Contemporary youth activism : advancing social justice in the United States

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Title:

Contemporary youth activism : advancing social justice in the United States

ISBN:

9781440842122

Physical Description:

vii, 433 pages ; 25 cm

General Note:

Includes index.

Contents:

Opening youth essay / Youth leadership for social justice : past and present / The emergence of a youth justice movement in the United States / Conceptualizing youth activists' leadership : a multidimensional framework / Young, gifted, and black : black lives matter! / Strategies for systematic change : youth community organizing to disrupt the school-to-prison nexus / Youth environmental stewardship and activism for the environmental commons / Opening youth essay / "It shaped who I am as a person" : youth organizing and the educational and civic trajectories of low-income youth / Studying sociopolitical development through social network theory / Shifting stereotypes and storylines : the personal and political impact of youth media / Telling our stories, claiming our space, and becoming change-makers : lessons for the field from black girls and women organizers / The implications of youth activism for health and well-being / Working for change, learning from work : student empowerment and challenges in the movement to end campus gender violence / Opening youth essay / Unlawful entry : civil disobedience and the undocumented youth movement / "We have the power to make change" : the struggle of Asian immigrant youth against school violence / Youth taking the lead in education policy / Participatory action research as youth activism / In defense of education justice : postsecondary institutional decision making for American Indian programs and services / Injustice is not an investment : student activism, climate justice, and the fossil fuel divestment campaign.

Subject Term:

Youth -- Political activity -- United States.

Social justice -- United States.

Community leadership -- United States.

Community development -- United States.

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Stillwater Public Library	320.40835 CON	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

A cutting-edge study showcases the emergence of contemporary youth activism in the United States, its benefits to young people, its role in strengthening society, and its powerful social justice implications.

At a time when youth are too often dismissed as either empowered consumers or disempowered deviants, it is vital to understand how these young people are pushing back, challenging such constructions, and advancing new possibilities for their institutions and themselves. This book examines the latest developments in the field of contemporary youth activism (CYA) and documents the myriad ways in which youth activists are effecting social change, even as they experience personal change. By taking public, political action on a range of intersecting issues, youth activists are shifting their own developmental pathways, shaping public policy, and shaking up traditional paradigms.

Section one of the book offers a historical perspective on youth activism in the United States, followed by a discussion of contemporary examples of CYA for social justice. The second and third sections analyze the individual, institutional, and ideological effects of CYA, arguing that youth activism works to promote change at three levels: self, systems, and in the broader society. Readers will come away with a clearer understanding of the many ways in which today's youth activists are working to reimagine and remake American democracy, reawakening the promise of a multi-issue, progressive movement for social justice.

Author Notes

Jerusha Conner , PhD, is associate professor of education at Villanova University, Villanova, PA.

Sonia M. Rosen , PhD, is assistant professor of education at Arcadia University, Philadelphia, PA.

Reviews (2)

Choice Review

These 20 chapters provide useful coverage of contemporary perspectives on the involvement of young people in political activism in the US. The essays are written from a social justice perspective and promote an advocacy position of young people as positive agents of social change. Contributions vary in perspective and expertise, including three essays written by young activists to introduce the three main sections on the book: the dimensions of youth activism (seven chapters), how youth activism is a positive force in the lives of young people (six chapters), and how youth activism is a positive force in US society (six chapters). The editors write useful introductions to each of these three sections, as well as a lengthy general introduction and conclusion. As with most anthologies, chapters are uneven in focus and perspective. The editors frame the volume within a critique of neoliberalism that is not followed in the chapters, but which is interesting nonetheless. Overall, the chapters are light in terms of theoretical perspectives but heavy on descriptions of political events, providing exemplars of activist organizational strategies. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --James E. Cote, University of Western Ontario

