Re/Constructing «the Adolescent»

«This book distinguishes itself from other related titles in several ways, not least of which is its commitment to doing research ‘with’, not ‘on’, youth. By drawing attention to the experiences of young people as told through their voices, the chapter authors disrupt dominant conceptions of adolescence and open up spaces for rethinking youth, youth literacies, and youth cultures. This is a lively read – one firmly grounded in theory, research, and practice – but alive nonetheless with memorable stories about communicating across differences. Its message will linger long after the last page is turned.» (Professor Donna Alvermann, Department of Reading Education, University of Georgia, USA)
«From G. Stanley Hall to Paul Willis, we have been on an alluring search for the ‘adolescent’. Maybe we’ve been looking in the wrong places. These studies begin by taking ‘adolescence’ as contemporary signifier, as social field, as historical construct, as situated body – rather than as stage, psychology or essence. ‘Re/Constructing the Adolescent’ is an important statement on the implausibility of a universal ‘adolesecence’.» (Professor Allan Luke, Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice National Institute of Education, Singapore)