EDUCATION 23/PSYCHOLOGY 23: ADOLESCENCE
Spring 2005
Class Tuesday/Thursday 1:15-2:30
Lisa Smulyan
Office hours: Wednesday 10:00-12:00
Pearson 204 (x8343)
e-mail: lsmulya1
This course uses a variety of developmental perspectives to examine the life stage called
adolescence. It will provide you with a theoretical base for understanding adolescence, challenges to
traditional developmental theory, and practice in applying theory to real life and literary cases. The
goal is to have you learn to question and use theories of adolescent development as one of many
lenses for understanding people and behavior.
In the first half of the course we will focus on aspects of individual development: physiological,
sexual, cognitive, affective, etc. During the second half of the course we will explore the
adolescent's experience in major social contexts such as family, peer group, and school. Throughout
the course we will draw from your own experience as an important source of data while always
encouraging you to generalize from that experience or use it to challenge or support existing theory.
Notes on readings:
1. All reading except case studies should be done for Tuesday of the week assigned
unless you are told otherwise. Cases must be read by Thursday. Use the
questions below each week's assignment to focus your ideas before you come to
class.
2. Readings are notated as follows:
*Books or journal issues, listed by author or journal title, on General Reserve or
EMC.
**Blackboard
***Blackboard and book on General Reserve/ in EMC.
Week I (January 18 and 20) Voices of Adolescents
Lifeline assignment: Given out in class.
***Brown, L. and Gilligan, C. (1992) Meeting at the Crossroads, Chapter 5
"Rivers into the Sea," pp. 163-215.
***Manjarré z C. (1991) "Mis palabras" in Schoem, D. (ed.) Inside Separate
Worlds Ann Arbor: U. of Michigan Press, pp. 50-63.
**Philips, L. (1998) “’I’ is for intersection: At the crux of black and white and gay
and straight.” In Atkins, D. (ed) Looking Queer: Body Image and Identity in
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Communities. Binghamton, NY:
Harrington Park Press. Pp. 251-258.
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Questions for thought and discussion:
1. What do you hear these young people saying are the key issues and concerns they face?
Where are there similarities and differences in their voices and experiences?
2. What questions do these voices (and your own) raise for you about the life period called
adolescence?
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Week II (January 25 and 27) Historical, Cultural and Biological Perspectives
***Moran, J. (2000) Teaching Sex: The Shaping of Adolescence in the 20th Century.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Chapter 1, pp. 1-22.
*Muuss, R. (1998) Theories of Adolescence, NY: Random House. Chapter 6,
"Cultural anthropology and adolescence," pp. 105-125.
**Mead, M. (1958) "Adolescence in primitive and in modern society." In Maccoby,
Newcomb and Hartley (eds.), Readings in Social Psychology. NY: Holt. pp.
341-350.
*Strauch, B. (2003) The Primal Teen. New York: Anchor Books. Chapters 1-5.
Optional:
*Muuss, R. (1988). Theories of Adolescence, Chapter 1 "The philosophical and
historical roots of adolescence," pp. 1-17.
**Steinberg, L. and Lerner, R. (2004) The scientific study of adolescence: A brief
history.” Journal of Early Adolescence. 24(2). 45-54.
Case Analysis:
Each of you will choose a novel by a current writer of fiction for adolescents, such as Judy Blume,
M.E. Kerr, Norma Klein, S.E. Hinton, Richard Peck, etc. Popular literature written for adolescents
tends to reflect dominant cultural values of the times. In class, you should be prepared to describe
the assumptions about the nature of adolescence that can be inferred from your novel.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. Before doing this week's reading, write down your own definition of adolescence. What
elements of the experience of young people does your definition account for? Are you an
adolescent?
2. In light of the historical and cross cultural forms of coming of age, what are the universal aspects
of the adolescent experience that transcend time and culture? Does the loss of clear coming-ofage rituals affect boys and girls differently?
3. Bring to class a story from your parents' adolescence. Is their experience something that could
have happened to you? Could you see it happening to your adolescent children?
