Centre for Policy on Ageing



The ticking of the social clock — adults' beliefs about the timing of transition events
Author(s)	Candida C Peterson
Journal title	International Journal of Aging and Human Development, vol 42, no 3, 1996
Pages	pp 189-203
Keywords	Students ; Attitudes to the old of general public ; Life span ; Social surveys ; Australia.
Annotation	In two studies, beliefs about descriptive and prescriptive age norms for adult developmental transitions were examined in a sample of 214 Australian university students aged 17 to 50 years. Study 1 confirmed that descriptive age norms still exist for family transitions (marriage, parenthood, grandparenthood) and career transitions (leaving school, retirement). Young adults advocated later ages for marriage and grandparenthood, a younger norm for leaving school, and a broader age range for leaving work. Study 2 supported the hypothesis that age norms today lack some prescriptive overtones implicit in the original 'social clock' concept. Only a minority believed there were prescriptive upper age boundaries for first marriage or university study. A wide range of acceptability of ages for motherhood and first marriage was given. The consequences for self-esteem, mental health and life planning in timing of life events is discussed.
Accession Number	CPA-970731218 A
Classmark	XN: TOB: BG6: 3F: 7YA
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.