Perceptions of the Transition to Adulthood for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Young Black Men

Abstract

The transition to adulthood has drastically changed in the last half century, with more young people delaying and remaking traditional markers of adulthood. Young Black men from socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts, due to experiences of early trauma and adultification and sociostructural barriers to these markers, such as limited job opportunities and racial discrimination, are uniquely situated and may have very different pathways to adulthood than their middle class peers. The present study utilized semi-structured interviews to explore the lived experiences of young Black men (n=21) in the transition to adulthood. Drawing on a life course perspective and utilizing a modified grounded theory methodology, the study examines how early experiences of trauma and adultification, as well as individual’s perceptions of adulthood, shaped the transition to adulthood. Implications for policy and future directions are explored.