Youth's Conception of Life-Cycle Stages

The Israeli Case

Bibliographic Data

ID9890144
AuthorsTamar Rapoport (School of Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91905 Jerusalem, Israel., corresponding author), Sharon J Barnett (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Year1986
Volume39
Issue9
Pages779-791
Publication date1986-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/001872678603900901
OpenAlexW2134480971
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited14

Conceptions held by contemporary adolescents about the four major life stages were examined among a sample of 347 Israeli adolescents. Subjects were asked to characterize in one sentence the terms "adult," "youth, " "child, " and "old person." A content analysis of the data, based on structural categories developed by the authors (biological aspects, roles, and personal resources), showed that youth conceive of all the stages predominantly in terms of personal resources, i.e., assets and characteristics utilized in social behavior. In addition, a strong positive attitude toward youth, a strong negative attitude toward old age, and ambivalence toward childhood and adulthood were discerned. The findings are explained in terms of major social characteristics of youth's transitional life stage (marginality and moratorium) within Israeli society. This sociological perspective is suggested as a useful addition to the more common psychological one in explaining youth's conception of the life cycle

Ambivalence · Developmental psychology · Perspective (graphical · Early Childhood Education and Development · Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub