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"IN WESTERN SOCIETIES, THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL CHANGES HAS MADE THE TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD AN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX, DIVERSE AND LENGTHY JOURNEY".
It may or may not be easy to identify an acquaintance with these characteristics. What is undeniable is that there is a certain cult of youth in Western cultures. We tend to praise what we consider young because it is associated with something better, attractive and full of life; whereas being an adult, maturing or growing old is seen as an undesirable and boring state. However, we must question whether we are properly interpreting what it means to be young today - are our young people in a desirable state of perfection?
Due to the 2008 crisis and the current pandemic crisis, the labour market has been affected and the youth is the generation that suffers the most, being one of those with the highest unemployment and school fees withdrawal . In 2020, the INE recorded 40.1% unemployment among under-25s of both sexes. Around 17% of young people between 15 and 29 years old cannot find a job, but they cannot afford to study either (survey de Población Activa, 2020).
The school failure rate among 18-24 year olds in Spain is above 20%, the highest in the European Union (Map of the withdrawal educational Early in Spain, 2021). Almost 40% believe it is "unlikely or not at all likely" that they will find a job in the next year and the hope of being able to emancipate themselves has fallen, making Spain the country with the latest emancipation of young people in Europe, with a average of 29.5 years.
Against this backdrop, the question arises: are young people merely a "Peter Pan" collective who refuse to be adults, or are we facing a new and more complex social phenomenon?
In Western societies, the influence of socio-cultural changes has made the transition to adulthood an increasingly complex, diverse and lengthy path (Arnett 2004). Specifically, in Spain, the democratic transition, the digital revolution, the 2008 financial crisis, the welfare culture, and the COVID-19 pandemic are some of the events that have marked this generation (Simón et al. 2020). There is a consensus that the traditional model of the passage from adolescence to adulthood has changed. It has even been mentioned that, beyond childhood, there is no other stage of the life course that experiences such dynamic and complex personal, social and emotional changes (Wood et al. 2018).
How to build an adult identity in such an arduous and changing context? agreement According to the theory of psychosocial development developed by Erik Erikson, identity formation is the main conflict in adolescence, but extends throughout the transition to adulthood (Erikson 1985). The development of identity is crucial for the individual, relational and social interaction of the subject (Côté 2016).
In the post-modern landscape, where the normative Structures and roles that once dictated a shift towards maturity are no longer so clear, the emphasis has shifted to emphasising the development of qualities and tools that foster positive adaptations and growth among young people. Among the various responses that have emerged in the scientific community, that of James Coté and his theory of identity capital stands out (Côté 2016). The Canadian sociologist's proposal is summarised in a "portfolio" of skills that help young people transition in a society lacking established references.
The model identity capital is just one example of the various proposals to improve the understanding of the transition to adulthood from a psychological, but also sociological and contextual perspective. Today more than ever, young people are required to exercise active agency in their own development.