Grounded in investigations conducted over the past 25 years, Adolescents' Self-Discovery in Groups demonstrates how adolescents can become more active in society based on how they form, maintain, and evaluate groups. By collaborating with youth in a wide range of communities, Thorkildsen details the trajectory of adolescents' development-from a primarily self-oriented perspective to beliefs about and participation in local and global activities. Focused especially on the potential of schools for catalyzing this development, this volume details youth's affirmations and critiques of educational practices, and uses these evaluations to illustrate adolescents' readiness to fulfill leadership responsibilities. Written for scholars, students, and professionals seeking to understand how adolescents construe their social worlds, Adolescents' Self-Discovery in Groups makes a powerful case for group interaction being central to adolescent development.

About the Author
Theresa A. Thorkildsen is a Professor of Education and Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.

Reviews

"In this important, creative, and provocative book, Professor Thorkildsen extends substantially the boundaries of the developmental science of adolescence. She uses cutting-edge relational developmental systems concepts and innovative methods to illuminate the fundamental significance of mutually influential relations between individuals and their social worlds in shaping the emergence of adolescents' conceptions of self and of their roles in group and community life. Adolescents' Self-Discovery in Groups is a singularly invaluable addition to the literature of youth development, one that provides a profound understanding of the process through which youth become active contributors to their own development and to civil society."

--Richard M. Lerner, Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science and Director, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, USA

"Adolescents' Self-Discovery in Groups is the product of professional experience and expertise in adolescent thinking accrued over three decades of research work with adolescents. This is a major contribution to existing literature on adolescent identity development in a globalized, technology-driven world. The book seamlessly integrates psychological literature on the role of groups in adolescents' development with philosophical discourses on civic and civil education in democratic societies and sociological discussions on the role of institutions such as schools and community organizations to understand how adolescents construe their social worlds."

--Revathy Kumar, Professor, Educational Psychology, Judith Herb College of Education, University of Toledo, USA

Book Information
ISBN 9781138904569
Author Theresa A. Thorkildsen
Format Paperback
Page Count 268
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 500g