Conception of Adulthood among Pakistani Emerging Adults
Authors
AMMARA NUMAN and AMINA MUAZZAM
Abstract
In literature, the beginning of adulthood is likely the most ambiguous life transition. There is no universally recognized marker that indicates the onset of adulthood. The current research aimed to study the conception of adulthood in a Pakistani cultural context. A qualitative research design was used in order to get detailed information related to markers of adulthood indigenously. A sample of ten emerging adults with the age range of 18-25 years was selected. Semi-structured interview was used to collect qualitative data. Each participant was interviewed individually. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Under the overarching theme of markers of adulthood five themes were emerged i.e., biological transition, norm compliance, independence, relational maturity and role transition. The findings offered evidence that culture has an impact on conception of adulthood. Pakistan's unique cultural and social factors were discussed as possible reasons for the distinctive findings.
Keywords: Conception of Adulthood, Emerging Adulthood, Pakistani Culture.
