Perceived Markers of Adulthood in the Peri-Urban Areas of Nairobi, Kenya.

Abstract

Research on emerging adulthood and markers of adulthood continues to grow worldwide. However, extensive research is yet to be conducted among African populations. The purpose of this study was to understand the markers of adulthood that young people aged 18-29 years in the Nairobi Metropolitan Region of Kenya consider to be important, to assess whether young people think that they have reached adulthood, and to explore whether there are significant differences between collegiate and non-collegiate populations in perceptions of the transition to adulthood. Data were collected using the Markers of Adulthood (MoA) Scale. Findings from this study indicate that the markers of adulthood that are most important to young people from peri-urban areas in Kenya are learning to control emotions (M=3.70, SD=.66), accepting responsibility for your actions (M=3.65, SD=.71), and making independent decisions (M=3.65, SD=.70). Nearly half (47%) of young people in this study reported that they feel they have reached adulthood in some ways and not others. This study is intended to improve the understanding of the transition to adulthood in Kenya. Understanding young people within the context of emerging adulthood will enable practitioners, parents, instructors, institutions, and society as a whole, to adequately address the unique challenges that emerging adults are facing.