and Fathers. (Using This paper will examine how young adults actively define
the ways they would like to be like/avoid being like their mothers
and fathers, and how successful they are in accomplishing this. This
study will focus its analyses on the Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D. M. H. & Eccles, J. S. (Year 2 – Fall/Winter). Gendered Lives: How being a Woman or Man Influences the Transition to Adulthood. This study will examine how being a woman or a man shapes
individual identities and role choices as participants move from adolescence
into adulthood. Specifically,
the meaning of being female or male for differing ethnic, social class,
sexual orientation, and religious groups will be studied. Attention will be paid to experiences
of external provision of opportunities and/or overt and covert discrimination
that either enable or detract from young adult male or female life
ambitions. Further, individual and familial beliefs
and practices stemming from a gendered perspective that promote or
hinder development will be explored. Findings
will have implications for a gender and group sensitive approach to
understanding adult role choices and outcomes, as well as developing
supportive policies and practices with such groups. Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D. M. H. (Year 2 – Winter/Summer). I am ‘Special’!? The Transition to Adulthood for Special Needs Young Adults. Federal and state laws mandate services and supports for
individuals with special needs, but as these individuals approach adolescence
and adulthood, many families and institutions fail to understand student
rights and provide appropriate supports. Further,
young adults themselves often fail to appreciate their own special
needs, and what they are entitle to as a result. This
study will explore the understudied world of special needs young adults
as they negotiate educational, work and family life in contemporary Eccles, J. S. & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, D. M. H. (Year 3). Putting it All Together: How Young Adults Define Lifestyles and Lifestyle choices. This study will take an agentic view at how young adults from multiple groups “put together” their life choices to define who they are as adults. What are the prototypes they envision/adhere to? How do they self-manage as they move from adolescence to adulthood? How does this vary by gender, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation and immigration status? Focus will remain on the situational, familial, and personal beliefs and values that create higher order prototypes (e.g., a ‘traditional’ life style) that shape young adult direction and adjustment. In addition, what happens when individuals fail to live up to their/others desired prototypes will also be explored. Suggestions for mental health interventions and institutional policies are provided |