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Starting in 1995, psychologist Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, PhD, interviewed 300 young people ages 18 to 29 in cities around the nation over five years, asking them questions about what they wanted out of life.

Despite stark differences in their social backgrounds and likely economic prospects, Arnett was struck by the similar answers he heard from his young respondents.

They shared a perception of "feeling in between"--knowing they were pulling clear of the struggles of adolescence and starting to feel responsible for themselves, but still closely tied to their parents and family.

They also reported pondering their personal identity, a theme that surprised Arnett, who thought most would have settled that question as adolescents.

Working from those interviews and examining broad demographic indicators, Arnett proposed a new period of life-span development he calls "emerging adulthood."

Arnett, a professor of psychology at Clark University currently teaching as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, coined the term in his book "Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road From the Late Teens Though the Twenties" (Oxford University Press, 2004).

He describes emerging adulthood as the time from the end of adolescence to the young-adult responsibilities of a stable job, marriage and parenthood and has made it the subject of a new APA book, "Emerging Adults in America: Coming of Age in the 21st Century," co-edited with Jennifer Lynn Tanner, PhD.

The book claims the phenomenon has only arisen in the past few decades in the United States in response to social and economic changes, and it urges continuing scholarship examining the nature of life and paths of development for emerging adults.
Five features of emerging adults
As Arnett describes it, emerging adulthood can be defined as an:

Age of identity exploration. Young people are deciding who they are and what they want out of work, school and love.

Age of instability. The post-high school years are marked by repeated residence changes, as young people either go to college or live with friends or a romantic partner. For most, frequent moves end as families and careers are established in the 30s.

Age of self-focus. Freed of the parent- and society-directed routine of school, young people try to decide what they want to do, where they want to go and who they want to be with--before those choices get limited by the constraints of marriage, children and a career.

Age of feeling in between. Many emerging adults say they are taking responsibility for themselves, but still do not completely feel like an adult.

Age of possibilities. Optimism reigns. Most emerging adults believe they have good chances of living "better than their parents did," and even if their parents divorced, they believe they'll find a lifelong soul mate.

Arnett's research shows that emerging adults want a lot out of life--a job that's well-paid and personally meaningful and a lasting bond with a partner. Many might be headed for disappointment, he says, noting that most employers simply want someone who can get a job done and almost half of all marriages end in divorce.

"If happiness is the difference between what you expect out of life and what you actually get, a lot of emerging adults are setting themselves up for unhappiness because they expect so much," he says.
Larger trends at work
Arnett says emerging adulthood is tied to larger historical social trends in American society, noting that 50 years ago, the median age for marriage was 22 for men and 20 for women.

Now, the median age for marriage has climbed past 28 for men and edged above 24 for women.

One reason young people marry later is that a much larger percentage of young people attend some form of college, creating a longer transition time between adolescence and adulthood, Arnett says.

Before 1944 and the passage of the GI Bill of Rights for returning World War II veterans, only a small percentage of high school graduates went to college, an educational experience mainly reserved for men. Now, a majority of young people get some college experience in one form or another, whether it's a four-year residential school or a community college.

Moreover, women now make up a majority of college undergraduates, and many want to build a career before they marry and have children, Arnett says. The development of the birth control pill helped drive the change, Arnett says. Decades ago, young people got married rather then face the risks of pregnancy outside marriage. Now, sexual relationships outside of marriage are accepted as natural by many people.
Some prosper; some struggle
Another marker of emerging adulthood is heterogeneity, says Arnett, in terms of the sheer multitude of paths young people can take and their widely varying levels of success.

Given some emerging adults' struggles, Arnett sees the need for greatly expanded societal efforts to help them navigate the transition into careers and family. He believes such efforts would pay off, given the self-awareness people develop in their 20s and their willingness to change.

"If you provide them with resources, they're much more likely to say, 'How can I improve my life?'" Arnett says.

He hopes the book and other efforts, such as the future development of a society for studying emerging adulthood, will build a community of scholars devoted to studying the period of development. Arnett and fellow scholars currently discuss ideas through the Emerging Adulthood Special Interest Group, established through the Society for Research on Adolescence.

The group organized two academic conferences exploring aspects of emerging adulthood and a third is planned for February 2007 in Tucson, Arizona.

The question of why some emerging adults do well, why some struggle and what can be done to help more make a successful transition is taken up by several book contributors.

Tanner, co-editor of the APA book and an assistant research professor in the School of Social Work at Simmons College, argues that the heterogeneity Arnett cites can be explained by the foundation laid in childhood and adolescence.

As she describes it, how well an adolescent makes the transition through young adulthood into adulthood and becomes a fully independent person depends in large part on the right balance of the adolescent pushing for independence and parents and society giving the correct amount of support--not pushing too hard or holding back too much, she says.

Many emerging adults who face problems becoming independent have faced past challenges meeting developmental tasks for one reason or another, she says.

"There are enormous costs to young people who are not equipped to 'plug in' to adult roles and responsibilities," Tanner says.

