Adolescents' Self-Discovery in Groups

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

• PrefaceAcknowledgementsIntroduction: Discovering the Self in SocietyPart 1: Personal DiscourseChapter 1: Caring for the SelfChapter 2: Learning from ModelsChapter 3: Negotiating Rejection and NeglectPart 2: Civic DiscourseChapter 4: Choosing CausesChapter 5: Group Decision-MakingChapter 6: Deciding When and How to Reject OutgroupsPart 3: Civil DiscourseChapter 7: Intentions and Civil DiscourseChapter 8: Schools as Institutions of the Civil SphereChapter 9: Cultivating Relational Ties Between Youth and SocietyEpilogue: Striving for an Aristotelian Balance

"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