Adolescents in the 1980 ' s : Toward Dynamic Youth Development

Bowed with the weight of centuries he leans Upon his hoe and gazes upon the ground The emptiness of ages on his face And on his back the burden of the world Who will touch him Again with immortality Edward Markham "Man With a Hoe" Will it make a difference, world when I am gone? I think not. Who will ever shed a tear for me? 18 year-old female writing to Gisela Konopka Who will help adolescents grow and develop? Who will fill them with hope, give them a chance to feel their own competence, provide the nurturing and facilitating conditions which will enable and ennoble them? Who will touch them with immortality? In this context, in this particular setting, and with Gisela Konopka present, it seems not only appropriate but requisite to focus on the issue of adolescent growth and development. The word focus has a special meaning. We meet not only to learn about the legitimate emotional and psychological needs of youth but also, and most importantly, to consider what we can and should be doing to bring about change. The nation is indeed at risk. The risk does not, however, come from the failure of schools and other human service agencies to force students to study harder or to study harder subjects. The real risk comes from our failure to promote the development of adolescents as psychologically maturing persons. We believe adolescents are persons with specific qualities and characteristics who have a participatory and responsible role to play, tasks to perform, skills to develop at treat particular time of life. This means adolescence is more than a period of transition, or of being a tourist, or of existing in marginality. Too often, unfortunately , adolescence is a mined opportunity for significant psychological development. At the moment we, that is, the adult society in general, neatly divide adolescents into two categories: normal and abnormal. From this dichotomy a series of assumptions flows. From these assumptions come programs. For youth in the first group, the major social institution is the public school, and it is to that institution that my next comments are directed. The Role of Schools and Healthy, Psychological Development Although we have been " treated " to over 20 national studies concerning schools in the past five years, such criticism is hardly new. I would simply remind you that the so-called radical critics of the 1960s …