Jean S. Phinney, PhD, a psychology professor at California State University, Los Angeles, writes on emerging adulthood's different features in ethnic-minority groups. Both for cultural and economic reasons, many young people from ethnic-minority groups tend to take on adult responsibilities earlier, contributing to the family income and taking care of siblings, sometimes at the cost of slowing down their own schooling, Phinney says.

During emerging adulthood, ethnic minorities have to deal with the larger culture and figure out their own identity in the context of the larger society. For children of immigrants, that can be especially challenging, she says.

"I think it can be harder for minorities who come from a culture where the expectations of what you should do are very strong," she says.

Another book contributor, Stephen F. Hamilton, PhD, a professor of human development at Cornell University, focuses on young people who can't afford college or who don't move into vocational programs. Many in that group languish in the low-paid jobs of the secondary labor market, bouncing from one low-skilled, dead-end job to another, Hamilton says.

"They end up doing this work their whole lives," he says.

Hamilton thinks there's a missing institution in American life--one devoted to helping young people join the primary labor market of decently paid jobs with benefits and a chance for advancement.

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A new book makes the case for a phase of development between adolescence and adulthood.

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The author’s thoughts and argument about adulthood are…

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Lucero initially felt reluctant to ask her parents for the party, calling it "a big waste of money on just one day."

Contemporary quinceañeras do tend to have a hefty price tag. Event planners, bakers and caterers, hair stylists, makeup artists and D.J.s have all become part of what will soon be a multibillion-dollar industry, said María Bejarano, director of Quinceañera Magazine, a trade publication. "When you put the numbers together, it's stratospheric," Ms. Bejarano said. "The quinceañera business is a monster that keeps on growing."

The celebration has spawned specialized retailers, fashion expos, even a reality show, "Quiero Mis Quinces," promoting custom parties. Disney's "Frozen" was among the most popular themes last year, according to quinceañera store owners.

Many girls are incorporating decidedly secular and non-Latino elements. They choreograph their traditional dance routines to mainstream pop music instead of waltzes. Lucero opened the dance floor to a Beyoncé mix.

In 2013, Disney introduced a line of princess-inspired quinceañera dresses, retailing for $300 to $900, and its theme parks offer catered events like the Belle of the Ball package, which starts at $20,000. For an additional $2,500, quinceañeras can make royal entrances in Cinderella-themed horse-drawn carriages.

In New York, a quinceañera celebration averages around $10,000, according to Alfonso Caviedes, who owns Fantasy, a special-events dress shop in Jackson Heights, Queens. He offers a layaway system on dresses, which on average cost $600. "Some families cannot afford to pay for the dresses up front," Mr. Caviedes said.

Rosa Jimenez, who owns Bridal by Rosa's in East Harlem, puts the typical cost even higher. "I would recommend that families set aside at least $15,000," she said. "It's like a wedding."

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The Quinceañera, a Rite of Passage in Transition (Published 2016)

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Lucero initially felt reluctant to ask her parents for the party, calling it "a big waste of money on just one day." Contemporary quinceañeras do tend to have a hefty price tag. Event planners, bakers and caterers, hair stylists, makeup artists and D.J.s have all become part of what will soon be a multibillion-dollar industry, said María Bejarano, director of Quinceañera Magazine, a trade publication.

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In the article  The Quinceañera the author ,Marybel Gonzalez, demonstrates that a person comes of age when a girl turns 15, in Hispanic family when a girl turns 15 they throw a party called a Quinceañera a girls first step into womanhood showing her purity and readiness for marriage. But in this artical, Lucero turned 15 a year ago but still wanted a party with the same traditions as her parents but switch it up a little saying she wanted to do it the "united states way". Lucero also talks about how its a lot of money to waste on one day and talks about how her parents grew up poor but they were willing to do it “Of course this is a sacrifice for us,” Mr. Cedillo acknowledged. “But we don’t see it that way. This is tradition. Lucero is a good daughter, and she deserves a party.” with help from other family members the cost was eased on their part. To be able to walk into womanhood some of the traditions are switching your sneakers or flats to heels to show that your a woman now and giving a small doll that been blessed to your younger sister or putting it away (the doll represents your childhood) there is also a dance you do with your dad, mom, and other family members is wanted like grandparents, aunts and uncles. I personally love this tradition as i am Hispanic and grew up dreaming of having one they are a beautiful way of welcoming girls into being a woman.

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For 12-year-old Nomi Kline Solmsen, preparing for her upcoming bat mitzvah is a family affair. Her grandfather, a rabbi, is helping her learn to chant the words from the Torah. Her aunt, also a religious leader, is working with her to translate the Hebrew and come up with her own interpretation of the words.

"Because the Torah was meant to be discussed," Nomi says. "I get to be part of that discussion. I get to have my own voice."

For children like Nomi, who see this rite of passage as a basic human right, it can be surprising to realize how recent the history of the bat mitzvah really is.

