TOPIC NETWORKS 

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Topic Networks

The goal of the Topic Networks is to bring together SSEA members who have common interests in a specific area of emerging adulthood research or practice. The activities of the Topic Networks will depend on the ideas of the members, but may include, for example, sharing draft manuscripts for comments and suggestions; collaborating on papers and grants; sharing best practices for direct work with emerging adults; letting members know about important recent articles; collaborating on symposia to submit to an SSEA conference; or working together to organize a preconference session.

If you would like to join any of the Topic Networks below, please contact the SSEA Coordinator, coordinator@ssea.org. You may join as many as you like. We also welcome your ideas for more Topic Networks. Please note that YOU MUST BE AN SSEA MEMBER to join a Topic Network.

Topic Network Chair Affiliation Emerging Scholar Co-Chair Affiliation
Identity Issues Joe Schwab Bridgewater State University Johanna Carlsson Gothenburg University, Sweden
Parents and Family Cliff McKinney Mississippi State University TBD TBD
Mental Health Larry Forthun University of Florida Yesel Yoon Montclair State U
Work, Career, and Finance Jinhee Kim University of Maryland Ashley LeBaron University of Arizona
Study Abroad Claire Lyons James Madison University Itzel Eguiliz TBD
Media Uses Chia-Chen Yang University of Memphis TBD TBD
Substance Use and Abuse Laura Holt Trinity College TBD TBD
Sexuality Spencer Olmstead University at Tennessee, Knoxville Kristin Anders Kansas State University
Europe, UK, Ireland TBD TBD Goda Kaniusonyte Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania
Latin America TBD TBD Luciana Thome Federal University of Bahia (UFBA/Brazil)
Australia, New Zealand Megan Weier University of Queensland TBD TBD
Canada Abby Goldstein University of Toronto TBD TBD
Africa Luzelle Naude University of the Free State, South Africa TBD TBD
Asia Kazumi Sugimura Hiroshima University TBD TBD
Moral Development TBD TBD TBD TBD
Prevention and Intervention Michael J. Cleveland Washington State University Ina Koning Utrecht University, Netherlands
Romantic Relationships Brian Willoughby Brigham Young University TBD TBD
Aging Out of Care Steve Rios Florida Atlantic University TBD TBD
Religion and Spirituality Carolyn Barry Loyola University Ofra Mayseless University of
Haifa
Student Affairs/College Student Development Joseph Murray Bucknell University Jarrett Warshaw University of Georgia
Health Promotion Joe Malone Middle Tennessee State University Amber Dorsey Middle Tennessee State University
Emerging Scholar Shannon Claxton Morningside College Angela Sorgente Catholic University
Friendships Meliksah Demir Northern Arizona University Ayça Özen TOBB Ekonomi ve Teknoloji Universitesi, Ankara, Turkey

 

Topic Network News

December 2017

Substance Use
The Substance Use network collaborated with the Prevention Network to present a a pre-conference Prevention Intervention Workshop at SSEA and to present a roundtable at SPR's annual meeting. Members of the topic network presented a symposium at the 2017 meeting of the SSEA, and we got together in a informal gathering at the meeting. The big news is that we have a new chair, Laura Holt, who is an associate professor at Trinity College.

February 2017

Romantic Relationships
Together with the Sexuality TN, the Romantic Relationship TN is co-organizing a preconference workshop at SSEA 2017. The proposed pre-conference aims to focus on recent research on young adult romantic and sexual relationships/experiences with a special emphasis on young adults in vulnerable contexts. The pre-conference will bring together and further develop (networks of) scholars with an interest in advancing the science of young adult sexuality and romantic relationships. In addition, TN Romantic Relationship is supporting the organization of a symposium on the risky aspects of youth romantic relationships for the European Conference of Developmental Psychology (ECDP) 2017. Finally, we continue to update our TN romantic Relationship Blog by selecting two recent articles to share with our TN members on a monthly basis.

