Maturation is a way we evaluate others and ourselves. It serves as a guidepost for our own behavior, often starting in adolescence. In Grow Up, Will You? Michael Rocque considers maturation across the life-course, providing a cultural and scholarly history of maturation before demonstrating how components of maturation develop, how they can be influenced, and their consequences for behavior and other life outcomes. He shows how biology and psychology propel us towards adulthood, but also how milestones, like graduating or getting married, produce a point of maturation.
Looking at examples from pop cultural movies, such as Juno, where a pregnant teenager faces numerous challenges and is forced to grow up quickly, Rocque explains how maturity has been defined and how it evolves. Such examples address key issues related to maturation, including timing and social expectations. He also introduces scientific conceptualizations and breaks down ways of measuring.
Ultimately, Grow Up, Will You? offers practical knowledge, programs, and approaches that can positively influence human development while also protecting a sense of childhood. Now grow up, will you?