Adolescence: An Ethological PerspectiveBooks on adolescence have been written for a variety of purposes. Hall's (1904) two volume Adolescence encompasses most of them: to advocate a particular theoretical approach to adolescence, to stimulate use of a particular brand of scientific methodology when studying youth, to address issues of the basic nature and importance of adolescence, and to propose recommendations on how adolescents ought to be treated and educated. In Hall's words, "It [the two volumes] constitutes the first attempt to bring together the various aspects of its vast and complex theme" (xix), a full survey of "pedagogic matter and method. " This is necessary because, "In no psychic soil, too, does seed, bad as well as good, strike such deep root, grow so rankly, or bear fruit so quickly or so surely" (xviii-xix). Mead (1928) retorted with Coming of Age in Samoa, a refutation of Hall's conclusions: "Are the disturbances which vex our adolescents due to the nature of adolescence itself or to the civilization? Under different conditions does adolescence present a different picture" (p. II). Thus, Mead wanted to correct a theoretical injustice and to promote the impact that culture has on the developing adolescent personality. Hollingshead's (1949) Elmtown's Youth was produced to further support Mead's conclusions-"Is the social behavior of an adolescent a function of physiological changes in the maturing individual or of his experiences in society?" (p. 6). His answer was clearly the latter, specifically the family's economic and social status within Elmtown's social structure. |
Contents
A Research Agenda | 1 |
An Ethological Perspective on Dominance Behavior | 17 |
Camp Wancaooah | 37 |
Copyright | |
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activities adolescent girls aggression Alan and Bobby Alex Alice alpha Andy assessment athletic ability Barb Becky behavior settings Betty Bjorn cabin counselor cabin discussions cabin group cabin member camp progressed camp session campers correlated counter dominance days of camp Delvin developmental psychology Dinah dominance and altruism dominance and submission dominance behavior dominance encounters dominance interactions dominance rank dominance relationships dominance status dyadic dyads early adolescent Ecological psychology ethological ethologists female groups frequency rate frequently Gary Gene Gina Gloria group members group structure human indices of dominance individual leader leadership male mealtimes Men's Movement naturalistic observed Omar Oscar Otto overt participant observer participants peer personality physical assertions position primate primatologists prosocial psychology pubertal maturation rank order relationship reversal rate ridicule Savin-Williams self-report settings Sherif significant significantly Sociobiology sociometric stability study of adolescence third of camp trait verbal volleyball week of camp Weisfeld youth