Description
Book SynopsisEthnography of Inuit adolescence describing the life of young people between the ages of 9 and 20 in the community of Holman Island, NWT. Describes the day-to-day activities of Inuit youth, their time playing sports and games, attending school, engaging in sexual play, simply "hanging out" with friends and peers
Trade ReviewUntil the 1980s no cross-cultural monograph on adolescence had supplemented Margaret Mead's 1928 classic Coming of Age in Samoa. . . . Now we have the first product of the Harvard Adolescence Project. Condon . . . tells of . . . loud and demanding preteens [who], through peer and community pressures (though almost without parental supervision) change into quiet, child-producing couples who later marry. . . . will assist teenagers and their elders in broadening their views on adolescence. * Choice *
A substantial contribution to our cross-cultural understanding of adolescence. It contains complete and up-to-date ethnographic descriptions of adolescence among the Inuit, written by an anthropologist who has considerable experience and rapport in this area. -- Nelson Graburn * University of California at Berkeley *
An excellent example of applied anthropology. Condon avoids the pitfalls of technical jargon . . . an enjoyable reading experience for all. * Arctic *
Table of Contents1. Community
2. Life stages and cycles
3. The seasons of adolescence
4. The family life of adolescents
5. Friends and peers
6. Gender preference, sexuality, and mate selection
7. School, work, and aspiration
8. Rebellion and deviance in adolescence
Appendix A: biological and household background of primary clinical informants
Appendix B: the behavioral observation of adolescents