Religion and Spirituality
The R&S Topic Network has made several posts to our blog, including reminding members to post their work and other seminal pieces to our shared google drive. We are also beginning to plan for our first preconference, to be held at SSEA 2017. Ofra Mayseless (University of Haifa) and Patricia Snell Herzog (University of Arkansas) will be chairing this preconference, and more information will be forthcoming. For more information, contact Ofra.

In preparation for the main conference, we as co-chairs are reaching out to encourage you to submit to the conference, and to help organize either discussions or paper symposia related to religion and spirituality. It is our hope that we can connect scholars across the topic network who wouldn’t otherwise find each other. This should also help ensure that our topic network, and the very important work that our group is doing, is well represented at the conference. The deadline for submissions is 1 March 2017, but to get organized with a symposium or a discussion – takes time. Please use the email listserv through the topic network to reply all if you are submitting and looking for others to join a possible symposium or discussion, or directly email to Ofra.

Prevention and Intervention
Topic Network Chair Michael Cleveland and SSEA member Abby Goldstein are pleased to announce a special issue of Prevention Science devoted to emerging adulthood is now underway! Interested authors who would like to submit a manuscript to be considered for the special issue are asked to submit a letter of intent to Michael Cleveland and Abby Goldstein by March 10, 2017. More details can be found at Prevention Science journal website and the SSEA homepage.

Plan now to attend the P/I pre-conference workshop at the upcoming 2017 SSEA conference. The P/I pre-conference will be held on Tuesday November 2, 2017 from 12:00 to 5:00 and will focus on multiple targets of prevention and intervention during emerging adulthood. Planned speakers include Steven Sussman (University of Southern California), Abby Goldstein (University of Toronto), Claudia Vicencio (Barry University), and Judy Andrews (Oregon Research Institute). More details about the pre-conference can be found on the SSEA website.

Media Uses
The Media Topic Network will have a preconference at SSEA 2017. It will be a half-day event in the afternoon of November 2nd. The keynote speaker will be L. Monique Ward, a leading expert on media socialization from the University of Michigan. There will be opportunities to network throughout the preconference. Stay tuned for more details to come soon.

Currently, Media Topic Network members receive a quarterly e-newsletter containing information on relevant grant opportunities, class activities, and highlights from current research papers.

Identity Issues
The Identity Topic Network has been hard at work planning a pre-conference workshop for SSEA 2017. The theme of this workshop will be Intersectionality of Identity Domains and Content. We have invited a variety of scholars that are currently contributing research and scholarship on the intersection of different identity domains and content, including gender, race and ethnicity, social class, immigration status, religion and spirituality, and sexuality. In addition to talks from these leading scholars, we will also have active group discussions and activities planned throughout the day to get all participants involved in this hands-on workshop. Participants will be encouraged to apply concepts of intersectionality to their own research, collaborate with others in small groups to discuss these issues, and the guest speakers will be on hand to facilitate these discussions and answer questions. We look forward to discussing these important and timely issues in this dialogical workshop!

July 2016

Emerging Scholar Newsletter (Summer 2016)
Emerging Scholars on the move; Regional updates; Spotlight; Announcements; and more. Please see here for the full newsletter.

Identity Topic Network
The Identity Topic Network has a new Chair (Joe Schwab, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Bridgewater State University, jschwab@bridgew.edu) and a listserv has been created to encourage connection and collaboration among members of the topic network. If other SSEA members would like to join the listserv to post announcements, share resources and materials, or gauge interest for possible collaborations, they can be added to the listserv through this Google Group: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/ssea-identity-topic-network

