Coming of Age in the Other America

Not Your Stereotypical Kids It has become an article of faith among many that inner-city youth (read: black youth) in cities like Baltimore are unmotivated, shiftless, and dangerous. In "Coming of Age," Stefanie DeLuca, Susan Clampet-Lundquist and Kathryn Edin (hereinafter "DCE") demolish that stereotype by relating the experiences and perspectives of Baltimore youth who were the subject of intensive interviews and case histories in 2010 and 2012.The most important takeaway from DCE's work is that these impoverished young people already have many of . Answered my Questions Peter Duvall This book answers a lot of questions I have had about the kids growing up in my city. I have often wondered if the gangster life is seen as the only viable life course, especially for kids growing up under highly challenging circumstances. This book answers that question with a resounding NO! The results of the interviews were more interesting than I could have imagined.The book begs a question that I have been asking my more progressive friends (I'm more of a DLC type.) The question is: how can we help ambitious young peo. Inner City Educators MUST Own This Book Amazon Customer If you work in education, you need this book. After you read the chapter on Identity Projects and the three kinds, bring it to your principal, and if you can't convince her/him to make a real effort at your school to implement and strengthen such projects on your campus, then the principal is either an idiot, or too restrained by her/his district to do really important work.If you work in inner city schools, or schools with high poverty, then you REALLY NEED THIS BOOK. Buy it now, and get to work!

About half the youth surveyed reported being motivated by an "identity project" - or a strong passion such as music, art, or a dream job - to finish school and build a career. Drawing from 10 years of fieldwork with parents and children who resided in Baltimore public housing, sociologists Stefanie DeLuca, Susan Clampet-Lundquist, and Kathryn Edin highlight the remarkable resiliency of some of the youth who hailed from the nation's poorest neighborhoods and show how the right public policies might help break the cycle of disadvantage. Coming of Age in the Other America presents a sensitive, nuanced account of ho