“The stretched-out walk to independence is rooted in social and economic shifts that started in the 1970s, including a change from a manufacturing to a service-based economy that sent many more people to college, and the women’s movement, which opened up educational and professional opportunities……we’re still living with the archaic idea that people enter adulthood in their late teens or early 20s.”

This passage concludes how the economic shifts since 1970s and women’s movement affected the timing of adulthood in the U.S. It reminds me of the similar situation in China. Although China had completely different social-economic formation before 1978, the Reform and Opening-up policy since then has made China a more open country with the market economy system being founded primarily. With the quick economic growth and the increasing interaction with the international society, Chinese young people have had higher pursuit for their education and lifestyles. In order to meet the needs for qualified labor in global economic integration, China’s college graduate rate significantly increased. At the same time, more and more college graduates have the opportunities to continue their study in graduate schools or abroad. The prolonged education has gradually postponed young people’s marriage and parenthood, and it has changed their worldviews and life choices as well. Being single or DINK has been popular because these choices offer opportunities for young people to live a relatively higher quality life without too much financial pressure and family responsibilities.

Another point that is worth mentioning is the One Child Policy that came along with the Opening –up. This policy brought at least two consequences in terms of the redefinition of adulthood. One is that it has made education to be more valued by parents since they were only allowed to have one child. Another is that daughters have been given the same opportunities to receive complete and high quality education for the same reason. Indeed, as the center of a family, the only child, no matter a girl or a boy, will get enormous attention, resource and support from their parents, including time and money during their school years and cars and houses after their graduation from college. All these factors have largely affected the timing of independence in young adults.

Cohen, P. (2010, June 11). The long road to adulthood is growing even longer. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/us/13generations.html