Summary Of Chapter One Flashcards
Describe how views of adolescence changed in the west from Ancient Greece through medieval times.
Adolescence has a long history in Western societies as a specific period of life between
childhood and adulthood. In ancient Greece, Plato and Aristotle viewed adolescence as
the third distinct stage of life, after infancy and childhood. A focus on the struggle
between reason and passion in adolescence can be found in early Christianity. The
Children’s Crusade was an attempt to appeal to the Muslims in peace, inspired by the
belief that Jesus had decreed that the Holy Land could be gained only through the
innocence of youth.
Explain what life-cycle service involves and specify when it was most common
From about 1500 to about 1800, many young people in European societies took part in
what historians term life-cycle service, a period in their late teens and 20s in which
young people would engage in domestic service, farm service, or apprenticeships in
various trades and crafts
Identify the three features that made the years 1890 to 1920 the age of adolescence
It was only during the years 1890-1920 that adolescence developed into its modern
form, as a period of life when young people are largely excluded from adult work and
spend their time mostly in school and among their peers. Key changes during these
years included the enactment of laws restricting child labor, new requirements for
children to attend secondary school, and the development of the field of adolescence
as an area of scholarly study.
Summarize the influences that have led to an earlier beginning and end to adolescence
One change that has led to an earlier beginning of adolescence is the decline that too
place during the 20th century in the typical age of the initiation of puberty. In terms of
when adolescence ends, the change in this age may have been inspired not by a
biological change but by a social change: the growth of secondary school attendance,
typically ending at age 18.
Summarize the five features of emerging adult hood
Emerging adulthood is the term for the period from ages 18 to 25. The distinctive
characteristics of this age period are that it is a time of identity explorations, instability,
self-focus, feeling in-between, and possibilities/optimism. Emerging adulthood exists
mainly in developed countries but is growing more widespread in developing countries.
Identify the three markers of adulthood that are the most common across cultures
In studies across many countries and culturesyoung people from their early teens to
their late 20s agreed that the most important markers of the transition from adolescence
to adulthood are accepting responsibility for oneself, making independent decisions,
and becoming financially independent, in that order.
Examples of how criteria for adulthood vary across cultures
In addition to the top three criteria for adulthood that have been found across cultures,
studies have found distinctive cultural criteria as well. For example, young Israelis view
completing military service as important for becoming an adult, whereas young
Argentines value being able to support a family financially.
Describe the five steps of the scientific method
The scientific method involves five basic steps:
1) identifying a question to be investigated
2) forming a hypothesis
3) choosing a research method and a research design,
4) collecting data to test the hypothesis, and
5) drawing conclusions that lead to new questions and new hypotheses.
A variety of specific methods for data collection are used in the study of adolescence and emerging adulthood, ranging from questionnaires and interviews to ethnographic research to experimental research. Research designs include cross-sectional and longitudinal.
Explain the process that requires the research done on adolescence be done with ethical guidelines
To prevent ethical violations, most institutions that sponsor research require proposals
for research to be approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). In addition to IRBs,
professional organizations often have a set of ethical guidelines for researchers. These
often include protection from physical and psychological harm, Informed consent prior
to participation, confidentiality, and guidelines relating to deception and debriefing.
Describe the research methods used in research on adolescence and emerging adults
Research methods include questionnaires, interviews, observations, ethnographic
research, case studies, biological measurements, experiments, and natural
experiments.
Define reliability and validity, and indicate which is easier to establish and why
Reliability refers to the consistency of measurements, whereas validity is whether
something measures what it claims to measure. Validity is harder to establish, because
there can be different opinions about whether something measures what it claims to
measure
Explain the difference between a cross-sectional and a longitudinal research design
In cross-sectional research, data are collected on a sample of people on a single
occasion. Then, the researcher examines potential relations between variables in the
data, based on the hypotheses of the study. In a longitudinal research design, the same
persons are followed over time and data are collected on two or more occasions.
Name the main challenges facing African adolescence in the 21st century and identify positive cultural traditions and recent trends
African adolescents confront challenges of widespread disease and civil wars in the
21st century. However, they benefit from cultural traditions of interdependence and
family support, and recent economic trends have been positive.
Explain how Islam structures development for adolescence in North AAfrica and the Middle East
Islam supports strong patriarchal authority, in which the father’s authority over children
and adolescents is not to be questioned. It also advocates female modesty, and often
requires that adolescent girls and women keep their hair, face, and most of the rest of
their bodies concealed. Changes are taking place in the 21st century, with more
adolescent girls and emerging adult women than ever pursuing university education,
but in many of these countries women are mostly excluded from the workplace.
Describe the distinctive features of the cultural context for Asian Adolescence
Two distinct features of the Asian cultural context that influence the development of
adolescents are filial piety, which emphasizes obedience to and respect for parents,
and a strong emphasis on the value of education. The emphasis on education is
reflected in strong pressures for achievement in secondary school, but this emphasis is
being challenged as too extreme in the 21st century.
