Everyday courage : the lives and stories of urban teenagers /

Way reports on the poignant story of ordinary working-class and ethnic-minority adolescents growing up in the 1990s in urban America. The author and her team interviewed 24 teens over a three-year period to gain an understanding of how they perceive their worlds, how these perceptions change as they go through adolescence, and how their voices affect the understanding of adolescence. The stories that emerge from these interviews reveal the complex texture of urban teen lives and experiences. By describing their experiences in their own words, these teens are able to articulate their longing for trustful and intimate peer relationships, as well as the importance of their mothers as role models for them. They also reveal occasional engagement in risky behavior and challenges to authority while describing how they sometimes work two jobs to help support their families. Contrary to accounts that portray urban teens as hopeless about their future, this book reveals that many teens believe in individual effort, motivation, and positive attitudes toward society. The most important contribution of this book is as a strong cautionary tale against viewing urban youth as one-dimensional figures. All levels. G. Rabrenovic; Northeastern University

While suburban youth violence elicits shock, similar problems are assumed to be characteristic of urban settings. This study challenges such stereotypes by exploring the ordinary lives of 24 teenagers in a Northwestern city. In this adaptation of a larger, government-funded study of high-risk behaviors, Way (psychology, New York Univ.) follows in the tradition of Carol Gilligan (In a Different Voice, 1982) and others by focusing on subjects' perceptions of their world and the implications for an understanding of adolescence as a developmental stage. Topics include betrayal, trust, racism, sexism, single motherhood, and death. Contradictory and surprisingly conservative viewpoints are expressed by these young people, who seem to value relationships and community above all. Though based on a small sample, the book is meticulous, provocative, and innovative. Recommended for academic collections and for anyone who works with inner-city youth.‘Antoinette Brinkman, Southwest Indiana Mental Health Ctr. Lib., Evansville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.