Running head: ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

Crystal McField
International College of the Cayman Islands
Courtship and Marriage

Final Research Paper

AP111
LECTURER: Tania Johnson
Date: December 14, 2016

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

As human beings, there are various stages of life that one must transition through. One of
those stages is early adulthood. According to Robert Feldman, author of Development Across the
Life Span (2014) early adulthood is defined as the period that is less stressful and dramatic than
other life categories as this is where individuals are at the peak of health and the height of their
intellectual powers. They are entering a period of independence, falling in love, finding careers,
and forming relationships.
Research by Feldman (2014) shows that early adulthood age range from nineteen (19) to
thirty-nine (39) (Feldman, 2014) and that adult face many developmental tasks such as taking
responsibility for ones self, managing the separation from parents, redefining the relationship
with parents, understanding relationships, gaining and interpreting sexual experiences, learning
intimacy, managing money, developing skills for a career path, considering marriage, parenting
and finding a place in society. (Feldman, 2014)
According to Rebecca Lyon, Psychologist, young adulthood is depicted as the formative
stage between the ages of 18 to 35 and includes facilitating the move towards freedom from the
family. Issues and difficulties exist for young grown-ups in today's general public that did not
exist in past eras. Many changes have occurred in the course of the most recent quite a few years,
for example, progresses in innovation prompting to changes in the way we convey, advanced
education being important to expand work prospects, youngsters marrying later because of a
general acknowledgment of premarital sex and living together, and young ladies are feeling less

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

compelled to have children because of a more extensive scope of vocation choices and access to
regenerative innovation (Lyon, 2016).

Additionally, decisions for both sexes are various and the undertaking of settling on vital
choices starts in secondary school when a youngster is confronted with the subject of what to do
when they leave school. In times past, youthful grown-ups' ways were more ordained by part,
family, and sexual desires. (Lyon, 2016)
To get an in-depth local perspective on some of these issues facing young people a survey
was conducted for SO-301 Courtship and marriage class on ten individuals aged 19 30 in the
Cayman Islands on their viewpoint of early adulthood and some of the challenges they face. The
survey was created on survey monkey with key questions on various stages of life in early
adulthood and can be viewed in the appendix of the paper the graphed results.
METHODOLGY
A survey was conducted to research the views of ten (10) individuals through the online
survey website survey monkey to gather the answers for twenty (20) questions. The survey was
emailed to individuals aged nineteen (19) to thirty (30) and their responses were evaluated and
graphed for a clear understanding of what each individual felt their opinions and answers should
be. Please see the appendix section of the paper for review the questionnaire and results. The
questionnaire was completed by six women and four men and the data will be analyzed in the
results section of the paper and show as a percentage.

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

RESULTS
Question two asked the age of individuals taking the survey and from the results majority
of the respondents was between the ages of 21 25, this accounted for 60% of individuals who
took part in the survey. The other 40% of individuals were between 20 and 26 30 years old.
Questions number three and four asked if individuals believed in love and marriage.
While 89% of the respondents believe in love only 66.67% believed in marriage. One individual
did respond that it was better to cohabitate rather than to be married as it was easy to get into a
marriage but hard, emotional and costly to get out of it.
Questions five, six and seven asked respondents what the acceptable age to begin dating
was if premarital and informal dating defined spousal choices and at what age was sexual
intercourse acceptable. For these questions, 70% of respondents felt that sixteen (16) was the
acceptable age to begin dating and 30% believed that the acceptable dating age was eighteen
(18). All respondents were split 50% on whether premarital and informal dating defined their
spousal choices and all respondents 100% agreed that between sixteen to eighteen sexual
intercourse was acceptable. In the Cayman Islands the prescribed legal age for sexual intercourse
is sixteen years old.
Question eight, nine and ten focused on the household, upbringing, and equality. The data
showed that 80% believed their upbringing defined how they would achieve relationship goals
while 20% did not feel their childhood played an important role in their upbringing. There was
an equilibrium of 50% respectively when respondents answered the question of defined roles. Of
the ten participants five (5) felt that women should have defining roles and the other five (5) felt

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

that roles should be equal and not defined. Question ten showed that majority 90% felt that
equality should be across the board in any relationship.
The second part of the survey highlights communication, sexual partners and how family
defines a child. Question 11 asked if men and women communicated properly and the results
show that 82% felt that this was an issue and that communication was not effective between men
and women.
Question 12, 13, 14 and 15 focused on parenting and family values. In response to
question 12 63.64% of the respondents felt that marriage would give children a better
understanding of family values while 36.36% felt that this would not affect children values. In
question 13 80% of respondents felt that single parents did not raise better children and 20% felt
that this was true as they were raised by single parents. For question 14 54.55% were raised by
both parents in a family home while 45.45% were raised by a single parent.
Question 16 asked individuals if they had plans to get married, to which 64% of the
respondents replied yes and 36% replied no they did not intend on getting married. Question 17
asked if individuals were in a relationship and 72.73% of the respondents replied yes, 27.27 %
replied no. Question 18 asked if respondents believed in divorce and 64% stated that they did
believe in divorce while 36% stated they did not. Question 19 asked individuals if they would
leave their union because of infidelity and 55% stated that they would while 45% stated they
would not. Question 20 asked if individuals would have multiple sex partners and 64% stated
that they would while 36% stated that they would not.
DISCUSSION

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

These results showed that young grownups face many challenges. The data shows that
this age group believes in love and marriage. According to Cox and Demmitt (2014) studies
report that there are many health benefits to marriage such as greater wealth, personal happiness,
and a more active sex life. Persons physical and mental health can improve because persons are
intimately acquainted and each person will balance the others behaviors and roles in the
household. Additionally, a study conducted by Bryce Christensen suggests that the government
can reduce health care cost by promoting marriage and family life. (Cox & Demmitt, 2014)
Results from the survey showed that 66.67% of the respondents believe in marriage but
36% dont want to get married which leads to cohabitation which the Cox & Demmitt (2014)
suggest that men benefit more than women. Bradford Richardson published an article in the
Washington Times which showed that a research was conducted on 315 cohabitating couples.
Couples were together for two years respectively and the data found that 35% of couples had
asymmetric levels of commitment and only one partner was interested in staying together
(Richardson, 2017). The data also showed that there was lower relationship quality, more
conflict, aggression, and devotion. In the relationship when women are less committed, the
relationship does not tend to last (Richardson, 2017).
Another aspect of research highlights single parenting. Many of the respondents are
single parents in other relationships and feel they face more challenges than married couples due
to not having income from both partners, lack of support, the overwhelming burden of financial
obligations, the responsibility of working, caring for kids and household chores. According to the
American Psychological Association (2016), a single parent household is quite stressful for both
adult and child. Some stressors that single parent faces are custody battles, less time spent with
kids, failing grades of children and peer interactions.

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

CONCLUSION
In conclusion young people face many challenges. From the results of the survey,
it can be concluded that love, marriage and single parenthood and three areas of challenge for
young adults. Young adults need support, encouragement, leadership and knowledge of what life
can and will bring.

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

APENDIX 1 QUESTIONAIRE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

What is your gender?

How old are you?
Do you believe in love?
Do you believe in marriage?
What is the acceptable age to begin dating?
Do you think premarital/informal dating defines your spousal choice?
What is the acceptable age to begin having sexual intercourse?
Do you feel that your upbringing defines the type of relationship goals you would like to

achieve?
9. Do you believe that women have specific duties in the household?
10. Do you think there should be role equality amongst couples?
11. Do you feel men and women communicate properly?
12. Do you have children?
13. Do you think marriage will give your child/ren a better understanding of family values?
14. Do you think a single parent raises a better child?
15. Were you raised with both parents?
16. Are you planning to get married?
17. Are you in a relationship?
18. Do you believe in divorce?
19. Would you leave your union because of infidelity?
20. Would you have sex with multiple partners?

APENDIX 11 RESULTS
Please see links below for results of survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-MF53VD2F/
https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-JT7T2D2F/

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

References

Cox, F. D., & Demmitt, K. (2014). Human Intimacy Marriage, the Family and Its Meaning
(11thth ed). Belmont CA: Cengage Learning
Feldman, R. S. (2014). Development across the life span. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

ISSUES FACING YOUNG ADULTS 19 - 29

Lyon, R. (2016). Young Adulthood - Issues and Challenges. Retrieved December 12, 2016, from
http://www.mtlawleycounselling.com.au/young_adulthood.html
Richardson, B. (2016, November 7). Unequal commitment bad for both partners, puts cohabiting
women at particular risk: Study. Retrieved December 12, 2016, from
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/7/couple-cohabitation-tends-to-affectwomen-adversel/
Single parenting and today's family. (2016). Retrieved December 12, 2016, from
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/single-parent.aspx