Understanding the term ‘liquid adulthood’

[00:00:00]You might have seen the term liquid adulthood on your social media feeds.

[00:00:04]It's a phrase that these days is being applied to Gen Z, a demographic some say are not hitting the traditional markers of adulthood. Here to explain more about what liquid adulthood is exactly and what we should know about it, I'm joined by Lori Wilkinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in Migration Futures. Good morning. Thanks for being with us.

[00:00:26]>> Thanks for having me.

[00:00:27]>> So, liquid adulthood, not exactly a new term I understand, but for those who maybe haven't heard it, what's it all about?

[00:00:33]>> It refers to the fact that people have to change the way they operate all the time. So, um you know, looking for jobs all the time or um changing their personalities, but it comes from a term called liquid modernity, which actually refers to the fact that our institutions are unstable. So, think about today.

[00:00:52]We have economic insecurity, world conflict, we have political instability, environmental instability, and that's where this term come from comes from because our institutions don't look the way they used to look even 10 years ago.

[00:01:09]>> And as a result, Gen Z perhaps are not hitting those milestones of adulthood like buying a house, that sort of thing?

[00:01:15]>> Absolutely. So, the fact that everything's changing and everything's uncertain, imagine being at a point in where you're just entering adulthood.

[00:01:24]You're trying to find a job in uncertain economic um conditions.

[00:01:28]So, how are you supposed to buy a house?

[00:01:30]How are you supposed to um afford to have children under these unstable conditions?

[00:01:36]>> I'm a millennial, this isn't sounding unfamiliar cuz like my demographic was you're buying too much avocado toast and you can't afford a house, right? So, it's very similar of a lot of blame being assigned. Do you Do you think that's fair in this case?

[00:01:48]>> absolutely, it's not fair to blame young people for the conditions that human society can easily change. We've created all of these institutions and yet we're un- unwilling to make changes to accommodate the entrance of of newcomers. And so it becomes easier to blame people for their failure. So, um my generation, we were called lazy.

[00:02:11]I'm Gen X.

[00:02:12]Um we were lazy, we were no good, we were um we didn't care, right? And that's just um blame victim blaming for the rest of society not making changes to accommodate people.

[00:02:24]>> It seems like every generation gets kind of a rap at some point and this is maybe just part of Gen Z's like a rite of passage.

[00:02:30]>> Well, yes, but I don't think it's a rite of passage. I think it's the fact that we're unwilling as a society to make the changes that we need to make in order to accommodate people, to make sure everybody's fed, make sure everybody has a job, make sure everybody has a house.

[00:02:46]>> So it's not necessarily just up to Gen Z to be solving the same script as the generation before cuz it's not even possible.

[00:02:53]>> No, but we expect them to, right?

[00:02:55]Because we often benchmark our own lives um when we're talking to other people.

[00:02:59]So, my parents got married at the age of 22. I wasn't even finished school at that age. Um and so when we have age expectations or best be best before dates um and these dates are getting backed up, then um people tend to get blamed for not achieving these goals at the right age.

[00:03:18]>> It all seems not very helpful. So, I guess all this talk about who's not doing what and when. So, I guess if there's a message to Gen Z's watching or to you know, parents, loved ones who maybe want to shift the blame game away, what can they keep in mind when this goes around?

[00:03:32]>> So, I think that we need to make our politicians accountable because it's easy for people to blame other people rather than making the big changes that we need to make to make our society more welcoming. Um so, I one message I have for everyone is go out and vote. Your vote is precious and make politicians earn your vote. And when politicians don't do what they promise or they blame young people or immigrants or whatever ever other group that they can, it's just deflecting from their own job. They need to They need to make these changes.

[00:04:09]>> Wonderful. Well, this is a fascinating topic. Thanks for joining us as always.