The future of adolescence

What is the future of adolescence? Will it expand or shrink? Will it become a more profound rite of passage or less? If we go into an intentional future do we even want to give credence and validation to a developmental space between childhood and adulthood? Is there a more efficient passage way from childhood to adulthood than through an “adolescence”? Part of the answers will address the larger questions of what childhood and adulthood should be in the future.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 02nd, 2009 at 4:58pm and is filed under Appreciative living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “The future of adolescence”

  1. Jeff Hershberger
    July 4th, 2009 09:56
    1

    There’s been a conversation about manliness going on through various blogs for at least a year now. I’m glad it’s happening, and I try to give it a bump whenever I can. I posted about coming-of-age rituals recently. Ah, here it is:

    http://myfuturepast.blogspot.com/2009/03/male-coming-of-age-ritual.html

    I think adolescence is fine - as long as it does have an end. The emphasis you place on intentional futures is spot on. I’ve been trying to make this point to my nephew.

  2. Jack Ricchiuto
    July 4th, 2009 11:31
    2

    Thanks Jeff for raising the questions about “manliness.” The question of adolescence needs to be the question of wholeness rather than partness. Integrity is wholeness and that’s what adulthood is about.

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