Prevention and Intervention Topic Network
We are pleased to report that members of SSEA led a roundtable discussion at the June 2016 meeting of the Society of Prevention Research (SPR) held in San Francisco. The panel titled “Opportunities and Challenges for Prevention and Intervention in Emerging Adulthood” was led by Abby Goldstein (University of Toronto) and included emerging adult scholars Marie-Hélène Vérronneau (Université du Québec à Montréal) and Christine Lee (University of Washington). The discussion was very well received and continues our exciting collaboration with SPR.
Reflecting the interest in prevention issues for emerging adults, Abby Goldstein and P&I TN chair Michael Cleveland (now at Washington State University) will be co-editing a special issue of Prevention Science devoted to the topic in the upcoming year. We are excited about the opportunity and especially encourage SSEA members to contribute to this special issue. Watch for the call for papers later this fall.
Finally, plans are under way to hold a pre-conference session on Prevention and Intervention at the next SSEA conference to be held in October 2017 in Washington, D.C. Details will soon follow.
Michael Cleveland, P&I Topic Network Chair

Parents and Family Topic Network
The Parents and Family Topic Network is a community of scholars interested in the role of family in emerging adults’ development. Our members have a variety of professional backgrounds, from academia to clinical practice. We welcome new members who are interested in being a part of our group. Please email Topic Network Chair Jamie Abaied at jabaied@uvm.edu if you are interested in joining us.
The Parents and Family Topic Network also has an active blog (found at http://www.ssea.org/membership/parents.htm) in which we showcase research being conducted by our own members, comment on noteworthy findings in the field at large, and we draw our readers’ attention to news stories with relevance to parents and family in emerging adulthood. We are actively seeking SSEA members to contribute to our blog, and those interested should contact Jamie Abaied at jabaied@uvm.edu. Our Topic Network will also be hosting its own pre-conference at the 2017 SSEA Conference in Washington, D.C., and we hope to see you there!

Europe Group Topic Network
The International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD) conference is in Vilnius, Lithuania on 10-14 July. It is being organised and chaired by group member Prof Rita Žukauskienė. Prof Jeff Arnett is convening an invited symposium at the event entitled “Emerging Adulthood in Europe: Themes and Variations”. Presenters at the symposium are Saskia Kunnen, Yvonne ten Hoeve, Mandy van der Gaag, Almudena Moreno Mínguez, Oliver C. Robinson and Petr Macek.
Dr Giovanni Aresi is involved in the “Lifestyle in Mobility” project. This is an international collaborative research project that aims to investigate how study abroad students participating in the Erasmus mobility program change their lifestyle and health behaviours during their period abroad and once returned to their home countries.
Routledge have recently published the edited volume “Emerging Adulthood in a European Context” edited by Prof Rita Žukauskienė. For more information, or to purchase, click this link.
Prof Katariina Salmela-Aro has recently co-authored a paper taking data from six European data on smoking and well-being in 14-17 year olds. "Academic well-being and smoking among 14- to 17-year-old school children in six European cities", published in the Journal of Adolescence.
The European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA) 2016 conference is in Cadiz, Spain on 16-19 September (http://www.eara2016.com).

The Health Promotion Topic Network
The Health Promotion Topic Network had an eventful spring quarter. Health promotions were carried out at several sororities with plans for more being proposed for the fall. In addition, instructional teams visited several classes and gave workshops on optimal nutrition, healthy relationships and innovative exercise strategies. Connections are being sought to make these services available on other campuses as well. Video samples of some of the workouts that were taught are included in this report. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/103445392/Boot%20Camp%20V1.MOV
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/103445392/Boot Camp V 2.MOV
 https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/103445392/Boot Camp V 3.MOV

March 2016

The registration form for a new membership now includes the option of joining a Topic Network Member Group. More information on Topic Networks can be found above. Members can also log into their profiles here to add or delete themselves from other Topic Networks. Please note that you must be a member of SSEA to join a Topic Network.

 February 2016

Identity Topic Network
The Identity Topic Network was happy to see all of the enthusiasm for the study of identity at the last SSEA conference. It was clear that the identity pre-conference was well-received and that there was a desire for another one. There was also an interest in some form of communication within the group and we decided to begin with a listserv, which the chair currently manages. We hope that the list serve is used for a variety of reasons, including course material, discussing recent publications or controversies in the field, asking questions about methodological or theoretical perspectives, and announcements of recent publications. We especially encourage those new to the study of identity development to reach out to establish connections. If you are not yet a member of the Identity Topic Network and wish to take part in such discussions and other upcoming activities, we encourage you to join the network.

