New Frontiers for Youth Development in the Twenty-First Century - Softcover

Delgado, Melvin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0231122810 ISBN 13: 9780231122818

Publisher: Columbia University Press, 2002

Synopsis

Practical guide and theoretical manifesto, New Frontiers for Youth Development is a vital roadmap to the problems and prospects of youth development programs today and in the future.

In response to an unprecedented array of challenges, policy makers and care providers in the field of youth dvevelopment have begun to expand the field both practically and conceptually. This expansion has thus far outstripped comprehensive analysis of the issues it raises, among them the important matter of establishing common standards of legitimacy and competence for practitioners. New Frontiers for Youth Development is an overview of the field designed to foster a better understanding of the multifaceted aspects and inherent tensions of youth development.

Melvin Delgado outlines the broad social forces that affect youth, particularly at-risk or marginalized youth, and the programs designed to address their needs. He stresses the importance of a contextualized approach that avoids rigid standardization and is attuned to the many factors that shape a child's development: cognitive, emotional, physical, moral, social, and spiritual. The key characteristic of youth development in the twenty-first century, Delgado suggests, is the participation of young people as practitioners themselves. Youth must be seen as assets as well as clients, incorporated into the educational process in ways that build character, maturity, and self-confidence.

About this title

Book Description:

Policy makers and care providers in the field of youth development have begun to expand this field with the intention of utilizing community and youth assets as an organizing paradigm. Delgado provides a comprehensive view of this new frontier of youth development. He outlines the broad social forces that impact youth throughout the nation. The mezzo-perspective examines youth development at the community and organizational level. The micro-perspective highlights the activities, challenges, and rewards inherent in youth-development work.

About the Author:

Melvin Delgado is professor of social work and chair of macro-practice at Boston University School of Social Work.

About this edition

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0231122810
• ISBN 13: 9780231122818
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 375