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Conceptualising Adulthood in the Transition Society Context – the Case of Estonia
[journal article]
Abstract "The paper focuses on the conception of adulthood in post-communist Estonia, a society that has
undergone vast structural, institutional and cultural changes. To this end, 179 essays written by high
school graduates in five Estonian schools are analyzed.1 It is argued that the conceptualisation of... view more
"The paper focuses on the conception of adulthood in post-communist Estonia, a society that has
undergone vast structural, institutional and cultural changes. To this end, 179 essays written by high
school graduates in five Estonian schools are analyzed.1 It is argued that the conceptualisation of
adulthood is contextual and young people position and conceptualise themselves in the framework
of these changes. Youth in Estonia, like their peers in Western Countries, stress intangible features
(such as responsibility, mental maturity, social maturity, freedom) along with measurable transitions
(employment, marriage, parenthood) when conceptualising adulthood. However, the meanings behind
the concepts differ and are valued differently among respondents. This paper aims to provide a glance
into what meanings are given to these perceptions. The most prevalent themes picked up by respondents
were institutional transitions, responsibility and social maturity. Such prevalence is plausible, since
these features in the transition to adulthood have changed the most in recent decades: the institutional
context has changed and measurable transitions have prolonged; the level of individual responsibility in
transitions has grown and the society has transformed." (author's abstract)... view less
Keywords
Estonia; post-communist society; social change; cultural change; young adult; adolescence; adulthood; transition; individualization; responsibility; perception; social integration
Classification
Sociology of the Youth, Sociology of Childhood
Developmental Psychology
Document language
English
Publication Year
2010
Page/Pages
p. 36-55
Journal
Studies of Transition States and Societies, 2 (2010) 1
ISSN
1736-8758
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Deposit Licence - No Redistribution, No Modifications