Social Redefinition
a period when the individual is being redefined by their society, from that of a child towards that of
an adult (increased privileges and responsibilities)
social redefinition tends to be more pronounced in traditional societies compared to our
contemporary western society here in the United States
A Brief History of Adolescence in the West (~100 years)
Inventionists Perspective
adolescence exists and is defined by society
for example, why do you think we have a rating system for movies?
boundaries of what is
appropriate based on age
Adolescence in Ancient Times
Both Plato and Aristotle viewed adolescence as the stage of life where the capacity for reason
first developed
Plato viewed adolescence as 3rd distinct stage of life (age 14 to 21)
Plato believed adolescence was a period that was argumentative, impulsive and risky
Aristotle compared children to animals, driving by impule and reward rather than reasoning;
reasoning doesn't fully take control over impulse until age 21
Adolescence Through the Middle Ages
The Children's Crusade of 1212
o
led by a young French shepherd boy, thousands of youth headed out to what would
ultimately be their deaths, in a crusade for the Holy Lands
Preformationalists
perspective that held that children and adolescents were not qualitatively different from adults,
only quantitatively different
one of the greatest supporters is a medievalist by the name of Philippe Aries
o
idea that children were basically miniature, imperfect adults
o
much of his support is based on looking at various aspect of society at the time, such as
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Adolescence in Western Cultures: A Brief history
Life-Cycle Service
practice began in the 1500s; involved moving out of the family household and into the
household of a master to learn skills for a vocation while working at free labor
also occurred on colonial US but in this case, but in the US it was more likely to occur in the
home of a relative or close friend of the family
life-cycle service began to fade significantly during the 18th and 19th century as nations moved
away from agriculture and became more industrialized
Contemporary Views of Adolescence
Age of Adolescence (1890-1920): society begins to seriously view adolescence as a separate
developmental time period
roots embedded in the Industrial Revolution; no child labor laws at this time which lead to a
massive increase in the number of children working in factories
number of pressures for change due to the industrial revolution
o
Child Labor Laws: to stop exploitation and exposing children to dangerous environments;
opposition due to financial reasons
o
economic pressures: threat to the common adult worker's job
o
school requirements: required attendance in primary and secondary schools to educate
them for the future; required once they were no longer learning trades
o
today: a lengthy period of preparation for adulthood requiring guidance and support from
adults

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- '08
- LINDSEY,ERIC
- Kohlberg's stages of moral development
-
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