Paul Kivel

While I don't think this book is the fix all for the problems our teens and pre-teens face today, I do feel it is a good starting place. The format is user friendly and the role play shouldn't have the teens rolling their eyes so far back in their head that there is danger of permanant damange, this is said toung in cheek but I have seen some books that have that problem. I think that this book would be helpful not only to the targeted group but to the teachers, parents and youth group show more leaders as well. We all need to learn how to better relate to those about us. show less

The book is a guide for white people struggling to understand and end racism while supporting anti-racism work. It highlights the many ways in which concerned white people can play an active role in confronting white racism. It helps the reader understand racism and explore its manifestations in politics, work, community, and family life. It moves beyond the definition and unlearning of racism to address the many areas of privilege for white people and suggests ways for individuals and show more groups to challenge the structures of racism. It features exercises, questions, and suggestions to engage, challenge assumptions, and motivate the reader towards social action. show less

What it is: A 200ish page compilation of consciousness-raising activities for teens, focused on the power hierarchies and some of the "isms" political and economic systems in the U.S. might seem to support: adultism, sexism and heterosexism, racism, and able-ism (this last one focused on systemic discrimination against those with 'disabilities'), to name a few. Also offered: chapters with activities related to Christian hegemony, anti-immigrant oppression, and environmental justice.

What it show more isn't, that I assumed - from the title - it would be: A practical system for helping teens move from awareness to action. In fact, there wasn't more than 20 pages' worth of content related to what teens can do to build community (and that's a generous estimate), unless you count whatever community is built naturally among participants in the no-doubt thought-provoking but also emotionally risky activities that form the bulk of the book.

I do appreciate the opportunities this book provided for sometimes-uncomfortable personal reflection on my role as a part of an educational system that has - in the past and to some degree in the present - tended to reinforce cultural norms. Heightened awareness of one's cultural framework/worldview, and the degree to which one's personal ethics or morals depart from or coincide with them is - in my view - an outcome worth applauding, and so I suspect that the activities herein could prove enlightening, sometimes surprising, and perhaps even life-changing for teens. show less

The authors of the book are clearly very experienced and knowledgeable in this field. The book is written with a great deal of respect for teens, and one suspects that the authors are extraordinarily effective in working with youth.

The main function of the book seems to be as follows:
**teach people who operate from a position of privilege to think of "isms" in terms of power and privilege.
**teach adults not to use their status/privilege as adults to mistreat youths or diminish their show more contributions. This might be a revelation for socially-conscious "tweens" who are aware of white skin privilege but have not considered adult privilege.
**activities that will help mixed populations (mixed-race, mixed-age, mixed-religion, mixed-gender, mixed-SES, mixed education) to identify lines of privilege.

That said, the book contains little content that will be relevant for experienced, capable youth workers. Naive recent college graduates who "just want to make a difference" and "are here to help you" would probably learn quite a bit from this book.

I also felt that the boundaries between "adultism" and "not adultism" were a little vague. When an adult makes rules for a teen, rules which prevent the teen from overstepping boundaries (for instance: insulting a guest speaker), is the adult engaging in adultism, or is the adult providing the teen with a behavioral framework that will prevent the student from embarassing him- or herself?

Arising from this vagueness was a general sense that adultism is different from racism, somehow. White people are not responsible for the care and upbringing of people of color, but adult people are responsible for the care and upbringing of children. Behaviors and interactions that would not be appropriate between two adults of different races may be necessary between an adult and a child. This boundary was not explored sufficiently, and this could lead to some readers discounting the concept of adultism.

I cannot think of a context in which this book should be required reading, but it might be a good item for a mid-level administrator who is training new employees who work directly with youth. This might also be a useful text for an undergraduate library with education or social services degree programs. show less