Sexuality Topic Network and Romantic Relationships Topic Network
The Sexuality Topic Network co-hosted a pre-conference event with the Romantic Relationships Topic Network. Shmuel Shulman was the lead speaker and presented both a conceptual model and recent longitudinal data about the development of romance and sexuality in emerging adulthood. Four emerging scholars, Daphne Van de Bongardt, Shannon Claxton, Jerika Norona, and Adriana Manago, presented innovative methods for studying romance and sexuality. We found it to be an invigorating conference that sparked ideas for new directions in research. In addition, the topic network helped to organize two peer-reviewed symposia that were presented at the conference, one on sexual messages from peers, partners, and media (Chair: Emily Waterman; Additional speakers: Chelom Leavitt, Elizabeth Morgan, and Rocio Rivadeneyra), and one on casual sex and infidelity (Chair: Jerika Norona; Additional speakers: Shannon Claxton, Rose Wesche).

College Student Development Topic Network
The College Student Development Topic Network had its first luncheon discussion at this year's SSEA conference, which attracted nine participants from diverse institutions across the United States and Canada. Both faculty and advisory staff members were present. Participants engaged in a lively discussion of the diverse needs of emerging adults across different institutional types. In response to the recommendations of participants, a listserv has since been established for members of the topic network. The listserv will provide opportunities for sharing of information and continuation of dialogue on the educational needs of emerging adults.

Media Studies Topic Network
The 2015 SSEA Conference in Miami was a great event for media studies researchers! Media-related topics were the focus of four symposiums and two discussions sessions. In addition, Michaela Meyer, Natalia Waechter, Maria Wängqvist, and Robert Thomson spoke about their latest research in an interactive panel discussion on globalization, media, and identity in emerging adulthood. At the topic network lunch, media researchers discussed possible activities on the horizon, including the creation of an online resource for media studies researchers, a compilation of research articles relevant to media and development, media use measures, and discussions on methodological and theoretical developments in the field. If anyone is interested in helping to create this resource, please email: adriana.manago@wwu.edu.

Health and Promotion Topic Network
The Health Promotion Topic Network had a very intriguing and rewarding time at the conference. We met several new people who are interested in health promotion during emerging adulthood hope to reconnect with them. Topic network members at Middle Tennessee State University are planning a spring break challenge for sororities. Their personal conditioning and health and wellness classes continue to encourage students to lead more proactive lifestyles. The courses offered teach students to demonstrate behaviors that enhance six dimensions of health and wellness: physical, psychological, spiritual/purposeful living, environmental, intellectual, and social. Part of the follow up and social support element of the classes is called the “Wall of Fame”. Class alums are honored on social media for their post-class commitments to wellness and their general life accomplishments. Also, both the Health Promotion chair (Joe Malone) and co-chair (Amber Dorsey) provide fitness services to various ethnic populations with a strong presence of emerging adults across the Middle Tennessee Area. If anyone would like further information on these and/or other practices, please contact Joe.Malone@mtsu.edu or Amber.Dorsey@mtsu.edu. We look forward to possibly hosting some fitness and wellness activities with our fellow SSEA members at the next conference.

Substance Use Network
Several things are happening within the SSEA Substance Use Network that emerged from discussions at the conference. First, we created a Facebook page. Network members can use this page to share news with the network, discuss upcoming symposiums, finding authors or co-authors for chapters, etc. Joining is easy. Go to your Facebook search bar and search for SSEA Substance Use Network. You will see an icon to join the group. You will need to be approved by group administrators. Thanks to Lauren Glenn for creating it. Second, Abby Goldstein is considering editing or co-editing a special edition of the SSEA journal. If you have a paper that needs a home, please look for the announcement which is coming soon. Third, Michael Cleveland submitted a symposium to the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) on emerging adulthood that may be accepted at that organization’s upcoming meeting at the end of May. If you are attending SPR, be sure to attend the symposium.

