Youth in Cities: A Cross-National Perspective (The Jacobs Foundation Series on Adolescence)

Cambridge University Press, 8/5/2010
EAN 9780521005814, ISBN10: 0521005817

Paperback, 304 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm
Language: English

Whether in the ghettos of the United States, the barrios of Brazil, or the ethnic neighborhoods of Germany and Lebanon, a growing number of urban youth find themselves marginalized from the social mainstream, facing problems of fragile families, segregation, little or no education, and involvement in illegal activities. Both rich and poor countries are failing to meet the needs of their urban youth owing to weak institutional frameworks coupled with global economic restructuring that undermines traditional ways of earning a living. Youth in Cities compares the circumstances of urban youth cross-nationally, illustrating the formidable challenges faced by young people trying to define their place in a rapidly changing world. Using both comparative evidence and case studies, this volume illustrates the common needs of youth throughout the world and makes a case for the role of youth as creative social assets and positive forces for social change.

Part I. Setting the Context
1. Comparative perspectives of urban youth
Part II. Youth as a Force for Social Change
2. Steering by the stars
3. Children show the way
4. Adolescents as collaborators
Part III. Urban Youth Experiences in Cross-cultural Perspective
5. Have cities ceased to function as integration machines?
6. From street children to all children
7. Youth crime, community development
8. Youth violence prevention in America
9. Social learning and community participation
Part IV. Work, Life Skills and Well-being
10. Work by the young
11. Program for life skills
12. Youth in cities
signs of hope and stress.