Judith L. Gibbons – författare

Most knowledge about adolescent development is based on adolescents living in the United States or Europe. "The Thoughts of Youth" reports a study in which over 6000 adolescents from 20 regions of the world, including the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, described an ideal woman or ideal man. Adolescents'' images of the ideal person reflect their personal values about gender roles, their expectations and plans for the future, and their cultural values. "The Thoughts of Youth" presents the teenagers’ perspectives - their descriptions, drawings, and interpretations of their peers’ responses. Issues of importance to adolescent development are addressed, including morality and altruism, physical appearance and attractiveness, self and identity, intelligence and schooling, work, fun and leisure, family relationships, and romance. In contrast to the stereotype that adolescents are preoccupied with appearance and popularity, adolescents in this study endorsed kindness, honesty, helpfulness, and a positive attitude toward children. This book documents both the universal attitudes of adolescents and the ways that teenagers’ views differ by gender, culture, and economic condition.

This book addresses cultural variability in children’s social worlds, examining the acquisition, development, and use of culturally relevant social competencies valued in diverse cultural contexts. It discusses the different aspects of preschoolers’ social competencies that allow children – including adopted, immigrant, or at-risk children – to create and maintain relationships, communicate, and to get along with other people at home, in daycare or school, and other situations. Chapters explore how children’s social competencies reflect the features of the social worlds in which they live and grow. In addition, chapters examine the extent that different cultural value orientations manifest in children’s social functioning and escribes how parents in autonomy-oriented cultures tend to value different social skills than parents with relatedness or autonomous-relatedness orientations. The book concludes with recommendations for future research directions.

Topics featured in this book include:

Children’s Social Worlds in Cultural Context is a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians/practitioners, and graduate students in developmental psychology, child and school psychology, social work, cultural anthropology, family studies, and education.

This wide-ranging collection analyzes the status and advancement of women both in a national context and collectively on a global scale, as a powerful social force in a rapidly evolving world. The countries studied—China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Egypt, Cameroon, South Africa, Italy, France, Brazil, Belize, Mexico, and the United States—represent a cross-section of economic conditions, cultural and religious traditions, political realities, and social contexts that shape women’s lives, challenges, and opportunities. Psychological and human rights perspectives highlight worldwide goals for equality and empowerment, with implications for today’s girls as they become the next generation of women. Throughout these chapters, women’s lived experience is compared and contrasted in such critical areas as:

Women''s Evolving Lives is a forward-facing reference for psychology professionals of varied disciplines, as well as for colleagues in other fields, including women’s and gender studies, sociology, anthropology, international studies, and education. The wide scope of concerns also makes this anthology relevant and instructive to readers in diverse non-academic settings.