‘Forced adulthood’: An aspect of ‘quarterlife crisis’ suffered by young English and Assamese adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/qs.v6i1.124407Keywords:
Life span, Identity crisis, Cross-cultural differences, Young adulthood, Visual methods, PhenomenologyAbstract
Quarterlife crisis’ describes difficulties experienced by young people in their transition to adulthood. Little is known about how this crisis manifests in different cultural contexts or the impact of educational background. Using photo-elicitation and timeline interviews, we explore the lived experience of ‘quarterlife crisis’ among 22-30 year olds from England (n=16) and Assam, India (n=8), each group including people with and people without a university-level education. Data were analysed with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. We report the key theme of ‘forced adulthood’, consisting of the traumatising experience of having to assume adult roles and responsibilities before one feels capable of so doing. We explore how cultural and educational factors shape this experience though: feeling rushed to financial self-sufficiency; having to train oneself to be an adult; and having to be the ‘man of the house’. In conclusion, we demonstrate that, even though there is some consistency around the traumatising effect of too early an assumption of adult responsibility, culture and educational background can change the contours of this experience and its meaning.
References
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Deka, H. (2005). The Assamese mind: contours of a landscape. India International Centre Quarterly, 32(2/3), 189-202.
Deka, M. (2013). Women's agency and social change: Assam and beyond. SAGE Publications India.
Dolan, A. (2011). ‘You can’t ask for a Dubonnet and lemonade!’: Working class masculinity and men’s health practices. Sociology of Health & Illness, 33(4): 586-601.
Emigh, R. J. (1997). The power of negative thinking: The use of negative case methodology in the development of sociological theory. Theory and Society, 26(5), 649-684.
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and Society. New York: Norton.
Fatusi, A. O., & Hindin, M. J. (2010). Adolescents and youth in developing countries: Health and development issues in context. Journal of adolescence, 33(4), 499-508.
Galambos, N. L., Barker, E. T., & Krahn, H. J. (2006). Depression, self-esteem, and anger in emerging adulthood: seven-year trajectories. Developmental psychology, 42(2), 350.
Gould, M. S., Munfakh, V., Kleinman, M., & Lake, A.M. (2012). National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: enhancing mental health care for suicidal individuals and other people in crisis. Suicide Life Threat Behav, 42(1): 22-35
Hamamura, T. (2012). Are cultures becoming individualistic? A cross-temporal comparison of individualism–
Hanson, A. (2017). Negative case analysis. The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods, 1-2.
Hermann, C. F. (1972). Time, threat and surprise: A simulation of international crisis. International Crises: Insights from Behavioral Research. New York, NY: Free Press.
Horsburgh, D. (2003). Evaluation of qualitative research. Journal of clinical nursing, 12(2): 307-312.
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online readings in psychology and culture, 2(1), 2307-0919.
Keniston, K. (1970). Youth: A “new” stage of life. The American Scholar,vol. 39(4): 631-654.
Kessler, R. C., & Walters, E. E. (1998). Epidemiology of DSM-III-R major depression and minor depression among adolescents and young adults in the national comorbidity survey. Depression and anxiety, 7(1), 3-14.
Killen, M., & Wainryb, C. (2000). Independence and interdependence in diverse cultural contexts. New directions for child and adolescent development, 2000(87), 5-21.
Larkin, M., Watts, S., & Clifton, E. (2006). Giving voice and making sense in interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2): 102-120.
Levinson, D.J. (1978). The seasons of a man’s life. New York: The Random House Publishing Group
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Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological review, 98(2): 224-253.
McGee, R. E., & Thompson, N. J. (2015). Peer Reviewed: Unemployment and Depression Among Emerging Adults in 12 States, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2010. Preventing chronic disease, 12.
Meo, A. I 2010, Picturing students' habitus: The advantages and limitations of photo-elicitation interviewing in a qualitative study in the city of Buenos Aires. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, vol. 9, no. 2: 149-171.
Mossakowski, K. N. (2011). Unfulfilled expectations and symptoms of depression among young adults. Social science & medicine, 73(5), 729-736.
Panda, A., & Gupta, R. K. (2004). Mapping cultural diversity within India: A meta-analysis of some recent studies. Global Business Review, 5(1): 27-49.
