Post-Adolescence, Dependence and the Refusal of Adulthood

TY - JOUR

T1 - Post-Adolescence, Dependence and the Refusal of Adulthood

AU - Maguire, Meg

AU - Ball, Stephen J

AU - Macrae, Sheila

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - An exploration of the dependency, support, & obligation involved in relations between young people & their families draws on narratives gathered from 244 interviews conducted in 1995-1999 with 59 post-adolescents in south London as part of a research project on "post-16 transitions." An additional 46 interviews were carried out with teachers, career officers, & parents involved in supporting the transition of teens from school to employment or further education. The focus is on the notion of a "refusal of adulthood," expressed either through a hedonistic lifestyle or total dependence on family for emotional, social, & economic self-being. Attention is given to how some young people signal that they are "redefining adulthood for themselves alongside /against older versions of what it means to be an adult." The backgrounds, family circumstances, & school experiences of three very different young people (Fiona, Anne, & Delisha- are described to show how their narratives were shaped by their specific social, cultural, & economic environments. Numerous quotes from the narratives are included. 34 References. J. Lindroth.

AB - An exploration of the dependency, support, & obligation involved in relations between young people & their families draws on narratives gathered from 244 interviews conducted in 1995-1999 with 59 post-adolescents in south London as part of a research project on "post-16 transitions." An additional 46 interviews were carried out with teachers, career officers, & parents involved in supporting the transition of teens from school to employment or further education. The focus is on the notion of a "refusal of adulthood," expressed either through a hedonistic lifestyle or total dependence on family for emotional, social, & economic self-being. Attention is given to how some young people signal that they are "redefining adulthood for themselves alongside /against older versions of what it means to be an adult." The backgrounds, family circumstances, & school experiences of three very different young people (Fiona, Anne, & Delisha- are described to show how their narratives were shaped by their specific social, cultural, & economic environments. Numerous quotes from the narratives are included. 34 References. J. Lindroth.

U2 - 10.1080/01596300124693

DO - 10.1080/01596300124693

M3 - Article

VL - 22

SP - 197

EP - 211

JO - Discourse (Abingdon): studies in the cultural politics of education

JF - Discourse (Abingdon): studies in the cultural politics of education

IS - 2

ER -