A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American Adolescence

by Patricia Hersch

Description

For three fascinating, disturbing years, writer Patricia Hersch journeyed inside a world that is as familiar as our own children and yet as alien as some exotic culture--the world of adolescence. As a silent, attentive partner, she followed eight teenagers in the typically American town of Reston, Virginia, listening to their stories, observing their rituals, watching them fulfill their dreams and enact their tragedies. What she found was that America's teens have fashioned a fully defined show more culture that adults neither see nor imagine--a culture of unprecedented freedom and baffling complexity, a culture with rules but no structure, values but no clear morality, codes but no consistency. Is it society itself that has created this separate teen community? Resigned to the attitude that adolescents simply live in "a tribe apart," adults have pulled away, relinquishing responsibility and supervision, allowing the unhealthy behaviors of teens to flourish. Ultimately, this rift between adults and teenagers robs both generations of meaningful connections. For everyone's world is made richer and more challenging by having adolescents in it. show less

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2 reviews

beebeereads 716 reviews

A sad commentary on how teens in America are functioning in a world with little adult guidance. Thankfully this did not ring true for me, but I know it does for so many. I gave it to the principal at our local high school. She concurred and found it helpful to read the author's perspective.

Nov 15, 2008 (Edited)

ammurphy 58 reviews

Written in 1990's disturbing report of alienation of teens from family & school. Even though most of the subjects successfully started college it is scarey to think how much more estranged children must be today.

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