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Week III (February 1 and 3) Physical and Sexual Development
*Martin, Karin (1996) Puberty, Sexuality and the Self: Girls and Boys at
Adolescence. Chapters 1-4, 6. NY:Routledge.
**Kimmel, M. (1994) “Masculinity as homophobia,” In H. Brod and M. Kaufman
(eds) Theorizing Masculinities. Sage.
*Tolman, D., Spencer, R., Harmon, T., Rosen-Reynoso, M. and Striepe, M. (2004)
Getting close, staying cool: Early adolescent boys’ experiences with romantic
relationships. In Way, N. and Chu, J. (eds.) Adolescent Boys. New York: NYU
Press. 235-255.
**Savin-Williams, R. (1995) “Lesbian, gay male, and bisexual adolescents.” In
D’Augelli, A. and Patterson, C. (eds.), Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Identities Over
the Lifespan: Psychological Perspectives. NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 165189.
*Lee, S. (2004) Hmong American masculinities: Creating new identities in the
United States. In Way, N. and Chu, J. (eds.) Adolescent Boys. New York: NYU
Press. 13-30.
Optional:
*Muuss, R. Theories of Adolescence, Chapter 2 "The psychoanalytic theory of
adolescent development" pp. 18-41.
Film: Baby Love - Tuesday, 7:30
Cases
"Loving women" in Garrod et al Adolescent Portraits.
"Falling for someone" in Garrod et al Adolescent Portraits.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. These authors present several different views on the effects of biological change on the
adolescent. What are some of the biological, psychological, and social changes that
occur with the onset of puberty?
2. Is romantic love a biological/psychological or a social/cultural phenomenon? What
purpose does it serve for the individual?
3. What is the relationship between the experience of puberty and the growing sense of
oneself as a sexual being and one's gender, race, class, ethnicity, and sexual preference?
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Week IV (February 8 and 10) Identity Development: Gender, Autonomy and
Relationship
*Erikson, E. (1998) "Youth and the Life Cycle" in Muuss Adolescent Behavior and
Society pp. 252-259.
***Stern, L. (1989) "Conceptions of Separation and Connection in Female
Adolescents" in Gilligan et al, Making Connections, pp. 73-87.
***Miller, J. B. (1991) "The development of women's sense of self" in Women's
Growth in Connection. NY: Guildford Press. pp. 11-26.
*Chu, J. (2004) A relational perspective on boys’ identity development. In Way, N.
and Chu, J. (eds.) Adolescent Boys. New York: NYU Press. 78-106.
*Way, N. (1998) Everyday Courage: The Lives and Stories of Urban Teenagers.
NY: NYU Press. Chapter 4, pp. 78-111.
Film: Everybody Rides the Carousel (optional)
Optional:
*Muuss, R. Theories of Adolescence, Chapter 3, "Erikson's theory of identity
development" pp. 52-85.
Cases
"Courting danger" in Garrod et al, Adolescent Portraits.
"Seeking the best of both worlds" in Garrod et al, Adolescent Portraits, pp. 40-52.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. Is identity development an adolescent issue? In what areas does identity develop? What
is society's role in an adolescent's process of identity development?
2. What is the role of gender identity, racial identity, ethnic identity in the development of
an adolescent self? How does the development of women and men's experience of
autonomy and relationship differ? How is it the same?
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Week V (February 15 and 17) Identity Development: Multiple Identities
**Tatum, Beverly (1992) "Talking about race, learning about racism." Harvard
Educational Review. 62(1) pp. 1-24.
***Heath, Shirley B. (1995) "Race, ethnicity and the defiance of categories," in
Hawley and Jackson (eds) Toward a Common Destiny. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey Bass. pp. 39-70.
***Williams, Theresa, K. (1996) “Race as a process: Reassessing the ‘What are you?’
encounters of biracial individuals.” In M. Root (ed.) The Multiracial Experience.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. pp. 191-210.
**Lei, J. (2003) (Un)Necessary Toughness:” Those ‘loud Black girls’ and those ‘quiet
Asian boys.’ Anthropology and Education Quarterly. 34(2). 158-181.
