Traces historical constructions of adolescence and considers coming of
age in the late 20th century
Young adults in the modern era face a completely differently set of
challenges from previous generations. Tracing historical constructions
of adolescence and their role in maintaining social order, James E. Cote
and Anton L. Allahar persuasively argue that young people today
constitute one of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in
society. Today, for the first time, teenagers and young adults in the
United states, Canada, Japan, Scandinavia and Western Europe can expect
to have a lower standard of living than their parents. Youth are
conditioned to stay young linger and have, as a result, become socially
and economically marginalized. Many young people amass credentials
regardless of employment prospects and continue to live at home, often
dependent on their parents, into their thirties. With fewer jobs
available, young people are ironically targeted increasingly as
consumers, rather than as producers. As new technologies continually
reduce the work force and alter the social fabric, an entire generation
of young people has struggled to keep up. What then does it mean to come
of age in an advanced industrial or post-industrial society?
