The Transition Tempo and Life Course Orientation of Young Adults in Taiwan

Abstract

This article investigates the transition tempo and life course orientation of Taiwanese young adults in their early 20s. The results indicate that Taiwanese young adults experience a prolonged transition tempo and delay their entry into adult roles. The rate of transitioning to family roles is low for young adults at this stage. There are significant gender differences in life course orientation toward marriage, parenthood, and employment, with young women having a clearer picture in mind than do young men. Age 30 appears to have become the new threshold when young adults schedule their marriage plans, with parenthood significantly later in life. Multivariate analyses suggest that young adults who hold more traditional attitudes about gender roles are more likely to start parenthood before age 30. However, when the tempo of education completion and initiation of employment is controlled for, the effect of gender role attitudes becomes nonsignificant.