The Adult in Society

{
 Write 5 words that describe a typical adult
‘man’
 Write 5 words that describe a typical adult

‘woman’
 What is a man’s role in society?

 What is a women’s role in society?

 What are your 3 most important life goals?

(what do you want to achieve as an adult?)
Bell work The Adult in
society –
 Daniel Levinson completes a long-term
study to determine the stages of adult
male development
 Finds that every man’s life structure or the
combination of statuses, roles, activities,
goals, values, beliefs and life
circumstances went through common
phases

Adult Male
Development
 The Early Adult Transition
– ages 17-22 primary task is
leaving home
 Entering the Adult world –
ages 23-27 primary task is
to explore relationships
and careers while at the
same time become a
responsible member of
society
 The Age 30 Transition –
ages 28-32, results in the
growth of an individual
upon a firm foundation or
in a shift in direction

Stages of Adult
Development – The
Novice Stage
Changing values on gender &
marriage:
 marriage rate dropped by 44% since the 1960s
 Couples also are delaying parenting

 Women are also making up a larger % of the

workforce in general
 What do you think the result of these
statistics will be on the differences between
adult development in men and women?
 Development patterns of adult men and women
appear to be merging
  Settling down period 33-
39, primary task is
“making it” & separation
from mentors
 Midlife transition, 40 –
44, primary task is
escaping the pressure of
unrealizable dreams
 Period of crisis

Stages of Adult
Development
How does development into an
adult differ for males and females?
 Levinson repeated his
study for women and
found that they are
relatively similar
 Some argue though that

childbirth and motherhood

fundamentally alter the
stages
 For example-many women
commit to their careers at the
same time men are having
serious doubts about theirs
 Read the opt-out revolution and answer
the following questions in your note
book

 What are some of the reasons that mothers

leave the workplace? Why do they stay?
 In what ways do you think men and women

might experience the struggle to balance

work with family life differently?

Home Work