Patel, V., Ramasundarahettige, C., Vijayakumar, L., Thakur, J. S., Gajalakshmi, V., Gururaj, G. & Million Death Study Collaborators. (2012). Suicide mortality in India: a nationally representative survey. The Lancet,379(9834): 2343-2351.
Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J. A. (2014). A practical guide to using interpretative phenomenological analysis in qualitative research psychology. Psychological Journal, 20(1): 7-14.
Pole, S. T. U. (2014). My journey into the unknown: Exploring the experiences of Tongan graduates in New Zealand today and the Quarter Life Crisis (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of Technology).
Rhodes, T., & Fitzgerald, J. (2006). Visual data in addictions research: Seeing comes before words? Addiction Research & Theory, 14(4): 349-363.
Robbins, W. & Wilner, A. (2001). Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties. New York, USA: Penguin Putnam Inc.
Roberts, K. (1997). Prolonged transitions to uncertain destinations: The implications for careers guidance. British journal of guidance and counselling, 25(3): 345-360.
Robinson, O. C. (2014). Sampling in interview-based qualitative research: A theoretical and practical guide. Qualitative research in psychology, 11(1), 25-41.
Roisman, G. I., Masten, A. S., Coatsworth, J. D., & Tellegen, A. (2004). Salient and emerging developmental tasks in the transition to adulthood. Child development, 75(1), 123-133.
Rossi, N. E., & Mebert, C. J. (2011). Does a quarterlife crisis exist? The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 172(2): 141-161.
Sanchez, B., Esparza, P., Colon, Y., & Davis, K. E. (2010). Tryin’ to Make It During the
Transition From High School: The Role of Family Obligation Attitudes and Economic Context for Latino-Emerging Adults. Journal of Adolescent Research, 25(6): 858–884. http://doi.org/10.1177/0743558410376831
Seiter, L. N., & Nelson, L. J. (2010). An Examination of Emerging Adulthood in College Students and Nonstudents in India. Journal of Adolescent Research, 26(4): 506–536. http://doi.org/10.1177/0743558410391262
Setterson, R. & Ray, B. (2010). Not quite adults: Why 20-somethings are choosing a slower path to adulthood and why it’s good for everyone. New York: The Random House Publishing Group.
Sinha, S. R. (1995). Childrearing practices relevant for the growth of dependency and competence in children. Child development within culturally structured environments, 105-135.
Sinha, J. B., Sinha, T. N., Verma, J., & Sinha, R. B. N. (2001). Collectivism coexisting with individualism: An Indian scenario. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 4(2): 133-145.
Schweitzer, R., & Steel, Z. (2008). Researching refugees: Methodological and ethical considerations. In Doing cross-cultural research (pp. 87-101). Springer, Dordrecht.
Smith, B. (2018). Generalizability in qualitative research: Misunderstandings, opportunities and recommendations for the sport and exercise sciences. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 10(1): 137-149.
Smith, J. A. (2004). Reflecting on the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis and its contribution to qualitative research in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 1(1): 39-54.
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P. & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research. London, England: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Sonawat, R. (2001). Understanding families in India: a reflection of societal changes. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 17(2): 177-186.
Thorspecken, J. M. (2005). Quarterlife crisis: The unaddressed phenomenon. George M. Kapalka, PhD, ABPP: 120-126.
Twenge, J. M. (2000). The age of anxiety? The birth cohort change in anxiety and neuroticism, 1952–1993. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 1007-1021
Witchalls, P. J. (2012). Is national culture still relevant?. interculture journal: Online- Zeitschrift für interkulturelle Studien, 11(19), 11-19.
World Health Organisation. (2016, April). Suicide (Fact sheet). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs398/en/
Yen, S., & Siegler, I. C. (2003). Self-blame, social introversion, and male suicides: prospective data from a longitudinal study. Archives of Suicide Research, 7(1): 17-27.
Arnett, J. J. (1997). Young people’s conceptions of the transition to adulthood. Youth & Society, 29(1): 3–23. doi:10.1177/0044118X97029001001
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5): 469–480. doi:10.1037//0003- 066X.55.5.469
Aseltine Jr, R. H., & Gore, S. (2005). Work, postsecondary education, and psychosocial functioning following the transition from high school.Journal of Adolescent Research, 20(6), 615-639.
Atwood, J. D., & Scholtz, C. (2008). The quarter-life time period: An age of indulgence, crisis or both? Contemporary Family Therapy, 30(4): 233-250.