Choose 1 or 2:
**Wilson, Alex (1996) "How we find ourselves: Identity development and two-spirit
people." Harvard Educational Review, 66 (2), pp. 303-317.
**Lee, J. and Zhou, M. (2004) Introduction: The making of culture, identity, and
ethnicity among Asian American youth. In Lee, J. and Zhou, M. (eds.) Asian
American Youth. NY: Routledge.
**Sears, James (1996) "Black-Gay or Gay-Black? Choosing identities and
identifying choices," in Unks, G. (ed) The Gay Teen. NY: Routledge, pp. 135-157.
***Waters, Mary (1996) "The intersection of gender, race, and ethnicity in identity
development of Caribbean American teens," in Leadbeater and Way, Urban Girls.
NY: New York University Press, pp. 65-81.
**Root, M. (1999) “Multiracial Asians: Models of ethnic identity.” In Torres, R.,
Mirón, L. and Inda, J. (eds.) Race Identity and Citizenship. Malden, MA: Blackwell
Publishers. pp. 158-168.
**Ponteretto, J. and Pederson, P. (1993) Preventing Prejudice: A Guide for Counselors
and Educators. CA: Sage Publications. Chapter 5, "White racial identity
development and prejudice prevention," pp. 63-83.
***Chol Soo Standen, B. (1996) “Without a template: The Biracial/Korean/White
Experience.” In M. Root (ed.) The Multiracial Experience. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage. pp. 245-259.
**Mihesuah, D. (1999) “American Indian identities: Issues of individual choice and
development.” In D. Champagne (ed.) Contemporary Native American Cultural
Issues. Walnut Creek: CA: Alta Mira Press.
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**Corbin, S. and Pruitt, R. (1999) “Who am I? The development of the African
American male identity.” In J. Polite and J. Davis (eds.) African American Males in
School and Society. NY: Teachers College Press.
Cases:
Film: Boyz 'n the Hood - Tuesday 7:30
“Color-blind,” in Garrod et al, Adolescent Portraits.
“At least we got one right,” in Garrod et al, Adolescent Portraits.
Questions for thought and discussion
1. How do these readings challenge and support last week's theories of identity
development? How do we reconcile (or don't we) the concept of identity development
and the reality of multiple identities?
2. What are the possible roles of social institutions (family, school, community
organizations, etc.) in supporting the process of adolescent identity? What attitudes,
behaviors, programs do you see as most/least helpful?
First paper due Monday, February 21.
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Week VI (February 22 and 24) Cognitive and Intellectual Development: Three
Approaches
1)
*Piaget, J. (1990) "Intellectual evolution from adolescence to adulthood" in
Muuss, Adolescent Behavior and Society, pp. 66-72.
***Moshman, D.(1999) Adolescent Psychological Development: Rationality,
Morality and Identity. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Chapter 3, pp. 19-32.
2)
***Gardner, H. (1993) Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. Basic Books.
Chapters 1 and 2, pp. 5-34.
3)
**Perry, W. (1981) "Cognitive and ethical growth: The making of meaning" in
A.W. Chickering (ed) The Modern American College. San Francisco: Jossey
Bass. (read pp. 76-98 only)
*Belenky, et al (1986) Women's Ways of Knowing, Basic Books. Skim chapters
1-7, pp. 23-152.
Optional:
*Muuss, R. Theories of Adolescence, Chapter 8, "Jean Piaget's Cognitive Theory
of Adolescence" pp. 175-205.
Cases
"Someday my elders will be proud," in Garrod et al Adolescent Portraits.
“The hatred within,” in Garrod et al, Adolescent Portraits.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. Look first at Piaget's theory of cognitive development. In your own experience and
observations, how characteristic is the stage of formal operations in adolescent thinking?
2. To what extent does your college experience reflect the changes in thinking described by
Perry and Belenky et al? Where do their theories complement/challenge Piaget's?
3. What are the limitations of these theories in describing changes in the cognitive abilities
and understanding of adolescents?
