What does it mean to become an adult? In Namibia, it’s caring for others

By Selma Uugwanga, Clinical Psychologist (Namibia) and PhD Researcher on Emerging Adulthood in sub-Saharan Africa, University of Zurich
Amber Gayle Thalmayer, Professor of Personality, Mental Health, and Culture, University of Zurich
Luzelle Naude, Professor in Psychology, University of the Free State

Around the world, people become adults in different ways. In some places, it’s when you get a job, get married, or move out of your parents’ house. In others it might include an initiation ritual, or taking leadership in your family or community.

These milestones may differ, but they all point to the same question: what does it mean to “become an adult”? Understanding this matters – not only for psychologists who study human development and behaviour, but also for society, because adulthood is more than just getting older. It shapes our motivations and identity, how we relate to others,…

Read complete article

~	Afghanistan: Urgent humanitarian aid needed for earthquake survivors

~	How a 300-year-old Scottish country estate escaped the wrecking ball

~	Teachers are key to students’ AI literacy, and need support

~	AI has a hidden water cost − here’s how to calculate yours

~	Birth control in Africa: study tracks the use of long-acting contraception in 26 countries

~	60% of Africans don’t believe democracy is working in their interests – how parliaments can fix the problem

~	HIV is on the rise among older Africans, but care and research overlook this group – lessons from Kenya and South Africa

~	Symbolism, exile and identity explored in paintings: An interview with Massoud Hayoun

~	Microplastics, pregnancy and the placenta: what we know and what we don’t

~	Yaba’s grip: how cheap methamphetamine is fuelling Thailand’s addiction crisis