Miranda Yates – författare

This is an analysis of the beneficial effects of community service on the political and moral identity of adolescents. This text uses a case study from a predominantly black, urban high school in Washington, D.C., building on the insights of Erik Erikson on the social and historical nature of identity development. The study seeks to show that service at a soup kitchen as part of a course on social justice gives 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. By developing a sense of social responsibility and a civic commitment, young people can begin to see themselves as active agents in society. The book challenges negative steoptypes of contemporary adolescents, and illustrates how young people can use their talents for social good when given the opportunity. It is designed to interest those concerned with today's youth and tomorrow's society.

This is an analysis of the beneficial effects of community service on the political and moral identity of adolescents. This text uses a case study from a predominantly black, urban high school in Washington, D.C., building on the insights of Erik Erikson on the social and historical nature of identity development. The study seeks to show that service at a soup kitchen as part of a course on social justice gives 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. By developing a sense of social responsibility and a civic commitment, young people can begin to see themselves as active agents in society. The book challenges negative steoptypes of contemporary adolescents, and illustrates how young people can use their talents for social good when given the opportunity. It is designed to interest those concerned with today's youth and tomorrow's society.

Miranda Yates and James Youniss have brought together an international collection of essays that describe the state of community participation among the world's youth. Authors from around the globe use empirical data to present portraits of youth constructing their civic identities through such means as community service. Youth seek to resolve ideological tensions, such as in Northern Ireland and Palestine; to overcome corrupting political practices, such as in Italy and Taiwan; to deal with disillusionment, such as in Palestine and the emerging Eastern European nations; and to bridge barriers against youth's meaningful participation in the working of society, such as in Canada and Japan. Special conditions, such as the diminution of the welfare state, for instance, in former West Germany, and the rapid turn towards democracy in former East Germany offer insight into the process through which youth try to establish meaningful person-state relationships.