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Week VII (March 1 and 3) Cognitive and Moral Development: Ways of Knowing
*Kohlberg, L. (1990) "The cognitive developmental approach to moral education,"
in Muuss, Adolescent Behavior and Society, pp. 222-233.
**Brown, L. M., Tappan, M.B., and Gilligan, C. (1995) "Listening to different
voices." In W. Kurtines and J. Gewirtz (eds.) Moral Development: An
Introduction. Allyn and Bacon. pp. 311-335.
**Goldberger, Nancy (1996) "Cultural imperatives and diversity in ways of
knowing" in Goldberger et al (eds) Knowledge, Difference and Power.
NY:Basic Books. pp. 335-368.
**Flanagan, C. and Gallay, L. (1995) “Reframing the meaning of ‘political’ in
research with adolescents.” Perspectives on Political Science. 24(1). Pp. 34-41.
OR
**Youniss, J., McLellan, J. and Yates, M. (1999) Religion, community service and
identity in American youth. Journal of Adolescence, 22. 243-253.
Optional:
*Muuss, R. (1996). Theories of Adolescence, Chapters 9 and 10 "Kohlberg's
cognitive-developmental approach to adolescent morality," pp. 176-195 and "The
feminist perspective..." pp. 196-209. , Chapter 13: James Fowler's theory of faith
development. pp. 262-280.
Cases
"Proud of the strength I had" in Garrod et al Adolescent Portraits.
“The struggle of a lifetime,” in Garrod et al Adolescent Portraits.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. What is the relationship between different theories of cognitive development and
Kohlberg's and Gilligan's understanding of moral development?
2. How do gender, ethnicity, class, culture and religion affect the development of an
individual’s ways of knowing?
2. What is the relationship of religious development and belief and the theories of cognitive
and moral development presented this week and last week? What, if anything, is
missing from Fowler’s theoretical perspective?
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Week VIII (March 15 and 17) Adolescent Health and Social Policy: What's normal?
Everyone read:
**Freud, A. (1969) "Adolescence." In The Writings of Anna Freud, Vol. V 19561965. NY: International Universities Press, Inc.
***McCord, J. (1990) "Problem behaviors" in At the Threshold pp. 414-430.
**Steinberg, L. and Scott, E. (2003) Less guilty by reason of adolescence.
American Psychologist. 58 (12) 1—9-1-18.
Choose one:
**Price, R., Cioci, M. Penn, W., and Trautlein, B. (1993) "Webs of influence:
School and community programs that enhance adolescent health and education."
Teachers College Record, 94(3). pp. 487-521.
**McLaughlin, M. and Heath, S. (1993) "Casting the self: Frames for identity
and dilemmas for policy" in McLaughlin, M. and Heath, S. (eds) Inner City
Youth: Beyond Ethnicity and Gender. NY: Teachers College Press. pp. 210240.
Cases: Choose 1-2:
***Fine, M. (1993) "Sexuality, schooling, and adolescent females: The missing
discourse of desire" in Weiss and Fine (eds) Beyond Silenced Voices: Class,
Race and Gender in US Schools. Albany: SUNY Press. pp. 75-100.
OR
***Moran, J. (2000) Teaching Sex: The Shaping of Adolescence in the 20th Century.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Chapter 8, pp. 217-234.
***Striegel-Moore, R. and Cachelin, F. (1999) “Body image concerns and disordered
eating in adolescent girls: Risk and protective factors.” In N. Johnson, M.
Roberts and J. Worell (eds) Beyond Appearance: A New Look at Adolescent
Girls. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
***Harway, M. and Liss, M. (1999) “Dating violence and teen prostitution:
Adolescent girls in the justice system.” In N. Johnson, M. Roberts and J. Worell
(eds) Beyond Appearance: A New Look at Adolescent Girls. Washington, DC:
American Psychological Association.
**Pope, H., Phillips, K. and Olivardia, R. (2000) The Adonis Complex. NY: Free
Press. Chapter 4, pp. 83-101.
***Kaplan, A. (1991) "The self in relation: Implications for depression in women"
in Jordan et al, Women's Growth in Connection. NY: Guildford Press. pp. 206222.
