JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, 12(1), 31–68 Copyright © 2002, Society for Research on Adolescence Changes in Adolescents’ Interpersonal Experiences: Are They Being Prepared for Adult Relationships in the Twenty-First Century? Reed W. Larson and Suzanne Wilson University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign B. Bradford Brown University of Wisconsin, Madison Frank F. Furstenberg, Jr. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Suman Verma Government Home Science College, Chandigarh Trends across nations suggest that adulthood in the future will require greater social versatility, including abilities to function in relationships that are less scripted by community norms and that bridge multiple social worlds. This article assesses whether current changes in adolescents’ inter- personal experience are likely to give them the social resources and compe- tencies they will need. Changes in families are making them smaller, more diverse in social capital, and more responsive to adolescents. Changes in ad- olescents’ nonfamily experience include more time in institutional settings; more involvement with peers; and more cycles of developing (and ending) relationships with a heterogeneous set of adults, friends, and, for many, ro- mantic partners. The analysis suggests that these changes will provide many youth with greater opportunities to develop the more versatile interpersonal resources required in the future, but that many adolescents will have re- stricted opportunities to acquire these resources. Requests for reprints should be sent to Reed Larson, Department of Human and Commu- nity Development, University of Illinois, 1105 W. Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801. E-mail:
[email protected] 32 LARSON, WILSON, BROWN, ET AL. Throughout the world the daily forms of human social life are changing.