Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed is exploring Christian Smith’s new book: Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults. Today the question is: What is the cultural world of the emerging adult? We’re talking about 46 million emerging adults… so generalizations need careful backing of evidence and all kinds of nuance.
What do you think of this listing of characteristics of emerging adults?
Transitions aplenty
Standing on one’s own
So much to figure out
Not enough money
Optimism for personal future
Smarting from hard lessons learned
No regrets
Relations with parents improving
Hard to see an objective reality beyond the self
Right and wrong are easy
Not hurting others is self-evident
Karma will catch you
Everybody’s different
It’s up to the individual
More open-minded
All cultures are relative
Relative morality depends on the case
Uncertain purpose
Education is of instrumental value
Drugs are pervasive, but maybe getting boring
Settling down is for later
Relationships are often amorphous
Hooking up is common
Devastating breakups happen
Cohabit to avoid divorce
Strategically managing risks
Consumerism is good stuff
Helping others is an optional personal choice
Middle-class dream is alive and well
Still believe in America’s freedoms
Volunteering and giving someday, maybe
Don’t expect to change the world
Submerge in interpersonal relationships
It’s too easy to fall back into old ways
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Jeremy L. Berg 