Emerging Scholars’ Network
During the SSEA conference, we had several activities connected to the Emerging Scholars’ Network. For example, Dalal Katsiaficas, Monique Landberg and Maria Wängqvist interrogated Jeff Arnett in the Hot Seat. We had a breakfast meeting with the board of regional co-chairs and we had a well-attended “after work” cocktail reception at the end of the conference. Since the conference, we have sent out our first newsletter with a call for a special issue in the journal Emerging Adulthood, with guest editors Radosveta Dimitrova and Monique Landberg. We also have a Facebook group to promote interaction and discussion between the conferences. The aim of the ES Network is to bring together resources for career advice, to create networking opportunities and to establish collaborations to strengthen international research on emerging adulthood. All emerging scholars (students or within four years from PhD) are welcomed to join the network.

Prevention and Intervention Topic Network
Attendance at the 2015 SSEA conference was spectacular and members of the Prevention and Intervention Topic Network enjoyed our shared luncheon with the Substance Use Topic Network. Building on that, the symposium on preventing the onset of substance use during emerging adulthood was well-attended and included a great discussion. Presentations were led by Laura Holt, Marshall Cheney, and Michael Cleveland. The discussion was led by Substance Use Topic Network chair, Judy Andrews. There was great attendance at the Presidential Symposium at the 2015 SSEA conference which featured leading scientists from the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) and highlighted prevention approaches to affect emerging adult outcomes. Based on this response, the P&I Topic Network chair has organized a similar panel of emerging adulthood scholars to lead a roundtable discussion of “Opportunities and Challenges for Prevention and Intervention in Emerging Adulthood” at the upcoming 2016 SPR meeting. A decision regarding the acceptance of the proposed symposium should soon be forthcoming.

Religion and Spirituality Topic Network
The Religion and Spirituality Topic Network hosted a well-attended luncheon at the Conference on Emerging Adulthood in Miami, FL. Since that time, we have been organizing Google documents which our members will soon be able to populate with their research projects, recommended measures on religiousness and spirituality, appropriate journal outlets and grant opportunities, etc. Please reach out to Carolyn Barry at cbarry@loyola.edu about this topic network.

Work and Career Topic Network
The Work and Career TN is a diverse international group of academics, professionals, and practitioners who are interested in emerging adult work and educational experiences and in the multiple transitions related to these important choices. Network Chair is Anne Marshall from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. Co-Chair is Tammy Halstead of Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania, USA. A number of our members attended and presented at the recent conference in Miami. One item discussed informally and at our Topic Network lunch was a proposed edited book on “Emerging Adult School to Work Transitions”. A prospectus will be going forward to Oxford Press in the spring. Anyone interested in contributing a chapter should send a proposed title and abstract to Anne Marshall at amarshal@uvic.ca by February 29.

October 2015
The Identity Topic Network will be holding a pre-conference event on Wednesday, October 14 from 12 – 5. The agenda is to share lunch together, and have a discussion about the 1) various perspectives on identity development, 2) methodological issues and 3) what participants would like from the topic network. Confirmed speakers are: Maria Wängqvist, Moin Syed, Elisabetta Crocetti, Theo Klimstra, Jennifer Lilgendahl, and Joe Schwab.

The Sexuality and Romantic Relationships Topic Networks have worked to prepare an exciting program for the pre-conference in Miami.  We look forward to seeing many of you there.

Please join the Parents and Family Topic Network for lunch during the Emerging Adulthood Topic Network Lunches, we are hoping to see many of you there and gather ideas for how we can move this area of the field forward. Also, don’t forget to check out the blog and let us know if you are willing to contribute a new blog post.

