About the research area Becoming Adults in a Changing World

The ‘Becoming Adults in a Changing World’ community conducts research into the key issues and environmental factors that influence the journey to adulthood. The community brings together researchers, educators and professionals to advance knowledge and develop approaches that better support young people during this crucial stage of life.

Early adulthood is the phase in which young people take greater control of their lives. This control can be witnessed in four areas:

1. Early Career: After completing secondary school, young people begin to make independent decisions around work, making their own home, creating community, and becoming an active civic participant.
2. Relationships: Becoming an adult also involves experiments in professional as well as social interactions and personal relationships– both platonic and romantic. Young people’s relationships with parents and teachers transform. As attention shifts to their peers, they identify with and/or join various types of groups.
3. Identity: In this environment, surrounded by a diverse group of people, young adults continue to negotiate their personal, gender, medical, religious and cultural identities, learning  how to make their way in the world. Over time, they figure out not only what makes them unique, but also what binds them to other people.
4. Voice: Through exposure, experiments, and experience, young people learn over time to identify and use their own voice in society, more frequently expressing their opinion on various issues. In addition to pursuing a say in debates about global or local crises and concerns, young people also seek greater political influence and legal rights.
    

Changing world

Becoming an adult is not an individual process, but a social one, an ongoing negotiation that is closely bound up with the global, economic, digital, and ecological context in which young people develop into what is considered adulthood. The current world is fraught with crises that are difficult for people of any age, but particularly salient for young adults, as they consider their own futures. Firm career plans and job security are no longer guarantees for a stable future. Global conflicts, continuously disruptive technologies, human-AI communication, and climate issues impact all aspects of individual and social life for youth. This gives rise to more youth-led activist participation, but also can cause many tensions and anxieties

Youth participation in research

This community seeks to ensure that young people are closely involved in the research conducted in the context of this community. Climate change, global conflicts, AI, gender equality, inclusion, are among many themes that matter to young people. Do they have sufficient opportunities to make their voices heard? Are their rights adequately protected, or do we need additional legislation and regulations to give young people greater input? Besides involving young people in our research activities, we organise activities where they can meet peers and researchers.

The themes of BACW: a matrix of challenges

What does it mean and what does it take to become an adult in our changing world? How do we best support young people at this phase of their lives? These are, of course, deep, complex, and multifaceted questions. To give some structure and focus to the work of the community we have identified sixteen major themes. These come together in a matrix which is built around four of the perpetual issues young people need to navigate in their transition to adulthood, and four key factors in our current social environment which raise both challenges and opportunities. This is a matrix in development and is not firmly set, but can serve as a starting point to see if and where your interests align with the focus the Becoming Adults community. 

Download the matrix (pdf)