Book Reviews

Rights of Passage: Social change and the Transition from Youth to Adulthood

by: Sarah Irwin

For a social research book, I thought Irwin (1995) did a great job of gathering the research and disseminating the information that she had to work with. 

The book's primary purpose was "to break with the boundaries that conventionally delimit discussion of this life course period, and offers an analysis that treats it as an integral aspect of more general social arrangements" (p. 1). In other words, Irwin (1995) wanted to create a new way to think and talk about the transition from youth to adulthood in a different way than it has been approached before. Especially because of the changes in young adults' experience in employment, marriage, independence, etc. are different compared to about 20 years ago (p. 4), many issues come in the ability of younger Americans to become independent. 

Irwin (1995) addresses all of these issues in her book. Those "issues" discussed include 

• economic changes that effect employment among young adults, which, in turn, effects independence (Irwin, 1995, p. 12)
• observations and changes in milestones of young adults (i.e. when marriage occurs and having a first child). (Irwin, 1995, p. 13).
• gender relation differences in the current century. (i.e. women are working more/ratios are balancing out; earning power is almost equal, and also responsibility balance) (Irwin, 1995, p. 14)
• class differences in family creation, and what age is "ideal" for young adults—Irwin (1995) considers consuming power of different classes that also shapes when young adults marry and have children. (p. 15)
• differences in when an individual becomes independent compared to past generations. Which is then linked to structural issues in the larger scale of things in America—because there are more dependents, that means that there are less earners that are paying into social security regularly. (Irwin, 1995, p. 15-16)

Each issue is a chapter in Irwin’s (1995) book, of which each is an important issue, because she poignantly addresses the issues in the structure of America since the recession and differences between generations that aids in understanding the “us” and “them” mentality when you are thinking about parents, counselors and student. Irwin (1995) also frames reasonable expectations for all to understand that its not your 20 year-old’s fault that he or she is not out of the house yet, but probably means that things are going to take a little bit longer for him or her to get established.

The researches that Irwin (1995) reviews are pertinent to the times now: Although the research she pulls from are from the 1970’s to 1990’s, she conducting a cross sectional study (cross-sectional research is a research method that means you are researching multiple age groups or generations at once), so Irwin (1995) is using relevant research to her goal in crossing generational boundaries to explore differences in the transition to adulthood.

Although Irwin’s (1995) writing is a little more technical, I think that, with some processing, and rereading, her books would be a good read for parents and counselors to consider. Especially to read more directly from research about the generational differences instead of what culture has deemed as fact.

 Irwin, S. (1995). Rights of Passage: Social Change and the Transition from youth to Adulthood. Bristol: UCL Press Limited.