Please consider joining the new Religion and Spirituality Topic Network to share cutting edge research, promote collaborations, coordinate symposia at future conference, and much more. We will have a table at the topic network luncheon at the SSEA Conference on Thursday, October 15th, 1pm. Bring your ideas for ways to grow this new topic network.

For those of you attending the upcoming SSEA conference in Miami, please make sure to connect with the Aging Out of Care Topic Network. We will be hosting a Topic Network lunch on Thursday, October 15th from 1-2pm, and there will be a discussion panel about the role of social support for youth aging out of care on Friday afternoon, October 16th. Hope to see many of you there!

The Work and Career Topic Network is looking forward to lively TN sessions and gatherings at the Miami Conference: An informal meet-and-greet is planned for Wednesday evening October 14 — 7 pm at the 180 Poolside Bar in the Marriot after the poster session. Our Topic Network lunch is Thursday October 15 at 1 pm. A list of work and career theme presentations was posted on our blog last month by Co-Chair Tammy Halstead — see http://www.ssea.org/membership/work.htm
There are three chapters related to work in Jeffrey Arnett's new Oxford Handbook on Emerging Adulthood – check it out here.

The Media Studies Topic Network will be well represented at the 2015 SSEA Conference! Topics such as media sexualization and the use of social media in identity development will be covered in over four symposiums and two discussions sessions. Media researchers are also gathering for a topic network lunch to discuss possible activities for the Media Studies Topic Network in the coming year.

The Student Affairs and College Student Development Topic Network makes its debut this fall. It is chaired by Joe Murray, of Bucknell University, and co-chaired by Jarrett Warshaw, of the University of Georgia. This topic network focuses specifically on the ways in which today’s traditional aged college students and young alumni differ from those of previous generations. Members of the network share an interest in learning and development in higher education. The purpose of the network is to explore how colleges and universities have been affected by today’s longer pathway to adulthood and how they can become more effective in addressing the needs of their emerging adult constituents.

The Health Promotion Topic Network was recently created. If you would like more information please email the Topic Network Chair, Joe Malone at Joe.Malone@mtsu.edu or contact either Joe or Amber Dorsey at the SSEA conference.

July 2015

To join any of the Topic Networks, please send an email message to coordinator@ssea.org and list which ones you would like to join. You must be a SSEA member to join a Topic Network.

SSEA Emerging Scholars Network
The aim of the ES Network is to bring together resources for career advice, to create networking opportunities and to establish collaborations to strengthen international research on emerging adulthood. The ambition is to create spaces for interaction both at and in between the SSEA conferences. Chair: Maria Wangqvist (University of Gothenburg, Sweden); Regional co-chairs: Narjes Lari (Tehran University, Asia); Europe: Radosveta Dimitrova; South America: Luciana Thome (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil); Africa: Byron Adams (Tilburg University, Netherlands); Asia: Tarjes Narin (Teheran University, Iran); North America: Dalal Katsiaficas (University of Chicago, Illinois, USA); Australia/New Zealand: Megan Weier (University of Queensland, Australia)

The Sexuality Topic Network, in collaboration with the Romantic Relationships Topic Network, invites you to attend our 2015 SSEA pre-conference: "Sex and Romance: Does the Relationship Matter?" We are excited to have secured Manfred van Dulmen as the lead speaker and a panel of emerging scholars who will speak about cutting-edge research methods in sexuality and romantic relationship research. Please see the attached program for additional details on the pre-conference, and be sure to register if you plan to join us.

The Work and Career Topic Network welcomes our new co-chair Dr. Tammy Halstead, Director of Alumni Advising and Development at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania. Tammy’s dissertation study is featured in this month’s newsletter. TN members are presenting symposia, papers, and posters at the Miami conference – details will be circulated when the program is ready. We will also have an informal meet-and-greet time so members can get to know each other. Check out our blog and send any ideas to Tammy or Chair Anne Marshall.

