[Public and scholarly interest in early adulthood has increased over the past decade, spurred by the dramatic social and developmental changes young people experience during this period and the consequences of their missteps. The family context, both the family of origin and family of procreation, has emerged as key settings shaping young adults’ success in navigating this period of the life course. While prior research has illuminated relationships between various family contexts and young adult outcomes, the chapters in this volume move the field forward in considering the dynamic interplay between family context, early adult development, and a range of outcomes. In this chapter, we synthesize four emergent themes from this volume : the role of family in pathways to adulthood, cumulative advantage and disadvantage in early adulthood, individual differences in young people’s skills and capacities for negotiating early adulthood, and the role of institutions in shaping early adulthood. , Public and scholarly interest in early adulthood has increased over the past decade, spurred by the dramatic social and developmental changes young people experience during this period and the consequences of their missteps. The family context, both the family of origin and family of procreation, has emerged as key settings shaping young adults’ success in navigating this period of the life course. While prior research has illuminated relationships between various family contexts and young adult outcomes, the chapters in this volume move the field forward in considering the dynamic interplay between family context, early adult development, and a range of outcomes. In this chapter, we synthesize four emergent themes from this volume : the role of family in pathways to adulthood, cumulative advantage and disadvantage in early adulthood, individual differences in young people’s skills and capacities for negotiating early adulthood, and the role of institutions in shaping early adulthood. ]