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Growing Up as “Man of the House”: Adultification and Transition Into Adulthood for Young Men in Economically Disadvantaged Families
Author(s) -
Roy Kevin,
Messina Lauren,
Smith Jocelyn,
Waters Damian
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
new directions for child and adolescent development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1534-8687
pISSN - 1520-3247
DOI - 10.1002/cad.20054
Subject(s) - disadvantaged , young adult , psychology , negotiation , life course approach , early adulthood , transition (genetics) , developmental psychology , gerontology , sociology , economic growth , medicine , social science , biochemistry , chemistry , economics , gene
Many children in economically disadvantaged communities assume adult roles in their families. Negotiating the responsibilities and expectations associated with becoming what some young men describe as “man of the house” has important implications for how adolescent boys move into adulthood. In this study, we share insights from field work and life‐history interviews with low‐income, young African American men and Salvadoran men in the Washington, DC/Baltimore region to illustrate how adultification may deliver contradictory expectations for adolescents. The findings also show how the accelerated responsibilities that accompany the experience of adultification create difficulties in the young men's transition into adulthood. These findings indicate that the age period of emerging adulthood may begin earlier for economically disadvantaged young men. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.