The Identity Topic Network announces a pre-conference workshop to the 7th SSEA Conference, to be held on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 from 12 – 5pm in Miami, Florida. The agenda is to have a discussion about the 1) various perspectives on identity development, 2) methodological issues and 3) what participants would like from the topic network. We invite the range of potential participants – from those interested in becoming involved in the study of identity development to senior scholars. We will have time for mingling and discussion throughout the pre-conference, and we anticipate that this will be a thought-provoking afternoon. Confirmed speakers are: Maria Wängqvist, Moin Syed, Elisabetta Crocetti,Theo Klimstra, Jennifer Lilgendahl, and Joe Schwab.

The Study Abroad Topic Network has continued updating our blog with stories and occasional info from our Topic members. There's building enthusiasm for the upcoming conference. We are also exploring ideas to expand our Network to include a broader reach of practitioners in the field of experiential education -- those working with Emerging Adults in the areas of Gap Year programming, Americorps projects, the Franklin Institute (exploring ideas around the idea of a National Service for post-high school students), and others. SSEA is committed to "researchers, policy makers, educators, and practitioners with special interests in development " during Emerging Adulthood. Our Topic Network has a vision to broaden the outreach and create important links between researchers and those on the ground with emerging adults. We look forward to continuing this discussion at the conference with all interested members.

The Aging Out of Care Topic Network invites you to register now for SSEA 2015, the 7th Conference on Emerging Adulthood in Miami, FL. In addition to several of the Topic Network members presenting exciting new work, Allison Thompson (University of Pennsylvania) will be moderating a Discussion Session about the role of social support among older youth aging out of foster care with panelists Johanna K.P. Greeson (University of Pennsylvania), Varda R. Mann-Feder (Concordia University), and Manfred H.M. van Dulmen (Kent State University). We hope to see you there!

The Latin America Topic Network aims to build a more integrated and consistent
picture of the phenomenon of emerging adulthood in Latin America. Currently
we count on 16 members from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and United States.
During the SSEA this year we have seven submissions, and we are excited
about sharing our work with you all.

April 2015

The Identity Topic Network announces a pre-conference workshop to the 7th SSEA Conference, to be held on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 from 12 – 5pm in Miami, Florida. The agenda is to have a discussion about the 1) various perspectives on identity development, 2) methodological issues and 3) what participants would like from the topic network. We invite the range of potential participants – from those interested in becoming involved in the study of identity development to senior scholars. We will have time for mingling and discussion throughout the pre-conference, and we anticipate that this will be a thought-provoking afternoon. Confirmed speakers are: Maria Wängqvist, Moin Syed, Elisabetta Crocetti, Theo Klimstra, Jennifer Lilgendahl, and Joe Schwab.

The Latin America Topic Network started its activities in December 2014, and we have 16 members from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and United States. Our current activities are introducing ourselves and sharing papers using the blog and our e-mail list. We have seven submissions to the SSEA Conference this year. We are excited about sharing our work with other TNs during the conference.

The Aging out of Care Topic Network continues to grow, with our latest member joining earlier this week. Please consider inviting like-minded colleagues with whom you work, collaborate, and meet at conferences to join our topic network!

The Parents and Family Topic Network has organized a number of potential symposia on parenting for the upcoming SSEA conference and welcome added members who are interesting in parenting or family! In the coming months look for more ways to be involved in this exciting aspect of SSEA!

The Romantic Relationships and Sexuality Topic Networks announce a pre-conference workshop to the 7th SSEA Conference, to be held on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 from 12 – 5pm in Miami, Florida. The agenda includes 1) networking opportunities, 2) discussion of sex inside and outside of romantic relationships, and 3) innovative methodologies to examine sex and romance. We invite anyone interested in romantic relationships, sexuality, or both, to join us for an engaging and informative afternoon as we inaugurate two new topic networks. The keynote speaker is Dr. Manfred van Dulmen from Kent State University. Other confirmed speakers included Dr. Daphne Van de Bongardt (Utrecht University) and Shannon Claxton (Kent State University).

