L11 READING REFLECTIONS STUDY GUIDE

1. What cultural changes have led to the emergence of the period known as emerging

adulthood?

1. Entry level positions in many fields require more education, requiring the young adults to

go to secondary school for a longer period of time.

2. With wealthy nations, they live longer, so there is not a pressing need for young people's

labor.

2. Define and give an example of each of the italicized words in Levinson's Seasons of

Life.

Culminating life structure for early adulthood: age 33-40

primary developmental task = establish more secure place for selves in society
accomplish dreams and goals
moving from "junior" to "senior" member in adult world
Early Life Structure of Middle Aduthood45-50
primary task - create initial structure for launching middle adulthood

3. What is meant by the “social clock”? How does following a social clock foster

confidence during early adulthood? Give an example of social clock in the LDS

culture (i.e. the average age of first marriage in the LDS culture is younger than in the

national average.  Thereby the social clock in LDS culture runs younger than the

nation as a whole.)

Social Clock: age-graded expectations for major life events, such as beginning a first job,

getting married, birth of the first child, buying a home, and retiring.

This is where all of these life events are expected to happen at a certain age. For example

getting married and starting a family is happening later and later in the world, whereas in
 the LDS culture, for the most part, they are marrying at a general collective age, which

has gone up a little bit, since the last generation.

4. Describe gender differences in traits usually desired in a long-term partner. What

findings indicate that both biological and social forces contribute to those differences?

Women: assigned greater weight to intelligence, ambition, financial status, and moral

character, either same age or slightly older, earning power and emotional commitment,

that help ensure children's survival and well-being, they like to take time to achieve

psychological intimacy first.

Men: placed more emphasis on physical attractiveness and domestic skills, younger in

age, youth, health, sexual pleasure, and ability to give birth to and care for offspring, they

want the relationship to move quickly toward physical intimacy.

5. List and describe the three components of Sternberg’s triangular theory of love.

Describe the development of a relationship from passionate love to companionate love.

Include reasons why many romances break up.

1. Intimacy: this is the emotional aspect, which involves warm, tender communication,

expressions of concern about the other’s well-being, and a desire for the partner to

reciprocate.

2. Passion: the desire for sexual activity and romance, is the physical and psychological

arousal component.

3. Commitment: is the cognitive component, leading partners to decide that they are in

love and to maintain that love.

Passionate to Companionate Love: sexual attraction is usually intense at first, and will
 decline in favor of intimacy and commitment, which forms the basis for companionate

love. Passionate love is how we decide of whether or not a relationship will go on. The

reason why most romances eventually break up is because they do not have the quiet,

intimate, predictable, and shared attitudes and values of companionate love.

6. Describe characteristics of traditional and egalitarian marriages.  How do dual-earner

marriages balance home responsibilities?

Traditional: clear division of roles, men head of household are responsible for family

economic well-being, while the woman is the caregiver and homemaker.

Egalitarian: each partner is equal to one another, so they share power and authority, while

balancing the time and energy they devote to their jobs, children, and relationship.

7. List highly rated reasons for having children.

There are quite a few factors that go into the decision of having children, such as: financial

circumstances, personal and religious values, and health conditions. Women with traditional

gender identities usually decide to have children. Those in high-status, demanding careers

will less often choose parenthood, or put it off.

8. Discuss challenges men and women face regarding rearing their young children?

Menarche: First Menstruation; typically occurs around age 12.5 for North American girls, 13
for Western Europeans. But the age range is wide, from 10.5-15.5 years.
Following menarche, breast and pubic hair growth are completed, and under arm hair appear,
takes place after the peak of the height spurt.
Anorexia Nervosa: Young people starve themselves because of a compulsive fear of getting
fat.
Bulimia Nervosa: Young people engage in strict dieting and excessive exercise accompanied
by binge eating, often followed by deliberate vomiting and purging with laxatives.

9. Describe characteristics of individuals who are voluntarily childless, including their

long-term adjustment.
Those who are voluntarily childless usually want to focus on their career and economic security,
and their marriage as well. Sometimes this does not last, and will end up having a child or
children, but they seem to be just as content as those who do have children.