125. What were the underlying themes of the 1960s and 1970s?
There were three major themes in the United States during the 1960s and the 1970s. These were the anti-discrimination protests, the anti-war protests, and the women's movement. One major theme of this period was that political protests reached their peak when millions of adolescents reacted to what they saw as the United State's immoral part in the Vietnam War. Ethnic conflicts became pervasive as African-American adolescents were denied a college education, and the secondary education that they did receive was seen as inferior. College students participated in riots and sit-ins even as they pursued higher education in higher numbers. Finally, the women's movement of the 1970s changed both the description and the study of adolescence.
APA: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
APA: 4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes
Bloom's Taxonomy: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Goal: 1
126. Describe some of the pros and cons of the technological revolution on adolescents, as outlined by Mark Bauerlein in The Dumbest Generation.
Technology can provide an expansive, rich set of knowledge that, if used in a constructive way, can improve adolescents' education. However, a possible downside of technology is that today's youth are more interested in information retrieval than information formation. Technology has decreased adolescents' interest in reading books and, as a result, skills in reading and writing have been negatively affected. Adolescents don't learn and retain general information and historical facts.
APA: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
APA: 4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes
Bloom's Taxonomy: Remember
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Goal: 1
127. What was the major theme of William Damon's book The Path to Purpose?
Damon's major theme is that parents today are teaching their children to expect immediate gratification and to look for short-term solutions to their problems and tasks. In Damon's view, although short-term solutions are often necessary, they can distract adolescents from thinking about their life purpose. He proposes that parents guide and assist their children through their choices by giving them options and by sharing how they have coped with setbacks and dilemmas.
APA: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
APA: 4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes
Bloom's Taxonomy: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Goal: 1
128. List at least four stereotypes of adolescents today.
"They are all lazy." "All they think about is sex." "They are so self-centered." "Kids today don't have the moral fiber of my generation." "They don't want to work." "They are rebellious." Any positive youth accomplishment is seen as an exception.
APA: 3.3 Adopt values that build community at local, national, and global levels
APA: 4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes
Bloom's Taxonomy: Remember
Difficulty: Basic
Learning Goal: 1
129. Compare and contrast psychologists' early views of adolescents with views common now.
For much of the last century in the United States and other Western cultures, adolescence was perceived as a problematic period of the human life span. The discipline of psychology, likewise, viewed adolescents negatively. Psychology today focuses more on the positive side of human experiences and places greater emphasis on hope, optimism, creativity, and positive individual and group traits.
APA: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology
APA: 4.1 Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes
Bloom's Taxonomy: Evaluation
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Goal: 1
130. Describe how the cultural contexts of the United States are changing, especially with respect to immigration patterns and the projections for future demographics.
The cultural context for U.S. adolescents is changing with the dramatic increase in the number of adolescents immigrating from Latino and Asian countries. Asian Americans are expected to be the fastest-growing ethnic group of adolescents, with a growth rate of more than 500 percent by 2100. Numbers of Latino adolescents are projected to increase almost 400 percent by 2100. By 2100, Latino adolescents are expected to outnumber non Latino White adolescents.
APA: 3.3 Adopt values that build community at local, national, and global levels