Constructing Age in Young Adulthood 143
Dependence and Independence
Bourdieu (2003) remarked that it is erroneous to speak of young people
as if they formed a single social unit or group in view of the fact that major
differences exist among them. To illustrate this, he called attention to
same-age young adult workers and students, emphasizing that these two
subgroups have few interests or characteristics in common. He claimed that
students, for example, are characterized by a kind of provisional irresponsi-
bility; for some things they are adults and for others they are children. This
apparent contradiction is reflected in the way adult society positions stu-
dents and the way students position themselves. Bourdieu noted that, even
among the working classes in France, young people are given a  margin as
long as they are studying, after which time they are expected to assume full
adult responsibilities. The same holds true in contemporary Latin America
where young urban workers, peasants and members of indigenous communi-
ties move almost seamlessly from childhood to adulthood. For students,
however, this transition is delayed as long as possible. Even in homes with
less than favorable economic conditions, young adult students in Mexico
often expect their parents to provide them not only with basic necessities but
also with leisure time goods and luxuries, and the parents comply as a matter
of course. At the same time, these students typically turn down part-time
jobs, considering them too poorly paid to be worth their while.
David s situation fits this pattern to a large extent for he is entirely
dependent on his mother for economic support. Interestingly, while he never
mentioned feeling any concern about the burden this might represent, he
criticized his sister for continuing to receive help from their mother after her
marriage and the completion of her university education. In this, he is
acknowledging what Flores (2002) has indicated, namely, that at the end of
their student years, young people are expected to assume their responsibili-
ties as adults. That David envisions achieving his own financial indepen-
dence after graduation is made clear in his description of the life course, as
was seen in the previous section.
While still economically dependent on his mother, David exercises a
great deal of autonomy in his personal life. He is no longer accountable to his
family for his conduct or decisions, and instead looks to his circle of friends
for guidance and approval. Like most of his contemporaries, David s subject
position as a university student is characterized by the rather curious inter-
play of emotional independence and economic dependence.
Living in the Present and Living in the Future
David lives very much in the present moment, as is typical of most young
adults. According to García Canclini (2004), young people have little or no
sense of history or connection with the past. The sensation that everyone is