Adulthood

Adulthood is the stage through which a person passes out of childhood and enters a condition recognized as that of an adult. It has two dimensions: a physical and mental dimension tied to development, and a social and legal dimension tied to customs and norms (xeer) of the place where a person lives.

Most societies have markers that show a person has reached adulthood: religious or cultural ceremonies, entry into work, marriage, or attainment of a legally defined age. The legal age of adulthood varies from country to country, and is often linked to rights of voting, contracts, and criminal responsibility.

Physical and mental development

The growth process links adulthood to puberty, a hormonal change that brings rapid growth and reproductive capacity. Developmental psychology indicates that brain development—particularly in areas linked to planning and self-regulation—continues for years after physical puberty. Thus physical and mental adulthood do not always coincide.

Customs and ceremonies

Anthropology calls such ceremonies 'rites of passage'—three-part stages consisting of separation from the old state, a liminal phase, and incorporation into the new status. Global examples include youth religious ceremonies, clan initiation rites with training, and age-specific celebrations held in some countries.

Somali society, like other pastoral societies, typically measures markers of adulthood by a person's capacity to manage livestock, maintain a household, or participate in councils and decision-making, rather than by age alone.

Legal dimension

Legally, adulthood is defined as an established age at which a person is granted new rights and duties: the capacity to enter contracts, manage property, marry, and bear full responsibility before the courts. International instruments on the rights of the child generally define a child as anyone under 18, but countries have variations regarding specific matters such as work and criminal liability.