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*Kipke, M., O’Connor,. S., Palmer, R. and MacKenzie, R. (1998) “Street youth in
Los Angeles: Profile of a group at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus
infection,” in Muuss, R. (ed) Adolescent Behavior and Society, pp409-417.
**Powers, J. and Jaklitsch, B. (1992) "Adolescence and homelessness" Chapter 7
in Stronge, J. Educating Homeless Children and Adolescents. Newbury Park:
Sage. pp. 115-132.
*Flannery, D., Vazsonyi, A., Torquati, J. and Fridrich, A. (1998) “Ethnic and
gender differences in risk for early adolescent substance use,” in Muuss, R. (ed)
Adolescent Behavior and Society, pp. 432-440.
**Garrett, S. C. and Tidwell, R. (1999) “Differences between adolescent mothers
and nonmothers: An interview study.” Adolescence (34) 133, pp. 91-105.
**Raley, G. (1999) “No good choices: Teenage childbearing, concentrated poverty,
and welfare reform.” In S. Coontz (ed.) American Families: A Multicultural
Reader. NY: Routledge. p. 258-272.
**Vigil, J.D. (1993) "Gangs, social control and ethnicity: Ways to redirect"
Chapter 4 in McLaughlin, M. and Heath, S. (eds) Inner City Youth: Beyond
Ethnicity and Gender. NY: Teachers College Press. pp. 94-119.
**Ima, K. and Nidorf, J. (1998) “Characteristics of Southeast Asian delinquents:
Toward an understanding.” In V. Pang and L. Cheng (eds.) Struggling to Be
Heard. Albany: SYNY Press. pp. 89-104.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. What characterizes normal vs. abnormal adolescent behavior? To what extent is
adolescence itself a disturbance in the life cycle, as Anna Freud suggests?
2. What common factors influence adolescent behavior with regard to health? What are some
key variables affecting adolescent involvement/non-involvement in substance abuse?
3. At what level(s) are adolescent health concerns best addressed: individual intervention,
family, community/school, national policy? What do you see as characteristics of
effective programs at each of these levels?
Second paper due Monday March 21.
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Week IX (March 22 and 24) The Adolescent in Context: Family
**Hill, J. (1987) "Research on adolescents and their families: Past and prospect."
in Irwin, C. (ed.) Adolescent Social Behavior and Health, San Francisco: JosseyBass.
***Ward, Janie (1996) "Raising resisters: The role of truth telling in the
psychological development of African American girls," in Leadbetter and Way,
Urban Girls. NY: NYU Press. pp. 85-99.
*Jeffries, E. (2004) Experiences of trust with parents: A qualitative investigation
of African American, Latino and Asian American boys from low-income
families. In Way, N. and Chu, J. (eds.) Adolescent Boys. New York: NYU Press.
107-128.
**Buchanan, C. (2000) “The impact of divorce on adjustment during adolescence.”
In R. Taylor and M. Wang. (eds.) Resilience Across Contexts. NJ: Lawrence
Earlbaum. Pp. 179-216.
Choose 1
***Salzman, J. (1989) "Save the world, Save myself" in Gilligan et al Making
Connections, pp. 110-146.
***Taylor, Jill (1996) Cultural Stories: Latina and Portuguese daughters and
mothers," in Leadbetter and Way, Urban Girls. NY: NYU Press. pp. 117-131.
**Stacey, J. and Biblarz, T. (2001) “How does the sexual orientation of parents
matter?” American Sociological Review. 66(159-183.
**Zimmerman, M., Salem, D. and Notaro, P. (2000) Make room for Daddy II: The
positive effects of fathers’ role in adolescent development. In R. Taylor and M.
Wang. (eds.) Resilience Across Contexts. NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum. 233-253.
**Zinn, M. B. (1999) “Social science theorizing for Latino families in the age of
diversity.” In S. Coontz (ed.) American Families: A Multicultural Reader. NY:
Routledge. pp. 230-242.
Case
*Golden, Marita (1995) Saving our Sons. NY: Doubleday.