The Substance Use Topic Network is barely off the ground. We are hoping to have a small gathering at the SSEA meeting in Miami so that members can get to know each other and discuss what we’d like to accomplish. Stay tuned for date, time and place.

The Work and Career Topic Network has 25 members from diverse institutions, representing 7 countries. Right now, our Co-Chair position is vacant -- please contact Anne Marshall at <amarshal@uvic.ca> if you are an emerging scholar in this area and interested in the position.

January 2015

To join any of the Topic Networks, please send an email message to coordinator@ssea.org and list which ones you would like to join. You must be a SSEA member to join a Topic Network.

The Identity Issues Topic Network has been created to bring together people who share a common interest in identity development in emerging adulthood. We will be holding a pre-conference at the 2015 SSEA Conference. Questions can be directed to the co-chairs, Kate McLean (Kate.McLean@wwu.edu) or Johanna Carlsson (johanna.carlsson@psy.gu.se).

The Sexuality Topic Network has been connecting members through the creation of a Sexuality Blog, which focuses on the experiences and challenges associated with conducting research on sexuality during emerging adulthood (http://ssea.wildapricot.org/Sexuality-Blog). Additionally, the TN has been working to facilitate the creation of symposia related to sexuality for the 2015 SSEA Conference.

The Latin American Topic Network blog is working. The TN also has a Google group to exchange documents privately. Currently, the TN is posting information about members on the blog. Sooner, the chair and co-chair will share two articles they wrote.

The Study Abroad Topic Network continues to develop its blog and outreach for new members. They would like to encourage all SSEA members who have studied outside of their home campus (recently or in the long ago past!) to send in reflections/stories about their experiences, especially related to identity development, relationships, or career paths. How did your sojourn affect your sense of yourself in a global world? You are invited to send in entries via the blog, or, if you prefer, to the Network Chair, Janice Abarbanel, at j.e.abarbanel@gmail.com. Dr. Abarbanel will be contributing a column to the Active Minds network (http://www.activeminds.org). See the Study Abroad Blog for further information.

European Topic Network has information about a large Lithuanian longitudinal project, POSIDEV (Mechanisms of promoting positive youth development in the context of socio-economical transformations). The project, which has just started its third year, aims to identify mechanisms of positive youth development during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Please see the project website for more information, https://www3.mruni.eu/posidev/.

The Aging out of Care Topic Network is now up and running with membership growing, and they invite you to join! This TN will focus specifically on research and current issues related to youth aging out of foster care, with an emphasis on providing a community of support for scholars and practitioners committed to supporting older youth exiting care.

The Friendship Topic Network launched last year and currently has 8 members. The members are in the process of exploring options and possibilities for submitting a symposium to the upcoming conference.

The Prevention and Intervention (P&I) Topic Network is happy to report that their blog is now up and running on the SSEA website. They welcome all SSEA members to read and contribute to the blog and follow them as they prepare for the 2015 Conference.

The Media Studies Topic Network co-chairs, Adriana Manago and Sarah Coyne, will host an informal meeting at the 2015 SSEA Conference. The purpose of the meeting is to connect emerging adulthood researchers interested in media and development and to determine how the TN can best serve scholars in the field. A google document has also been created to facilitate symposia related to media and communication studies at the 2015 conference

The Parents and Family Topic Network encourages you to join! They are currently accepting brief proposals so that they can organize related symposia at the upcoming SSEA conference! If you have any questions, please contact Laura Padilla Walker at laura_walker@byu.edu

Greetings to all from Anne Marshall of the University of Victoria, Canada amarshal@uvic.ca and Julia Dietrich of the University of Jena, Germany julia.dietrich@uni-jena.de, co-chairs of the Work and Career Topic Network. We are setting up a blog to facilitate scholarly exchange among our members, including possible collaborations for sessions at the October conference in Miami. New members welcome!