The adult person is in sociological literature often referred to as a genderless and classless being. As a life course phase it is implicitly viewed as a static destination after a dynamic transition period of youth. The aim of this article is to empirically examine perceptions of adulthood in biographical interviews in three-generation Norwegian families. A case-based biographical approach related to gender and social class across historical periods is at the core of the analysis. Thoughts on independence and the Mead-inspired concept of relationality are used as sensitising concepts to examine general ideals and personal considerations in notions of adulthood. The analyses indicate variations over historical periods, generations and life course phases wherein relationality or independence become significant. Relationality may take on different meanings with reference to period-specific gender expectations such as the male provider role and women as the primary carer in families in the oldest generations. Ideals of individual independence as choice or necessity vary according to life course phase, social class and period-specific conditions.

中文翻译：

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跨代、性别和社会阶层的成年概念的独立性和相关性

成年人在社会学文献中通常被称为无性别和无阶级的存在。作为生命历程阶段，它被隐含地视为青年动态过渡期之后的静态目的地。本文的目的是实证检验挪威三代家庭在传记访谈中对成年的看法。跨历史时期与性别和社会阶层相关的基于案例的传记方法是分析的核心。独立思想和受米德启发的关系概念被用作敏感概念，以检查成年概念中的一般理想和个人考虑。分析表明历史时期、世代和生命历程阶段的变化，其中相关性或独立性变得重要。参照特定时期的性别期望，例如男性提供者角色和女性作为最老一代家庭中的主要照顾者，关系可能具有不同的含义。个人独立作为选择或必要的理想因生命历程阶段、社会阶层和特定时期的条件而异。