CCBC-Net Archives
Re: From Young Adult to New Adult
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From: Rosanne Parry <rosanneparry_at_comcast.net>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 10:48:59 -0700
Another thing to consider in the new adult phenomenon is the changing racial and ethnic demographic of the young. More than 50% of young readers are not white. The definition of adulthood as the moment you leave home and live independently away from your parents is a very culturally specific vision. Many cultures would view that move away from home and family as an act of selfishness, disloyalty, pride or even an indication of mental instability. In addition, the parents of this generation are older than they've ever been. It's not at all unusual for a college student to have retired parents. Many men and women are giving care to aging or disabled parents (without healthcare--a compounding factor for everyone) in their 20s.
I have seen very little of the new NA and what I see most strongly promoted in the media appears to be a young adult plot pasted on an older character and slathered over with a generous helping of smut. Which is unfortunate. Young adults deserve better literature than that and I would hope that the new literature would address not just the difficulty of navigating the early 20s but also the cultural and generational pressures facing this very diverse group.
Rosanne Parry WRITTEN IN STONE, 2013 SECOND FIDDLE, 2011 HEART OF A SHEPHERD, 2009 www.rosanneparry.com
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 10:48:59 -0700
Another thing to consider in the new adult phenomenon is the changing racial and ethnic demographic of the young. More than 50% of young readers are not white. The definition of adulthood as the moment you leave home and live independently away from your parents is a very culturally specific vision. Many cultures would view that move away from home and family as an act of selfishness, disloyalty, pride or even an indication of mental instability. In addition, the parents of this generation are older than they've ever been. It's not at all unusual for a college student to have retired parents. Many men and women are giving care to aging or disabled parents (without healthcare--a compounding factor for everyone) in their 20s.
I have seen very little of the new NA and what I see most strongly promoted in the media appears to be a young adult plot pasted on an older character and slathered over with a generous helping of smut. Which is unfortunate. Young adults deserve better literature than that and I would hope that the new literature would address not just the difficulty of navigating the early 20s but also the cultural and generational pressures facing this very diverse group.
Rosanne Parry WRITTEN IN STONE, 2013 SECOND FIDDLE, 2011 HEART OF A SHEPHERD, 2009 www.rosanneparry.com
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Received on Fri 04 Oct 2013 12:49:17 PM CDT
