title: Growing up as "man of the house": adultification and transition into adulthood for young men in economically disadvantaged families.
abstract: Many children in economically disadvantaged communities assume adult roles in their families. Negotiating the responsibilities and expectations associated with becoming what some young men describe as "man of the house" has important implications for how adolescent boys move into adulthood. In this study, we share insights from field work and life-history interviews with low-income, young African American men and Salvadoran men in the Washington, DC/Baltimore region to illustrate how adultification may deliver contradictory expectations for adolescents. The findings also show how the accelerated responsibilities that accompany the experience of adultification create difficulties in the young men's transition into adulthood. These findings indicate that the age period of emerging adulthood may begin earlier for economically disadvantaged young men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Science, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Damian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D015142:Baltimore / Q000208:ethnology; D004219:District of Columbia / Q000208:ethnology; D004544:El Salvador / Q000208:ethnology; D005195:Family Relations / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult