Laura Aleni Sestito

Future-oriented or present-focused? The role of social support and identity styles on ‘futuring’ in Italian late adolescents and emerging adults

Late adolescence and emerging adulthood are periods in the life cycle when individuals are involved in anticipating and planning for the future (futuring). However, in the last five or six years, as the effects of the recession have made themselves felt in Southern Europe, the situation that young people face has deteriorated dramatically. As a consequence, contemporary young people’s relationship with the future is strongly marked by these social difficulties, and family support becomes essential to their survival. The present study was interested in how futuring could be influenced by identity styles and perceptions of social support. Participants were 1201 Italian late adolescents and emerging adults attending the last year of high school and first years of university. We used three self-report measures: Functions of Identity Scale, Identity Style Inventory, and Social Support Scale. Findings indicate that futuring was influenced by the normative style and the diffuse-avoidant style and by the interactions between both normative identity style and diffuse/avoidant identity styles with peer support. Gender and age differences are discussed.

Raccontarsi ogni giorno: un intervento di orientamento universitario in itinere ispirato all’expressive writing e alla narrative vocational identity

Lo studio, ispirandosi agli interventi di expressive writing, ha implementato e valutato un intervento di orientamento universitario in itinere, finalizzato a supportare gli studenti nel delicato momento di valutazione e bilancio delle scelte compiute rispetto al corso di studi intrapreso e alla realta del contesto educativo universitario. Venti studenti hanno compilato continuativamente per due settimane un diario degli eventi percepiti come significativi. I risultati confermano che i processi narrativi cosi attivati elicitano processi di meaning making e facilitano l’elaborazione delle esperienze problematiche.

I became adult when … Pathways of identity resolution and adulthood transition in Italian freshmen’s narratives

ABSTRACT Defining and consolidating identity in order to acquire fulfilling adult roles may be more difficult than in the past for a significant proportion of youth cohorts, especially for youth in ‘post-industrial’ countries. This study was focused on the intersection between processes and contents of both identity and adulthood through the narrative approach in the Italian context. Participants were 105 Italian freshmen aged 18–21, attending the first year university. We adopted a narrative approach based on autobiographical memories. Findings confirm the relationship between identity resolution processes and adulthood reaching in Italian freshmen and they identify five student’s profiles (Resolved or closed keepers, Travelers, Uninvolved, On the way, Big babies). Suggestions for future research and limitations are discussed.