YS 600 - Historical Perspectives on Adolescence (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None
This course traces the cultural history of youth and the development of the modern concept of adolescence at the turn of the twentieth century. It uses a multidisciplinary approach to highlight aspects of adolescence in contemporary society. The course begins with the portrayal of youth in Greek literature and philosophy and in “ages of man” iconography. The modern concept of adolescence is introduced through: a review of images of youth in the popular literature, painting and poetry of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century; the influences of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the concept of adolescent development in the fields of medicine and education; the work of G. Stanley Hall and the new psychology of adolescence as a distinct “stage of life”; the creation of the juvenile justice system and the social construction of a legal concept of adolescence; the proliferation of delinquency theories and gang research in the social sciences; and the emergence of a cultural concept of adolescence in anthropology. The course covers the evolution of cultures of youth during the decades of the twentieth century. Social, economic and public policy issues related to youth are discussed.