The Sociology of Emerging Adulthood: Studying Youth in the Context of Public Issues

The anthology The Sociology of Emerging Adulthood: Studying Youth in the Context of Public Issues explores what it means to be a twenty-something in contemporary society. The readings examine the relatively newly acknowledged stage of life known as emerging adulthood through a sociological lens, which enables student-readers to understand their personal challenges within the context of public issues.

An interdisciplinary text, the book begins by addressing the life course itself as well as the life stage of emerging adulthood. The subsequent readings draw from diverse disciplines to explore issues such as delinquency and criminal activity, schooling and higher education, family formations, romantic partnerships, social change, and civic engagement.

Taken together, the readings in The Sociology of Emerging Adulthood: Studying Youth in the Context of Public Issues provide a quality sociological analysis of the overall life course and the place of today's young people within it. The anthology can be used in general sociology courses, those addressing family issues, or classes on psychology and human development.

Patricia S. Herzog earned her Ph.D. in sociology at University of Notre Dame and went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in sociology and urban studies at Rice University. She is now an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Arkansas, where she also serves as co-director of the Center for Social Research. Her writing has appeared in numerous journals including the Journal of Classical Sociology and the Journal of Adolescent Research. She is co-author of the book American Generosity: Who Gives and Why from Oxford University Press.