Required Books
 
Up Against Whiteness: Race, School, and Immigrant Youth. S. Lee. 2005.
Raising Their Voices. L.M. Brown. 1999.
Real Boys' Voices. W. Pollack. 2000.
Elusive Culture. D. Yon. 2000.
Where "Something Catches." V. Muñoz. 1995.

*All texts are available in the library and will also be placed on reserve for anyone not wishing to purchase the texts*

Additional required readings on reserve in the library listed in the syllabus below. 

Detailed Course Description
We will critically explore "adolescence" as a socio-cultural and psychological construct and the ways in which this time in the life-cycle, perhaps more than any other time, focuses our attention on questions such as, "Who am I?", "Where am I going?", "What will be my work?", "Who will I love?" and how these questions are mitigated by gender, ethnicity, race, class, and sexuality. Theories on adolescence explored are those of Anna Freud, Erik Erikson, and Jean Piaget as well as the more recent theorists who study the intersection of gender, race, sexuality and class as part of psychological development during adolescence. We will examine intellectual and moral development, vocational development, intimacy and sexuality, schooling and learning, and femininity and masculinity and their roles in identity development during adolescence.

Films
Throughout the semester we will view films, both documentary and from popular culture, that will help us further understand the time period in the lifecycle we call "adolescence." We will use seminar time to view and discuss the issues raised in these films. Sometimes we will view the complete film, other times we will view selected sections.

Diversity & Adolescent Development
As part of the course you are required to attend events that address issues of diversity and adolescent development. These can include on and off-campus lectures, workshops, and guest speakers to our class.

Course Assignments

1. Participation and leading Class Discussion (10%):
Your participation in the class through discussion of the readings and films is required. Participation that is clearly informed by a careful reading of the texts with an eye to exploring and understanding the theories is especially encouraged. My goal is to get you to read, think, understand, and learn about other points of view in a critical manner. In addition to participating in class discussion throughout the semester:

-- Each student will be responsible for leading one discussion. Your preparation for this will include making a hand-out with an outline containing questions for the class to consider based on the readings and the films. Plan to spend 15 - 20 minutes leading the discussion. You can take various approaches to encourage discussion; plan an activity, have group work, show a film clip, do free writing. Keep us awake!! (10%).

2. Autobiography (15%):
Anna Freud finds that we have a difficult time recalling the emotional intensity of adolescence once we are adults. This assignment is a challenge to that assertion. In this autobiographical essay recall in as much detail as you can (and would like) an experience during adolescence that you feel was (or is) critical in your own development. 5 - 7 pages maximum. The Autobiography is due March 8 at the beginning of class.

3. Analysis of Autobiography (25%):
 In this paper you will take your autobiography or case study and conduct an analysis of the experience by taking some of the
theoretical perspectives we have read and discussed and bringing this to your own experience. The goal of this paper is to shed some analytical light on your experience as well as to try out some of the theories to see if they help you to understand your own development and thus the development of others.  7 pages maximum. The Analytical paper is due April 19 at the beginning of class. Note change of date from April 12 due to AERA conference.

4. Two Essays on Diversity and Relevance to Adolescent Development (30% = 15% each):
In the short reflective essays write about the questions raised for you at the events you attended or participated in. Discuss what you found interesting, what surprised you,  what you would like to learn more about, how diversity relates to your own life, how it relates to adolescent development. Connect these events with the course readings by writing about similarities and differences in what was presented at the event and what we have read in class. The events can be of your choosing, but they must be directly related to youth development and diversity. 5 pages maximum. Essays due in class on March 29 & May 10 Note change from April 26.

5. Article Critique on Research on Adolescent Development (20 %)
You can choose from three different articles. You will connect the research done in this article with the other research we read during the semester. A handout will be given as a guideline for you to work with (see link at top of page). This assignment will take the place of a final exam. 5 - 7 pages. Due May 16 by 10 p.m. in my office (Macmillan 310)

-- ALL written work must be double-spaced, 12 point font, black ink, and be in APA format. Please spell-check and proofread ALL work. Written work that does not follow APA format will be graded down accordingly. 

• Critically analyze psychological theories of development by examining the underlying assumptions about human development within the theories;
  
• Understand how identity development is influenced by race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, immigration, colonialization, and the historical moment;
• Develop awareness of the many aspects of diversity during adolescence;
• Develop cultural competency in relation to working with adolescents of color;
• Develop awareness of the ways in which privilege structures how adolescents develop psychologically.

SCHEDULE OF READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS

WEEK 1: Feb. 1
Overview of the course and Introductions.

WEEK 3: Feb. 15
Copies on reserve in the library
Reading assignment:
C. Gilligan, "Exit-Voice Dilemmas in Adolescent Development." pp. 283-300.
E. Erikson, "Eight Stages of Man," from Childhood and Society, pp. 247-284
Film clips from:
Country Boys
Raising Cain
 

II. Girls' Development at the Intersections of Gender, Class, Race, and Culture

WEEK 4: Feb. 22:
Raising Their Voices, L. Brown,
Chapter 1: Stones in the Road, pp. 1 - 19
Chapter 2: Privileging Difference, pp. 20 - 39

WEEK 5: March 1
Raising Their Voices, L. Brown,
Chapter 3: Mansfield: Living Outside the Lines, pp. 40 - 70
Chapter 4: Acadia: The Conventions of Imagination, pp. 71 - 102 Discussion Leader: Sharmalee
Chapter 5: Voice and Ventriloquation in Girls Development pp. 103 - 125 Discussion Leader: Ashley Z.

WEEK 10: April 5
Real Boys' Voices, William Pollack
Chapter 10: Traumatic Violence, pp. 173 - 198 Discussion Leader: Ashley B.
Chapter 11: The Columbine Syndrome, pp. 198 - 212 Discussion Leader: Fred

IV. Race, Culture, and Immigration and Adolescent Development

Up Against Whiteness: Race, School, and Immigrant Youth, Lee
Chapter 1: Race and Asian American Immigrants, pp. 1 - 21 Discussion Leader: Rodolfo
Chapter 2: Creating Insiders and "Others", pp. 23 - 49 Discussion Leader: Nick
Chapter 3: "Traditional" and "Americanized" Hmong Students, pp. 50 - 86

WEEK 13: April 26

Readings this week:

On Reserve

Jean Phinney, "A Three Stage Model of Ethnic Identity Development"

Janet Helms, "An Overview of Black Racial Identity Development"

Books

Where "Something Catches" , Muñoz
Chapter 6: Becoming Hombres and Mujeres, pp. 127 - 161 Discussion Leader: Dina

Up Against Whiteness: Race, School, and Immigrant Youth, Lee
Chapter 4: Wimps, Gangsters, Victims, and Teen Moms: The Gendered Experiences of Hmong American Youth, pp. 87 - 122

Film

Mohawk Girls by Tracey Deer, 2005

“An excellent, autobiographically nuanced film…[that] deals with issues commonly
overlooked in filmic and ethnographic treatments of contemporary Indigenous youth…”
Professor Audra Simpson
Anthropology and American Indian Studies, Cornell University

Tracey Deer
Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer left Kahnawake to study in the United States.
In 2000, she graduated from Dartmouth College in film studies. With Neil Diamond,
she co-directed the documentary "One More River: The Deal That Split the Cree,"
which follows events leading up to the vote on a controversial agreement between
the Cree Nation and the province of Quebec. (10/06)

Reflective Essay on Diversity #2 due at beginning of class
 

Article critique due May 16, 7 - 10PM in my office