Week 6: Adulthood

Chapter 9 describes the different ways that people pass on into adulthood. There are many rites of passages that we go through, some symbolic while others can be physical or economic. Page 208 in LIFESMART has a list of some of these including having a bat mitzvah, getting a credit card, having sex for the first time. The transition into adulthood signals many things. We are at our physical peak, we stop growing, our bodies begin to react differently to diet and exercise. The consumption of drugs and alcohol can begin to take its toll on the body.This is the time to develop into the habits of taking care of our bodies because what is done at this stage can help in the later stages of life.
Cognitively, people begin to develop and understand their sexual identity and gender role. As stated on page 216, sexual identity is "how we think of ourselves in terms of sexual and romantic attraction." Gender role is an "expected set of behavioral traits for men and women." This all plays into how adults are developing socially. People try and set ourselves up so we can get validation through our peers and life partners.

Chapter 10 was a little scary for me. If i had to put myself in a certain stage, I would say I am a 26 year old right in the early adulthood stage. Which means that I have the signs of aging, serious worries about my health, and physical decline to look forward to. I do not find it all negative though, it will be nice to be settled and not have the turmoil that is adjusting in adulthood now. I just see midlife as milestone that is virtually unknown to me. I see my mom that is right in the middle of a midlife transition and I have no idea how I would be able to handle it. She has gone through divorce, changes in her social life and her job. It kind of helps me appreciate my stage.