Emerging Adulthood

This entry reviews Arnett's theory of emerging adulthood, as well as a number of competing perspectives on the transition to adulthood. Arnett's perspective is largely optimistic and focused on the psychological experiences of the individual young person, whereas many of the other perspectives are more pessimistic and focus on the shortage of opportunities—and on the potential for “getting stuck” in the transition to adulthood. This entry proposes an integration and middle ground between Arnett's view and other perspectives on the transition to adulthood. The roots of the emerging‐adult age period in social and economic changes, and the changes in workforce entry and relationship formation that have accompanied the extended transition to adulthood, are also reviewed.