This weekend, Jewish communities across the country will be marking the 100th anniversary of that first American bat mitzvah. There will be talks and podcasts and celebrations of this coming-of-age ritual--stories about the past and plans for the future.

Since about the 14th century, boys have had bar mitzvah services, but the first American bat mitzvah for girls didn't happen until 1922

Since at least the 14th century, boys have had bar mitzvah services, adding their voices to the Jewish community, says Rabbi Carole Balin, a professor emerita of Jewish history at Hebrew Union College who's working on a book about early bat mitzvahs. But girls didn't have an equivalent rite of passage.

Balin says there were some early rituals for girls in the Ottoman and Hungarian Empires. And confirmation, an alternative coming-of-age ceremony, was adopted by Jews in 19th century Prussia and later used by Reform temples for both boys and girls.

But the first American Bat Mitzvah didn't happen until 1922. That's when Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan bat mitzvahed his daughter, Judith, at New York City's Society for the Advancement of Judaism, a temple that's still around today. As Balin notes, it was personal.

"He always joked that he initiated the rite for four reasons - Judith being the first, and his younger daughters being the second, third and fourth," Balin says.

The first U.S. bat mitzvah left out important coming-of-age practices

The actual details of that first bat mitzvah may be somewhat surprising to today's congregations. Unlike girls today, Judith Kaplan didn't actually read from the Torah. She was summoned to the bimah, the stage where the Torah is read, only after her father had read the weekly portion.

Judith also didn't climb up to the top of the bimah, but rather stood at the bottom, reading from a separate book. This difference, as Balin explains, was kind of the point of the ceremony her father created. "He never intended it as a gateway to full and regular involvement in religious life as it is for boys," she says.

In the decades following Judith Kaplan's bat mitzvah, the ritual spread slowly, often through disciples of Mordecai Kaplan or at summer camps where they didn't risk offending an established congregation. At other temples, rabbis also pushed on behalf of their daughters.

In 1950, Rhoda Shapiro had one of the first bat mitzvahs at her temple in Cleveland - as part of a small cohort including the rabbi's daughter. Shapiro didn't read from the Torah. And her bat mitzvah was Friday night instead of the big Saturday morning service that boys had. But it was still groundbreaking.

"Oh my gosh, my knees were shaking, that's all I can tell you," Shapiro laughs.

Over time, girls push for more equal rituals and more equal roles in Jewish life

By end of the 1950s, Rabbi Carole Balin says that half of Conservative temples and one third of Reform congregations reported holding some sort of bat mitzvah. As the ceremony spread, girls wanted it to be more than just symbolic.

"Girls sort of start to take the bull by the horns and not only ask, but in some cases demand that they be given full rights, like their male counterparts," Balin says. "And that's what happens."

With more bat mitzvahs taking place in the 1960s, and with the help of second wave feminism, girls argued that they should read from the Torah and be counted in a minyan, the quorum of adults required for community prayer. Their mothers began joining temple boards, or seeking out bat mitzvahs of their own that weren't available when they were younger.

"These girls, at the age of 12 or 13, they step into the spotlight, and transform Jewish life," Balin says. "So that by the time the first woman is ordained as a rabbi in this country in 1972, she has girls half her age to thank for paving the way."

Over the past 100 years, the bat mitzvah has gone from radical innovation to mainstream expectation. And now congregations are expanding the ritual, adapting it for trans and nonbinary people or for people with disabilities.

There's a temptation to see all ritual as ancient, handed down from God on Mt. Sinai. But the bat mitzvah is young. The ceremony is the embodiment of how religions change and adapt. It's a testimony to the perseverance of 12 year old girls.

It's a legacy Nomi Kline Solmsen is proud of.

"I feel kind of stronger, because I'm adding to it, and I'm making it more powerful," says Nomi. "It's almost like a gift, and I'm really happy to receive it."

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The bat mitzvah turns 100. It marks more than a coming-of-age for Jewish girls

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For 12-year-old Nomi Kline Solmsen, preparing for her upcoming bat mitzvah is a family affair. Her grandfather, a rabbi, is helping her learn to chant the words from the Torah. Her aunt, also a religious leader, is working with her to translate the Hebrew and come up with her own interpretation of the words.

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In the article the author talks about a Jewish girls bat mitzvah demonstrating  that a person comes of age when they have this special day. Nomis grandfather who is a rabbi teaches her the words of the Torah Nomi likes saying "Because the Torah was meant to be discussed," Nomi says. "I get to be part of that discussion. I get to have my own voice." showing that learning the Torah gives her her own voice like she is maturing. Originally bat mitzvahs where for boys only the first time a girl ever had one wast in till 1922 when a rabbi bat mitzvah his daughter, there were said to be some early age traditions for girls but not like boys. this reminds me of the book night which talks about Jewish people and traditions just without the sad holocaust parts. I think this tradition is nice and accepting i think everybody should have a right to a voice and their own traditions.