'SEEMINGLY ADULT' - A STATE OF SUSPENSION BETWEEN ADOLESCENCE AND ADULTHOOD

In recent years many studies concerning young people, especially the studies focusing on early adulthood issues, were published in Europe, USA, Japan and also in Poland. The question of the postponed period of reaching adulthood noticeable in many contemporary societies is referred to by their authors. The problems connected with a sense of being an adult, which most often means the acquisition of relevant social competence allowing to fulfill adult roles and responsibilities appear in such texts as well. The author presents some observations which appeared in course of the pilot research that regarded career planning by young adults in the changeable and ambiguous reality. Of particular interest in the collected research material were the young people's statements about their careers in which they mentioned the question of adulthood describing their feelings associated with entering this period of life, reaching it and a sense of being 'seemingly adults'. Especially interesting were opinions in which they described themselves as 'seemingly adults' – and in which they were prepared to share their experiences connected with felling not being adults and being on between adolescence and adulthood. On the basis of this research material the author intends to answer the question: how a group of young adults describing themselves 'seemingly adults' were experiencing their state of suspension or being stuck on their way to adulthood?