Introduction

Defining Adolescence - (Continued)

http://www.wonderbrains.com/images/ages/critical-thinking-teen-toys.jpg


Critical thinking abilities that develop during adolescence help significantly with multiple tasks, such as planning ahead multiple moves and what the potential responses may be of the opponent in a chess match

4. The Education Perspective: relates to the transitions through various school systems. For most, adolescence includes moving from a primary to a secondary school system, such as a middle school or junior high school. The end of the period usually refers to completion/graduation from high school. While this appears to be a simplistic model to defining adolescence and its boundaries, we know that not everyone follows the same educational trajectory. Additionally, within this system there is a large amount of disagreement on what should be taught at the various levels to help prepare adolescents for the adult world. We’ll discuss these issues and others related to the education perspective particularly in the 9th and 10th lessons.


5. The Cultural Perspective: In a number of cultures the transition through adolescence and into adulthood often includes the preparation and completion of a distinct ceremonial rite of passage. In more traditional societies, this ceremony usually corresponds with a biological marker such as menarche (first menstruation) in girls. With boys, the ritual is less likely to focus on a biological marker and is more likely to involve demonstrations of courage, strength, and endurance (Arnett, 2007). For example, in the Yatmul Tribe of New Guinea male youth must endure a number of events testing the vary boundaries of their being to become a man. Over the course of a number of days they must endure psychological (such as having male elders rub their genitals on them), physical (breaking into the male hut while male elders throw volleys of spears and rocks at them), as well as constitutional (extensive scarification of their entire bodies) trials.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGC/StaticFiles/Images/Show/29xx/296x/2965_skin-

Examine the link to learn more about the Yatmul rite of passage for male adolescents