Questions for thought and discussion:
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1. To what extent is family influence on an adolescent's development influenced by a)
historical, social and cultural demands; b) the individual; c) previous parent-child
relations; d) gender, and e) the adolescent peer group?
2. Most of the readings assume a traditional two parent family. Given what you know of
adolescent needs and concerns, develop some hypotheses about how different family
formations might influence the adolescent's sense of self, development of independence,
relationships with others, etc.
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Week X (March 29 and 31) The Adolescent in Context: Peers
**Buhrmester, D. (1996) "Need fulfillment, interpersonal competence, and the
developmental contexts of early adolescent friendship" in W. Bukowski, A.
Newcomb and W. Hartup (eds.) The Company They Keep: Friendship in
Childhood and Adolescence. Cambridge University Press, pp. 1588-185.
***Savin-Williams, R. and Berndt, T. (1990) "Friendship and peer relations" in At
the Threshold, pp. 277-307.
*Way, Niobe (1998) Everyday Courage. Chapter 5, pp. 112-144
***Twine, F. W. (1996) “Heterosexual alliances: The romantic management of
racial identity.” In M. Root (ed.) The Multiracial Experience. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage. pp. 291-304.
**Price, J. (2000) “Peer (dis)connections, school and African American
masculinities.” In N. Lesko (ed) Masculinities at School. NY: Teachers College
Press. Pp. 127-159.
Film: Girls Town
Cases:
“No boring little friends” in Garrod et al., Adolescent Portraits.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. Think about your own experiences with peers between sixth and twelfth grade. What
was the basis of groups? of friendships? How has it changed in college?
2. Be ready to summarize the function of peer groups and friends from the perspective of
various authors. What are the difficulties associated with these relationships? What are
the benefits?
3. What is the dynamic between the adolescents' relationships to friends and family?
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Week XI (April 5 and 7) Adolescents and Schools: School Structures and Goals
**Kohlberg, L. and Mayer, R. (1979) "Development as the aim of education," in
Mosher, Adolescents' Development and Education, Berkeley: McCutchan. pp. 246280.
**Hechinger, F. (1993) "Schools for teenagers: A historic dilemma," Teachers
College Record, 94(3). pp. 522-539.
*Way, N. (1998) Everyday Courage. Chapter 8. Pp. 185-204.
*Fordham, S. and Ogbu, J. (1998) "Black students' school success: Coping with the
burden of 'acting white,' in Muuss, Adolescent Behavior and Society, pp189-207.
Cases
**Flores-González, N. (2002) School Kids/Street Kids. NY: Teachers College Press.
Chapter 6, Finding a safe niche.
**Toch, T. (2003) High Schools on a Human Scale. Boston: Beacon Press. Chapters 1
and 2, Rebuilding and Engaging debates.
**San Antonia, D. (2004) Adolescent Lives in Transition: How social class influences
the adjustment to middle school. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. Chapters 4 and 7.
Mountainview middle school; Classrooms, teams and teaching styles.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. This week's readings provide a range of different perspectives on the relationships between
schooling, individual develoment, and society. What do you see as the strengths and
weaknesses of the different lenses used? Which ones work best in explaining your own
and other adolescents' experiences in school?
2. Several of this week's readings suggest ways schools might best meet adolescent needs.
What needs are best met in each case? What is missing? What suggestions would you
make to each author?
3. Looking back, what changes would you make in your education? What difference might
these changes have made?
4. What do you think should be the role of schools in meeting adolescents' cognitive,
intellectual, psychosocial, affective and interpersonal needs?
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Week XII (April 12 and 14) Adolescents and Schools: Different experiences
Everyone read:
**Mirón, L. and Lauria, M. (1998) “Student voice as agency: Resistance and
accomodation in inner-city schools.” Anthropology and Education Quarterly (29)
2, pp. 189-213.
Choose 3:
**Brown, L. M. (2002) Madgirl in the classroom. The Jossey Bass Reader on
Gender in Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
**Lopez, N. (2002) Rewriting race and gender high school lessons: Second
generation Dominicans in New York City. Teachers College Record. 104(6)
1187-1203.
