Integrative Essay 4

The Assignment:

Anya Kamenetz describes the economic obstacles faced by your generation on the road to adulthood. She also portrays some of the life problems that result from these obstacles. In particular, she shows how young people struggle in three areas of life:
(a) ambitions and hopes regarding career, (b) relations with parents, and (c) feelings about moving ahead with marriage and family.

Please write an essay in which you address each of these above areas (a, b and c). For each area do the following:

1. Summarize Kamenetz’ basic portrayal of the problem (e.g., discouragement or disillusion created by economic obstacles to obtaining one’s dream job, parental frustration with young adults living at home, skiddishness about marriage),

2. Describe how and why each one is, or is not, an issue in your own life,

3. Reflect upon how either Erikson, Arnett, or Gilligan might construe your situation and what you think about that construal. Try to use at least two of the three thinkers at some point in your essay. Do not worry about citing their works, just about using their ideas accurately.

The essay should be about 9 pages long, double-spaced with 1” margins, 12 pt. font, and page numbers. A hard copy of your essay is due to me, outside my office (AA110C) on December 15^th. Please do not send the essay to me by email.

In grading the essays, I will consider:

1. The fullness and accuracy of your summaries of Kamenetz,

2. The care with which you consider the relevance to your own life,

3. The care and accuracy with which you use and reflect on the ideas of either Erikson, Arnett, or Gilligan.