Community Service and Social Responsibility in Youth

by Youniss, James; Yates, Miranda

• ISBN13: 9780226964836
• ISBN10: 0226964833
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-08-18
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

James Youniss and Miranda Yates present a sophisticated analysis of community service's beneficial effects on adolescents' political and moral identity. Using a case study from a predominantly Black, urban high school in Washington, D.C., Youniss and Yates build on the insights of Erik Erikson on the social and historical nature of identity development. They show that service at a soup kitchen as part of a course on social justice gives youth the opportunity to reflect on their status in society, on how society is organized, on how government should use its power, and on moral principles related to homelessness and poverty. Developing a sense of social responsibility and a civic commitment, youth come to see themselves as active agents in society. The most authoritative work to date on the subject, this book challenges negative stereotypes of contemporary adolescents and illustrates how youth, when given the opportunity, can use their talents for social good. It will interest readers concerned with the development of today's youth and tomorrow's society.

Table of Contents

Preface

Service for Today's Youth and for the Right Reasons

Social-Historical Identity: A Theoretical Framework for Service

Community Service at St. Francis High School

Getting to Know Homelessness

Forming a Political Habit

A Moral Gyroscope

On Being a Black American

The Continuing Identity Process: After High School

Ten Ideas for Designing and Implementing Community-Service Programs

Identities in the Making

References

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.