**Gaskell, Jane (1985) "Course enrollment in the high school: The perspective of
working class females. Sociology of Education, 58, pp. 48-59.
*Suarez-Orozco, C. and Qin-Hilliard, D. (2004) Immigrant boys’ experiences in US
schools. . In Way, N. and Chu, J. (eds.) Adolescent Boys. NY: New York
University Press. 295-316.
*Conchas, G. and Noguera, P. (2004) Understanding the exceptions: How small
schools support the achievement of academically successful Black boys. In Way,
N. and Chu, j. (eds.) Adolescent Boys. NY: New York University Press.
Chapter 15. 317-337.
**Connell, R.W. (1996) “Teaching the boys: New research on masculinity and
gender strategies for schools.” Teachers College Record. 98 (2) pp. 206-235.
**Foster, V., Kimmel, M. and Skelton, C. (2001) “’What about the boys?’ An
overview of the debates.” In W. Martins and B. Meyenn (eds) What About the
Boys? Open University Press. Pp. 1-23.
**Kiang, Peter Nien-chu (1995) "Bicultural strengths and struggles of Southeast
Asian Americans in school." In A. Darder (ed) Culture and Difference. Bergin
and Garvey.
**Mandel, L. and Shakeshaft, C. (2000) “Heterosexism in middle school.” In N.
Lesko (ed) Masculinities in School. NY: Teachers College Press. Pp. 75-103.
***Stevenson, R. and Ellsworth, J. (1993) "Dropouts and the silencing of critical
voices" in Weiss and Fine (eds) Beyond Silenced Voices: Class, Race and Gender
in US Schools. Albany: SUNY Press. pp. 259-271.
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** Wortham, S. (2002) “Gender and school success in the Latino diaspora.” In S.
Wortham, E.G. Murillo, Jr., and E.T. Hamaan (eds.) Education in the New Latino
Diaspora. Westport: Ablex. pp. 117-141.
**Lee, Stacey (1994) "Beyond the model-minority stereotype: Voices of high and
low achieving Asian American students." Anthropology and Education Quarterly,
25(4) pp. 413-429.
**Flores-González, N. (1999) “Puerto Rican High Achievers: An example of ethnic
and academic identity compatibility.” Anthropology and Education Quarterly.
(30)3, pp. 343-362.
**Tapia, J. (1998) “The schooling of Puerto Ricans: Philadelphia’s most
impoverished community.” Anthropology and Education Quarterly. 29(3) 297323.
Film: Stand and Deliver Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Case
*Suskind, R. (1998) A Hope in the Unseen. NY: Broadway Books. Chapters 1-5.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. How do school structures take race, class and gender into consideration? What new
programs or structures might more effectively address these issues?
2. Think about curriculum/structural developments to address drop-out prevention, sex
education, diversity training.
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Week XIII (April 19 and 21) Adolescents and Schools: The College Experience
*Sidel, R. (1994) Battling Bias: The Struggle for Identity and Community on
College Campuses. NY: Viking. Chapters 1, 4-9.
**Renn, K. (2004) Mixed Race Students in College. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Chapters 3 and 9.
**Steele, C. (1999) “Thin ice: ‘Stereotype threat’ and Black college students.”
Atlantic Monthly.
Case
*Suskind, R. (1998) A Hope in the Unseen. NY: Broadway Books. Chapters 7-14.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. Before doing this week's reading, think about your own college experience. In what ways
have you grown or changed? How has Swarthmore responded--or failed to respond--to
your developmental needs?
2. What are the connections between the adolescent's experience in high school and his or her
college experience? What aspects of high school seem to have the most/least impact?
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Week XIV (April 26 and April 28) The Social Context: The transition to work and the
adult world
**Krei, M. and Rosenbaum, J. (2001) “Career and college advice to the forgotten
half: What do counselors and vocational teachers advise?” Teachers College
Record. 103(5) pp. 823-842.
**Newman, K. (1996) “Working poor: Low-wage employment in the lives of
Harlem youth.” In J. Graber, J. Brooks-Gunn, A. Peterson (eds). Transitions
Through Adolescence. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Pp. 323-343.
