Description
Book SynopsisThis work takes a look at cultural influences on teenagers and adolescents. Based on interviews with teens, pre-teens, and parents, it sketches out a facet of the adolescent's cultural portrait, from body image and slang to peer pressure and drugs.
Trade ReviewIn an attempt to gear this book toward besieged parents, Danesi comes close to presenting a consistent philosophy on the subject of today's teens, providing valuable historical perspectives along the way. * Publishers Weekly *
This book goes beyond offering information and advice. It is an invitational exploration done by a father, grandfather, and experienced researcher who knows the joys and frustrations of having raised a child through adolescence to adulthood as well as the developmental and historical explanations of adolescence. The book is full of energy—it involves the reader by utilizing the thinking and perspective of adolescents, and it engages the imagination of the reader as it explores the historical emergence of adolescence and the context of the phenomenon. -- Linda Rogers, California State University, Monterey Bay
Paints a lifelike portrait of today's adolescent culture.... An enlightening look at a population that, for generations, has been seen by parents as rebellious, incorrigible or downright delinquent, which leads to the author's nature vs. nurture question. * The Plain Dealer, (Cleveland) *
An entertaining, informative look at cultural differences on adolescents. * Adolescence Magazine *
The anthropoligical insights supported by evidence from communication make this book unique and valuable for those who care about adolescents. * VOYA *
Marcel Danesi has a well-established and well-deserved reputation for his research on teenage behavior. In his usual lucid prose, he provides an extremely compelling and informative examination of adolescent attitudes and conduct. The book's format allows the reader to understand the specific facet of adolescence under review, and the insights section of each chapter is a truly perceptive and informative analysis of each theme. Parents, educators, and teenagers themselves will learn much about the motivation and attitudes of today's youth. -- Frank Nuessel, University of Louisville
[Danesi] disputes the myth that teenagers are idealistic, saying his research reveals that their main preoccupation today is 'coping as best as possible with the practical exigencies of everyday life.' He warns parents that trying to be your teenager's friend by, for instance, adopting teenage fashions is not cool... [and] suggests that we have become too lenient in allowing our children to go through a prolonged adolescent drift. * The New York Times *
Marcel Danesi's My Son Is an Alien is a concise, informative guide for parents and teachers seeking to understand adolescent behavior. In what is largely a descriptive account of the teenage experience, the author touches on a range of topics from adolescent sex to gang involvement and drug abuse. The value of this book to the general reader lies in its frank, nonjudgmental discussions of adolescent behavior and the tempered advice it offers to parents. Its value to social scientists is in challenging us to examine what merit, if any, can be found in hanging onto the concept of adolescence, whom if anyone it continues to benefit, and how much longer it will remain a defining part of our culture. * Language in Society *
Table of ContentsPart 1 Why Another Book on Teenagers? Chapter 2 1. Adolescence in Historical Context Chapter 3 2. Sex Chapter 4 3. Body Image Chapter 5 4. Language Chapter 6 5. Music Chapter 7 6. Cliques, Gangs, and Cults Chapter 8 7. Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Chapter 9 8. School Chapter 10 9. The Media Chapter 11 10. Ending the Experiment Part 12 Internet Sites and Associations Part 13 Glossary