Billings, R. S., Milburn, T. W., & Schaalman, M. L. (1980). A Model of Crisis Perception: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 25(2): 300– 316. http://doi.org/10.2307/2392456
Bittner, A., Goodwin, R. D., Wittchen, H. U., Beesdo, K., Höfler, M., & Lieb, R. (2004). What characteristics of primary anxiety disorders predict subsequent major depressive disorder?. The Journal of clinical psychiatry, 65(5), 618-626.
Bynner, J. (2005). Rethinking the youth phase of the life-course: The case for emerging adulthood? Journal of Youth Studies, 8(4): 367–384. doi:10.1080/13676260500431628
Côté, J. E. (2000) Arrested Adulthood, New York University Press, New York
Côté, J. E. (2006). Emerging adulthood as an institutionalized moratorium: Risks and benefits to identity formation. In J. J. Arnett & J. L. Tanner (Eds.). Emerging adults in America: Coming of age in the 21st century (85-116). Washington: American Psychological Association.
Deka, H. (2005). The Assamese mind: contours of a landscape. India International Centre Quarterly, 32(2/3), 189-202.
Deka, M. (2013). Women's agency and social change: Assam and beyond. SAGE Publications India.
Dolan, A. (2011). ‘You can’t ask for a Dubonnet and lemonade!’: Working class masculinity and men’s health practices. Sociology of Health & Illness, 33(4): 586-601.
Emigh, R. J. (1997). The power of negative thinking: The use of negative case methodology in the development of sociological theory. Theory and Society, 26(5), 649-684.
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and Society. New York: Norton.
Fatusi, A. O., & Hindin, M. J. (2010). Adolescents and youth in developing countries: Health and development issues in context. Journal of adolescence, 33(4), 499-508.
Galambos, N. L., Barker, E. T., & Krahn, H. J. (2006). Depression, self-esteem, and anger in emerging adulthood: seven-year trajectories. Developmental psychology, 42(2), 350.
Gould, M. S., Munfakh, V., Kleinman, M., & Lake, A.M. (2012). National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: enhancing mental health care for suicidal individuals and other people in crisis. Suicide Life Threat Behav, 42(1): 22-35
Hamamura, T. (2012). Are cultures becoming individualistic? A cross-temporal comparison of individualism–
Hanson, A. (2017). Negative case analysis. The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods, 1-2.
Hermann, C. F. (1972). Time, threat and surprise: A simulation of international crisis. International Crises: Insights from Behavioral Research. New York, NY: Free Press.
Horsburgh, D. (2003). Evaluation of qualitative research. Journal of clinical nursing, 12(2): 307-312.
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online readings in psychology and culture, 2(1), 2307-0919.
Keniston, K. (1970). Youth: A “new” stage of life. The American Scholar,vol. 39(4): 631-654.
Kessler, R. C., & Walters, E. E. (1998). Epidemiology of DSM-III-R major depression and minor depression among adolescents and young adults in the national comorbidity survey. Depression and anxiety, 7(1), 3-14.
Killen, M., & Wainryb, C. (2000). Independence and interdependence in diverse cultural contexts. New directions for child and adolescent development, 2000(87), 5-21.
Larkin, M., Watts, S., & Clifton, E. (2006). Giving voice and making sense in interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2): 102-120.
Levinson, D.J. (1978). The seasons of a man’s life. New York: The Random House Publishing Group
Levinson, D. J. (1986). A conception of adult development. American Psychologist, 41(1): 3– 13. doi:10.1037//0003-066X.41.1.3
Madill, A. (2012). Interviews and interviewing techniques. (Part V: Chapter 2). In Cooper, H., Camic, P.M., Long, D.L., Panter, A.T., Rindskopf, D., Sher, K.J. (Eds.), American Psychological Association Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology (Vols 1-3). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological review, 98(2): 224-253.
McGee, R. E., & Thompson, N. J. (2015). Peer Reviewed: Unemployment and Depression Among Emerging Adults in 12 States, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2010. Preventing chronic disease, 12.
Meo, A. I 2010, Picturing students' habitus: The advantages and limitations of photo-elicitation interviewing in a qualitative study in the city of Buenos Aires. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, vol. 9, no. 2: 149-171.
Mossakowski, K. N. (2011). Unfulfilled expectations and symptoms of depression among young adults. Social science & medicine, 73(5), 729-736.