**Cote, J. (2000) Arrested Adulthood: The Changing Nature of Maturity and
Identity. NY: New York University Press. Chapter 1, pp. 11-44.
Questions for thought and discussion:
1. In what ways does the experience of adolescence influence or shape adult life?
2. How does the experience of your parents reflect the themes expressed in the readings?
3. How might social institutions (e.g. family, schools, church, community, businesses)
better help adolescents move into adulthood?
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ED23 Adolescence: Requirements
1. Classwork and Groupwork (15%)
a) Tuesday's classes will consist of lectures and discussion related to the week's reading.
Thursday's sections will often be class and small group discussion/activities focusing on
case studies. The goal will be to integrate readings from each week with those from
previous weeks as we build a more complex picture of adolescence.
Attendance in both Tuesday and Thursday sections is mandatory: the course is built
around the integration of theory and its application.
b) You will be assigned to a work group which will meet on some Thursdays in class and at other
times, usually weekly, outside of class. The group is meant to give you a chance to engage
more directly and deeply with the material than might otherwise be possible in a class of this
size.
c) This course will include an evening film series consisting of a number of films shown on
Tuesday evenings at 7:30 in Pearson 220. You are required to attend these (and welcome to
bring a friend!) as they will provide us with case material the weeks they are shown. (See
schedule, below.)
2. Short papers (40%)
There will be two short (6-8 page) papers due during the course of the semester.
a) For the first paper, you will write a case study of one aspect or event of your own adolescence
or the adolescence of someone you know. In this case study, you will use relevant theory
discussed in class to explain and clarify what happened in the case. A more detailed
assignment will be provided. Due Monday, February 21st.
b) For the second paper you will do a moral and cognitive development interview with two
people between the ages of 12 and 21 (interview protocols will be provided).
Try to
choose two people who will allow for some comparison: different ages, different cultural
backgrounds, different gender. The paper will consist of a description of each interview with
excerpts from the transcript and an analysis of the two interviews, using relevant theory. Due
Monday March 21st.
3. Final paper (45%)
You have two options for the final (10-15 page) paper. You will use materials from the course
to frame the argument you make in this paper; it will therefore also serve as your final or culminating
exercise for the course. More details will be provided later in the semester.
a) Identify an area of interest in adolescent development and read eight recent empirical articles
related to this interest. Write a review of the articles which synthesizes their content
(approximately 6-7 pages), and then critique the literature you have read using
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skills and perspectives developed in class (approximately 3 pages). It is important to get started
on this in March: you may need to get articles through Interlibrary Loan, which takes some
time.
b) Identify an area of interest in adolescent development which can be investigated through
interviews. Develop a research question around this interest, and using your experience in the
second paper assignment as a guide, develop an interview protocol which will allow you to
carry out an initial study. Administer the interview to at least 8 subjects who meet your
requirements (I'm aware this isn't a random sample; fellow students are probably a good place
to start). Write a paper which l) explains your research question, choice of interview questions
and subjects (1-2 pages), 2) summarizes key features of each interview (6-7 pages), and 3)
analyzes patterns and trends which emerge from your data.
Final papers are due Friday, May 6th.
Books ordered for bookstore:
Belenky, M. et al
Garrod, A. et al
Golden, M.
Martin, K.
Muuss, R.
Muuss, R.
Sidel, R.
Strauch, B.
Suskind, R.
Way, N.
Way and Chu
Women's Ways of Knowing
Adolescent Portraits 5th edition
Saving Our Sons
Puberty, Sexuality and the Self
Adolescent Behavior and Society
Theories of Adolescence
Battling Bias
The Primal Teen
A Hope in the Unseen
Everyday Courage
Adolescent Boys
Tentative Film Schedule - all at 7:30 in the EMC, Pearson 216
Tuesday February 1
Tuesday February 8
Tuesday February 15
Tuesday March 29
Tuesday April 12
Baby Love
Everybody Rides the Carousel (optional)
Boyz 'n the Hood
Girls Town
Stand and Deliver