Flourishing in Emerging Adulthood highlights the third decade of life as a time in which individuals have diverse opportunities for positive development. There is mounting evidence that this time period, at least for a significant majority, is a unique developmental period in which positive development is fostered. Dr. Lene Arnett Jensen highlights the importance of this work in an engaging foreword, and chapters are written by leading scholars in diverse disciplines who address various aspects of flourishing. They discuss multiple aspects of positive development including how young people flourish in key areas of emerging adulthood (e.g., identity, love, work, worldviews), the various unique opportunities afforded to young people to flourish, how flourishing might look different around the world, and how flourishing can occur in the face of challenge. Most chapters are accompanied by first-person essays written by a range of emerging adults who exemplify the aspect of flourishing denoted in that chapter and make note of how choices and experiences have helped them transition to adulthood. Taken together, this innovative collection provides rich evidence and examples of how young people are flourishing as a group and as individuals in a variety of settings and circumstances. This unique resource will be useful to students, faculty, professionals, clinicians, and university personnel who work with young adults or who study development during emerging adulthood.
"Foreword by Lene Arnett Jensen About the Editors Contributors Section 1: Positive Development during Emerging Adulthood 1. Flourishing in Emerging Adulthood: An Understudied Approach to the Third Decade of Life Laura M. Padilla-Walker and Larry J. Nelson 2. Identity Formation and Moral Development in Emerging Adulthood Daniel Lapsley and Sam A. Hardy Emerging Adult Essay: Between ""being"" and ""having"": How faith and charity changed my life 3. The Role of Purpose Among Emerging Adults Kendall Cotton Bronk and Rachel Baumsteiger Emerging Adult Essay: Be japy - We make people happy 4. Healthy Transitions to Family Formation Erin Holmes, Geoffrey Brown, Kevin Shafer, and Nate Stoddard Emerging Adult Essay: Success Through Hands and Feet Emerging Adult Essay: Charlie and Me 5. Healthy Transitions to Work Phil Gardner and Georgia Chao Emerging Adult Essay: Surviving the Usual Emerging Adult Essay: What Color is your Collar 6. The Role of Civic and Political Participation in Successful Early Adulthood Dan Hart and Anne Van Goethem Emerging Adult Essay: History Shapes Us, Molds Us, and is Part of Us Emerging Adult Essay: Generation Citizen 7. Environmental Activism in Emerging Adulthood Kyle Matsuba, Susan Alisat, and Michael Pratt Emerging Adult Essay: Founder, Spirit Bear Youth Coalition Emerging Adult Essay: Turning our Unfortunate Past into our Strengths: The Story of Ruganzu 8. Positive Relationships as an Indicator of Flourishing During Emerging Adulthood Laura Padilla-Walker, Madison Memmott-Elison, and Larry Nelson Emerging Adult Essay: Change Emerging Adult Essay: Grandparents' Influence on Developmental Growth 9. ""I Think, Therefore I Do"": Cognitions Related to Flourishing in Emerging Adulthood Larry Nelson, Nathan Jorgensen, and Adam Rogers Emerging Adult Essay: Marriage: It is our cornerstone rather than capstone Section 2: Unique Opportunities for Service during Emerging Adulthood 10. National Service as an Institutional Pathway to Flourishing Victoria Faust and Constance Flanagan 11. Cultural Immersion as a Context for Promoting Global Citizenship and Personal Agency in Young Adults Bryan Sokol, Katie Gauthier Donnelly, Justin Vilbig, and Katie Monsky Emerging Adult Essay: Crossing Borders Emerging Adult Essay: Finding Purpose Through a Romanian Adventure 12. Military Service in Midlife Meredith Kleykamp, Ryan Kelty, and David Segal Emerging Adult Essay: Taking the Long Road 13. Crucibles of Transformation: Religious Service and Emerging Adults Pamela King and Christine Merola Emerging Adult Essay: Sweden: A Beautiful Crucible Emerging Adult Essay: My Crucible Flame: My Encounter with the Street Children of Lima, Peru Section 3: Positive Development Around the World 14. Positive Development in Africa Joseph Lah Lo-oh Emerging Adult Essay: Overcoming Challenges During Young Adulthood Emerging Adult Essay: My Life My Struggle 15. Volunteer Work among Young Adults in Asia Ben Law, Daniel Shek, and Rosemary Liang Emerging Adult Essay: The positive impact of volunteerism on young adults 16. Flourishing Through Participation: Positive Young Adult Development in Australia and New Zealand Bonnie L. Barber Emerging Adult Essay: Sport as a vehicle for growth 17. Flourishing in European Emerging Adults: The Challenges of Positive Development in a Continent of Inequality Oliver Robinson and Rita Zukauskiene Emerging Adult Essay: In a strange land but a stranger no more 18. Positive Development in Latin American Emerging Adults Alicia Facio, Maria Cecilia Sireix, and Maria Eugenia Prestofelippo Emerging Adult Essay: I Believe Section 4: Positive Development in the Face of Challenge 19. Former Foster Care Youth and Resilient Functioning in Young Adulthood: Predictors of Success and Future Research Directions Manfred Van Dulmen and Haylee DeLuca Emerging Adult Essay: Stepping in when others step back 20. Healing From Inner City Violence Jocelyn R. Smith Lee 21. Offender Rehabilitation and Reentry during Emerging Adulthood: A Review and Introduction of a New Approach Michael Rocque, Judy Plummer-Beale, and Agneiska Serwick 22. The Transition to Adulthood for Those With Disabilities Ryan Kellems, Dawn Rowe, Denya Palmer, and Caroline Williams Emerging Adult Essay: Jenny Lu Designs Emerging Adult Essay: Life Moving Forward: A Personal Perspective on Transitioning into Adulthood 23. Emerging Adults Who have Flourished Through a Physical Health Challenge Jaehee Yi, Tian Tian, and Jonghee Kim Emerging Adult Essay: Cancer: Why I can't look at anything the same again 24. Positive Development during Emerging Adulthood for Queer Populations Christina Peter, Russell Toomey, Justin Heinze, and Stacey Horn Emerging Adult Essay: Pathways to positive development for Queer Emerging Adults 25. Emerging Adults and Migration: Diversity and Social Contributions Hinda Seif and Jason Jenkins Index"
Laura M. Padilla-Walker, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University. Her research focuses on how parents and other socialization agents (e.g., media, siblings) help to foster prosocial and moral development during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Larry J. Nelson, PhD, is a Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University. His research examines social and emotional development in childhood with a particular emphasis in shy and withdrawn behaviors, flourishing and floundering during the third decade of life, and the role of parents and culture in the transition to adulthood.
