Critical disability studies and quarter life crisis: Theorising life stage transitional crisis for disabled emerging adults

Abstract

This paper forms an intervention into existing literature on the life stage transitional crisis of emerging adulthood, commonly referred to as quarter life crisis. Whilst among existing analyses, aspects such as gender and ethnic dimensions are considered, a marked absence of attention to disability within quarter life crisis persists. Toward theorizing the position of disabled emerging adults undergoing transitional life crisis, a composite theoretical framework is envisioned and applied. This entails the application of a five-part typology of critical disability studies, within which a life course approach to disability is integrated. Given the novelty of the subject matter, aspirations for the analysis are modest. The aim is to destabilise and refigure present individualistic psychologised discourses and common popular culture understandings of quarter life crisis. To undertake this work, disability is taken up as a transformative site to rethink the meaning of life stage transitions in emerging adulthood.

Points of interest

• As young people move from adolescence to adulthood, they can experience a difficult period in their life known as ‘quarter life crisis.’

• Little is known or written about the experience of disability within quarter life crisis.

• Much of the way that quarter life crisis is understood presently is from an area of study known as psychology and from movies, articles, books and television shows for people in general.

• To better understand disability in quarter life crisis, this paper suggests that one perspective is particularly useful.

• This perspective is made up of an area of study that is known as ‘critical disability studies’ and an approach to understanding people’s lives that is called the ‘life course approach’.

Keywords:

• critical disability studies
• disability
• life-course
• quarter
• life crisis

Acknowledgements

The constructive contributions of the anonymous reviewers should be acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

There is no potential conflict of interest to report.

Notes

1 It should be noted that Erikson’s work has received criticism in disability studies linked to the segregation of disabled children. It is beyond the scope of this article to explore this in detail since the focus is on the quarter life experience in general.