Transition to Adulthood in Indonesia: Unequal Trajectories and Diverging Destinies?

• In Event: 40861 - Section on Sociology of Population Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2: Life Course Transitions, Aging, and Health

Abstract

The transition to adulthood (TTA) represents a "demographically dense" period characterized by five key life events: leaving school, starting full-time work, leaving the parental home, marrying, and becoming a parent. While research in high-income countries has documented the increasing individualization and complexity of these transitions, evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains limited. This gap is particularly concerning given that 80% of the world's 1.3 billion young people currently reside in LMICs, where rapid socioeconomic changes and entrenched inequalities likely create more stratified transition trajectories. These stratified TTA trajectories are likely to lead to diverging destinies in terms of long-term outcomes in wellbeing, as has been shown in research in the US context. This study employs sequence analysis techniques to map TTA trajectories among decades of birth cohorts in Indonesia using five waves of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (1993-2015). By clustering individuals based on their sequences of the "big five" TTA markers between ages 15-35, I identify prevalent patterns of transition and examine how childhood socioeconomic conditions shape these trajectories, and how both in turn influence well-being outcomes at midlife. Findings will provide critical evidence for policies aimed at supporting youth transitions and reducing intergenerational inequalities in LMICs approaching their demographic dividend.

Author

• Rene Iwo, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill