An Examination of Emerging Adulthood in College Students and Nonstudents in India

Abstract

The study examined Indian college students and nonstudents aged 18 to 26 to examine (a) whether they feel they are adults (i.e., “age of feeling in-between”), (b) the criteria they deem necessary for becoming adults, and (c) the extent to which they feel optimistic about their future (e.g., “age of possibilities”). Participants included 478 college students in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India and 100 nonstudents from rural villages surrounding Coimbatore. Results revealed that the majority of the 18- to 26-year-olds studied felt that they had achieved adulthood. Participants emphasized attributes needed to fulfill family roles as characteristics necessary for adulthood. Differences in optimism levels were found between students and nonstudents. The unique cultural and structural influences in India, such as Hinduism, caste, gendered socialization, and the educational system, are discussed as possible explanations for the unique findings.

Criteria for the transition to adulthood, developmental features of emerging adulthood, and views of the future among Greek studying youth

“…This gender difference is consistent with previous research in Greece (Petrogiannis, 2011) and other cultures (Doğan et al, 2015; Seiter & Nelson, 2011). Moreover, the emerging adult status was more prevalent among those students with no job or part-time job experience, whereas the adult status was more frequent among those with full-time job experience, a finding similar to that in other countries (Doğan et al, 2015; Macek et al, 2007).…”

“…Consistent with previous research in other countries (Arnett, 2001; Arnett & Padilla-Walker, 2015; Badger et al, 2006; Cheah & Nelson, 2004; Cheah et al, 2010; Doğan et al, 2015; Donoghue & Stein, 2007; Facio & Micocci, 2003; Mayseless & Scharf, 2003; Nelson, 2009; Piumatti et al, 2016; Seiter & Nelson, 2011; Sirsch et al, 2009), women endorsed Family capacities and Norm compliance criteria more frequently than men. In contrast, men rated Financial independence and Family formation criteria as more important for adult status than women.…”

“…High percentages of this feeling were also found in Greece (Petrogiannis, 2011), Turkey (Doğan, Yüzbaşi, & Demir, 2015), Czech Republic (Macek, Bejček, & Vaníčková, 2007), Romania (Nelson, 2009), Argentina (Facio & Micocci, 2003), and Aborigins of Australia (Cheah & Nelson, 2004). The lowest percentages were found in China (Nelson, Badger, & Wu, 2004), India (Seiter & Nelson, 2011), and in ethnic minorities (Arnett, 2003; Badger et al, 2006; for a more extensive review, see Nelson & Luster, 2015). It appears, then, that emerging adulthood is more prominent in Western and Westernized cultures, but is not absent in quite different cultures.…”

“…This finding is common in the USA (Arnett, 2001, 2003), Austria (Sirsch et al, 2009), Sweden (Wängqvist & Frisén, 2015), Denmark (Arnett & Padilla-Walker, 2015), and Israel (Mayseless & Scharf, 2003). A different picture has emerged in rather collectivistic cultures, namely China (Badger et al, 2006; Nelson et al, 2004; Nelson, Duan, Padilla-Walker, & Luster, 2012; Zhong & Arnett, 2014), and India (Seiter & Nelson, 2011), where communal criteria, such as Relational maturity (e.g., accepting responsibility for one’s actions and having emotional control), were more important. A mixture of individualistic and collectivistic criteria for the transition to adulthood is present in Eastern European countries such as Lithuania (Vosylis, Kaniušonytė, & Raižienė, 2015) and Romania (Nelson, 2009), as well as Turkey (Doğan et al, 2015), and Argentina (Facio & Micocci, 2003).…”

“…Young people feel that they have many open choices and possibilities, perhaps more than in any other life period. Emerging adults in various cultures feel optimistic about their quality of life, financial well-being, career achievements, and personal relationships in the future (Arnett, 2000b; Nelson, 2009; Nelson et al, 2004; Seiter & Nelson, 2011). More research is needed on this issue too across cultures.…”