Description
Lerner (Tufts U.) proposes a theory of healthy youth development in liberal societies. According to his theory, "thriving" youth are those who are able to contribute to self and society and whose sense of self involves "a combined moral and civic commitment to contributing to society in manners reflective of their individual strengths, talents, and interest." These youths need to live in a society that values the freedom to take initiatives for such contributions, a situation Lerner defines as "liberty." He integrates scientific ideas of human development into his theory and suggests that U.S. society stands at the pinnacle of societal development in insuring such an ideal state of liberty. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Liberty: Thriving and Civic Engagement Among America's Youth examines what it means to develop as an exemplary young person - that is, a young person who is thriving within the community and on the rise to a hopeful future. The book explores several key characteristics of positive youth development such as competence, character, confidence, social connections, and compassion that coalesce to create a young person who is developing successfully towards an "ideal" adulthood, one marked by contributions to self, others, and the institutions of civil society. In this unique work, author Richard M. Lerner brings his formidable knowledge of developmental systems theory and facts on youth development to analyze the meaning of a thriving civil society and its relationship to the potential of youth for self-actualization and positive development.
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