Library Journal Review

Attempting to "capture the significance of the current movement" and the "struggles and successes" of youth activism, this title from Conner (education, Villanova Univ.) and Rosen (education, Arcadia Univ.) is comprised of a series of 18 essays around three themes: the landscape of current youth activism, youth activism supporting youth, and how youth activism strengthens society. An introduction provides an overview of the topic. Each section starts with a brief summary followed by an informative "opening youth essay" by an activist or organizer expounding on the path to activism. The essays cover many topics, such as education and dropout rates, the environment, gender issues on campus, and civil disobedience. Several pieces are informal, while others read like PhD dissertations. A good mix of print and web sources are included at the end of each entry. The volume wraps up with a lengthy essay tying together the three sections and explaining how to move forward. VERDICT This snapshot of the current social movements is a solid first source for information and research.-Beth Bland, Milwaukee © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Jerusha Conner and Sonia M. RosenBeatrice GaldamezEric BraxtonMark R. Warren and Luke Aubry KupscznkSonia M. Rosen and Jerusha ConnerBernardine Dohrn and William AyersJesica Siham Fernández and Ben Kirshner and Deana G. LewsErin Gallay and John Lupinacci and Carolina S. Sarmiento and Constance A. Flanagan and Ethan LowensteinJamia BrownJohn Rogers and Veronica TerriquezKira J. Baker-DoyleBarbara Ferman and Natalia SmirnovJulia Daniel and Michelle Renée ValladaresParissa J. Ballard and Emily J. OzerAlexandra BrodskyJanelle Astorga-RamosGenevieve Negrón-GonzalesMary YeeRachel GuntherBrett G. Stoudt and Caitlin Cahill and Darian X. Kimberly Belmonte and Selma Djokovic and Jose Lopez and Amanda Matles and Adilka Pimentel and María Elena TorreJessica Ann SolyomJoe Gurnow and Allyson GrossJerusha Conner and Sonia M. Rosen

Acknowledgments	p. ix
1 Introduction	p. 1
Part I The Landscape of Contemporary Youth Activism
Introduction	p. 21
Opening Youth Essay	p. 23
2 Youth Leadership for Social Justice: Past and Present	p. 25
3 The Emergence of a Youth Justice Movement in the United States	p. 39
4 Conceptualizing Youth Activists' Leadership: A Multidimensional Framework	p. 59
5 Young, Gifted, and Black: Black Lives Matter!	p. 79
6 Strategies for Systemic Change: Youth Community Organizing to Disrupt the School-to-Prison Nexus	p. 93
7 Youth Environmental Stewardship and Activism for the Environmental Commons	p. 113
Part II How Youth Activism Supports Youth
Introduction	p. 135
Opening Youth Essay	p. 137
8 "It Shaped Who I Am as a Person": Youth Organizing and the Educational and Civic Trajectories of Low-Income Youth	p. 141
9 Studying Sociopolitical Development through Social Network Theory	p. 163
10 Shifting Stereotypes and Storylines: The Personal and Political Impact of Youth Media	p. 185
11 Telling Our Stories, Claiming Our Space, and Becoming Change-Makers: Lessons for the Field from Black Girls and Women Organizers	p. 203
12 The Implications of Youth Activism for Health and Weil-Being	p. 223
13 Working for Change, Learning from Work: Student Empowerment and Challenges in the Movement to End Campus Gender Violence	p. 245
Part III How Youth Activism Strengthens Society
Introduction	p. 265
Opening Youth Essay	p. 267
14 Unlawful Entry: Civil Disobedience and the Undocumented Youth Movement	p. 271
15 "We Have the Power to Make Change": The Struggle of Asian Immigrant Youth against School Violence	p. 289
16 Youth Taking the Lead in Education Policy	p. 311
17 Participatory Action Research as Youth Activism	p. 327
18 In Defense of Education Justice: Postsecondary Institutional Decision Making for American Indian Programs and Services	p. 347
19 Injustice Is Not an Investment: Student Activism, Climate justice, and the Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign	p. 367
Part IV Conclusion
20 Conclusion	p. 387
Index	p. 403
About the Editors and Contributors	p. 429

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Library Journal Review

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