Panda, A., & Gupta, R. K. (2004). Mapping cultural diversity within India: A meta-analysis of some recent studies. Global Business Review, 5(1): 27-49.
Patel, V., Ramasundarahettige, C., Vijayakumar, L., Thakur, J. S., Gajalakshmi, V., Gururaj, G. & Million Death Study Collaborators. (2012). Suicide mortality in India: a nationally representative survey. The Lancet,379(9834): 2343-2351.
Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J. A. (2014). A practical guide to using interpretative phenomenological analysis in qualitative research psychology. Psychological Journal, 20(1): 7-14.
Pole, S. T. U. (2014). My journey into the unknown: Exploring the experiences of Tongan graduates in New Zealand today and the Quarter Life Crisis (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of Technology).
Rhodes, T., & Fitzgerald, J. (2006). Visual data in addictions research: Seeing comes before words? Addiction Research & Theory, 14(4): 349-363.
Robbins, W. & Wilner, A. (2001). Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties. New York, USA: Penguin Putnam Inc.
Roberts, K. (1997). Prolonged transitions to uncertain destinations: The implications for careers guidance. British journal of guidance and counselling, 25(3): 345-360.
Robinson, O. C. (2014). Sampling in interview-based qualitative research: A theoretical and practical guide. Qualitative research in psychology, 11(1), 25-41.
Roisman, G. I., Masten, A. S., Coatsworth, J. D., & Tellegen, A. (2004). Salient and emerging developmental tasks in the transition to adulthood. Child development, 75(1), 123-133.
Rossi, N. E., & Mebert, C. J. (2011). Does a quarterlife crisis exist? The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 172(2): 141-161.
Sanchez, B., Esparza, P., Colon, Y., & Davis, K. E. (2010). Tryin’ to Make It During the
Transition From High School: The Role of Family Obligation Attitudes and Economic Context for Latino-Emerging Adults. Journal of Adolescent Research, 25(6): 858–884. http://doi.org/10.1177/0743558410376831
Seiter, L. N., & Nelson, L. J. (2010). An Examination of Emerging Adulthood in College Students and Nonstudents in India. Journal of Adolescent Research, 26(4): 506–536. http://doi.org/10.1177/0743558410391262
Setterson, R. & Ray, B. (2010). Not quite adults: Why 20-somethings are choosing a slower path to adulthood and why it’s good for everyone. New York: The Random House Publishing Group.
Sinha, S. R. (1995). Childrearing practices relevant for the growth of dependency and competence in children. Child development within culturally structured environments, 105-135.
Sinha, J. B., Sinha, T. N., Verma, J., & Sinha, R. B. N. (2001). Collectivism coexisting with individualism: An Indian scenario. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 4(2): 133-145.
Schweitzer, R., & Steel, Z. (2008). Researching refugees: Methodological and ethical considerations. In Doing cross-cultural research (pp. 87-101). Springer, Dordrecht.
Smith, B. (2018). Generalizability in qualitative research: Misunderstandings, opportunities and recommendations for the sport and exercise sciences. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 10(1): 137-149.
Smith, J. A. (2004). Reflecting on the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis and its contribution to qualitative research in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 1(1): 39-54.
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P. & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research. London, England: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Sonawat, R. (2001). Understanding families in India: a reflection of societal changes. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 17(2): 177-186.
Thorspecken, J. M. (2005). Quarterlife crisis: The unaddressed phenomenon. George M. Kapalka, PhD, ABPP: 120-126.
Twenge, J. M. (2000). The age of anxiety? The birth cohort change in anxiety and neuroticism, 1952–1993. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 1007-1021
Witchalls, P. J. (2012). Is national culture still relevant?. interculture journal: Online- Zeitschrift für interkulturelle Studien, 11(19), 11-19.
World Health Organisation. (2016, April). Suicide (Fact sheet). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs398/en/
Yen, S., & Siegler, I. C. (2003). Self-blame, social introversion, and male suicides: prospective data from a longitudinal study. Archives of Suicide Research, 7(1): 17-27.
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Published
2021-01-21
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Duara, R., Hugh-Jones, S., & Madill, A. (2021). ‘Forced adulthood’: An aspect of ‘quarterlife crisis’ suffered by young English and Assamese adults. Qualitative Studies, 6(1), 11–37. https://doi.org/10.7146/qs.v6i1.124407
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