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This qualitative interview study explored and examined the transitions surrounding emerging adulthood within the family from the parents' perspective. Interviews conducted with a purposive sample of parents (N=59) revealed the perceived difficulties parents have in "letting go" of their grown-up children, and in acknowledging their developing autonomy; and demonstrated a range of perceived parental strategies in response to young people's growing independence. The significance of these intertwined elements of perceived dependency, emotional tensions, and interactive behaviours for relationships in the family, and the implications for "emerging adulthood", was discussed.

This paper examined the concept of emerging adulthood as proposed by Arnett, in a purposive sample of Welsh young people (n=38) aged 17-20 years who were working or unemployed (i.e. not in higher education). In this exploratory study, young people were questioned about their lifestyles and their perceptions of "being adult" in semi-structured interviews lasting about 40 minutes. Results indicated that Arnett's emerging adulthood stage held good for only one subgroup of those interviewed. Other developmental trajectories to adulthood were noted. Further, many claimed to perceive themselves as adult and to be perceived by others as adult. The value of Arnett's stage theory to young people in a European society was discussed in the light of present findings, and an alternative approach was offered. (Contains 3 figures.)

Uses Abel and McQueen's (1992) theoretical framework of resources, orientations, and behaviors, to examine social class influences on adolescent socialization in Sweden, Germany, and Great Britain. Finds that lifestyle socialization in adolescence is social-class based, but allows for transitional variations within social-class boundaries. Elements of social class are powerful and pervasive in relation to resources and behaviors. (Author/KB)