Flourishing in Emerging Adulthood highlights the third decade of life as a time in which individuals have diverse opportunities for positive development. There is mounting evidence that this time period, at least for a significant majority, is a unique developmental period in which positive development is fostered. Dr. Lene Arnett Jensen highlights the importance of this work in an engaging foreword, and chapters are written by leading scholars in diverse disciplines who address various aspects of flourishing. They discuss multiple aspects of positive development including how young people flourish in key areas of emerging adulthood (e.g., identity, love, work, worldviews), the various unique opportunities afforded to young people to flourish, how flourishing might look different around the world, and how flourishing can occur in the face of challenge. Most chapters are accompanied by first-person essays written by a range of emerging adults who exemplify the aspect of flourishing denoted in that chapter and make note of how choices and experiences have helped them transition to adulthood. Taken together, this innovative collection provides rich evidence and examples of how young people are flourishing as a group and as individuals in a variety of settings and circumstances. This unique resource will be useful to students, faculty, professionals, clinicians, and university personnel who work with young adults or who study development during emerging adulthood.

Foreword by Lene Arnett JensenAbout the EditorsContributorsSection 1: Positive Development during Emerging Adulthood1. Flourishing in Emerging Adulthood: An Understudied Approach to the Third Decade of LifeLaura M. Padilla-Walker and Larry J. Nelson2. Identity Formation and Moral Development in Emerging AdulthoodDaniel Lapsley and Sam A. HardyEmerging Adult Essay: Between "being" and "having": How faith and charity changed my life3. The Role of Purpose Among Emerging AdultsKendall Cotton Bronk and Rachel BaumsteigerEmerging Adult Essay: Be japy - We make people happy4. Healthy Transitions to Family FormationErin Holmes, Geoffrey Brown, Kevin Shafer, and Nate StoddardEmerging Adult Essay: Success Through Hands and FeetEmerging Adult Essay: Charlie and Me5. Healthy Transitions to WorkPhil Gardner and Georgia ChaoEmerging Adult Essay: Surviving the UsualEmerging Adult Essay: What Color is your Collar6. The Role of Civic and Political Participation in Successful Early AdulthoodDan Hart and Anne Van GoethemEmerging Adult Essay: History Shapes Us, Molds Us, and is Part of UsEmerging Adult Essay: Generation Citizen7. Environmental Activism in Emerging AdulthoodKyle Matsuba, Susan Alisat, and Michael PrattEmerging Adult Essay: Founder, Spirit Bear Youth CoalitionEmerging Adult Essay: Turning our Unfortunate Past into our Strengths: The Story of Ruganzu8. Positive Relationships as an Indicator of Flourishing During Emerging AdulthoodLaura Padilla-Walker, Madison Memmott-Elison, and Larry NelsonEmerging Adult Essay: ChangeEmerging Adult Essay: Grandparents' Influence on Developmental Growth9. "I Think, Therefore I Do": Cognitions Related to Flourishing in Emerging AdulthoodLarry Nelson, Nathan Jorgensen, and Adam RogersEmerging Adult Essay: Marriage: It is our cornerstone rather than capstoneSection 2: Unique Opportunities for Service during Emerging Adulthood10. National Service as an Institutional Pathway to FlourishingVictoria Faust and Constance Flanagan11. Cultural Immersion as a Context for Promoting Global Citizenship and Personal Agency in Young AdultsBryan Sokol, Katie Gauthier Donnelly, Justin Vilbig, and Katie MonskyEmerging Adult Essay: Crossing BordersEmerging Adult Essay: Finding Purpose Through a Romanian Adventure12. Military Service in MidlifeMeredith Kleykamp, Ryan Kelty, and David SegalEmerging Adult Essay: Taking the Long Road13. Crucibles of Transformation: Religious Service and Emerging AdultsPamela King and Christine MerolaEmerging Adult Essay: Sweden: A Beautiful CrucibleEmerging Adult Essay: My Crucible Flame: My Encounter with the Street Children of Lima, PeruSection 3: Positive Development Around the World14. Positive Development in AfricaJoseph Lah Lo-ohEmerging Adult Essay: Overcoming Challenges During Young AdulthoodEmerging Adult Essay: My Life My Struggle15. Volunteer Work among Young Adults in AsiaBen Law, Daniel Shek, and Rosemary LiangEmerging Adult Essay: The positive impact of volunteerism on young adults16. Flourishing Through Participation: Positive Young Adult Development in Australia and New ZealandBonnie L. BarberEmerging Adult Essay: Sport as a vehicle for growth17. Flourishing in European Emerging Adults: The Challenges of Positive Development in a Continent of InequalityOliver Robinson and Rita ZukauskieneEmerging Adult Essay: In a strange land but a stranger no more18. Positive Development in Latin American Emerging AdultsAlicia Facio, Maria Cecilia Sireix, and Maria Eugenia PrestofelippoEmerging Adult Essay: I BelieveSection 4: Positive Development in the Face of Challenge19. Former Foster Care Youth and Resilient Functioning in Young Adulthood: Predictors of Success and Future Research DirectionsManfred Van Dulmen and Haylee DeLucaEmerging Adult Essay: Stepping in when others step back20. Healing From Inner City ViolenceJocelyn R. Smith Lee21. Offender Rehabilitation and Reentry during Emerging Adulthood: A Review and Introduction of a New ApproachMichael Rocque, Judy Plummer-Beale, and Agneiska Serwick22. The Transition to Adulthood for Those With DisabilitiesRyan Kellems, Dawn Rowe, Denya Palmer, and Caroline WilliamsEmerging Adult Essay: Jenny Lu DesignsEmerging Adult Essay: Life Moving Forward: A Personal Perspective on Transitioning into Adulthood23. Emerging Adults Who have Flourished Through a Physical Health ChallengeJaehee Yi, Tian Tian, and Jonghee KimEmerging Adult Essay: Cancer: Why I can't look at anything the same again24. Positive Development during Emerging Adulthood for Queer PopulationsChristina Peter, Russell Toomey, Justin Heinze, and Stacey HornEmerging Adult Essay: Pathways to positive development for Queer Emerging Adults25. Emerging Adults and Migration: Diversity and Social ContributionsHinda Seif and Jason JenkinsIndex