Purpose: Students are able to apply the challenges presented by Erikson to relationship maintenance including, social, religious and spiritual relationships.

Overview: Although some people may remain friends for life, in actuality, there is a shifting process in friendship formations that we go through during adult life. The goal of this activity is to investigate the shifting dynamics of friendships during middle adulthood.

For example, two adults who are both married and have small children are more likely to forge relationships and maintain a friendship than an adult with children and a single, childless adult. Likewise, a friendship may be strained if one adult changes a developmental address (gets married) and another does not (stays single).

Post: Discuss the transition between college and early adulthood.

• How does this transition affect friendship maintenance and new friendship formation?
• If you feel comfortable, share a personal experience.
• Reference the readings and content from this week in your post
• End your post with a question for the class related to your post.