How will the experience of adolescence be affected by key societal phenomena--demographic trends, information technology, environmental degredation, and advances in medicine and genetics? This important volume identifies such ominous changes as unstable job markets and widening income gaps, while at the same time observing opportunities created by information technology and innovations in health service delivery. Knowledgeable projections are vital in shaping research agendas and for alerting educators, policy makers, and practitioners to new issues in adolescent development.

School-aged children in the U.S. and other Western nations spend almost half of their waking hours in leisure activities. For some, out-of-school time is perceived as inconsequential or even counterproductive to the health and well-being of young persons. Recently, however, there has been a growing recognition that--along with family, peers, and school--the organized activities in which some youth participate during these hours are important contexts of emotional, social, and civic development. They provide opportunities for young persons to learn and develop competencies that are largely...

School-aged children in the U.S. and other Western nations spend almost half of their waking hours in leisure activities. For some, out-of-school time is perceived as inconsequential or even counterproductive to the health and well-being of young persons. Recently, however, there has been a growing recognition that--along with family, peers, and school--the organized activities in which some youth participate during these hours are important contexts of emotional, social, and civic development. They provide opportunities for young persons to learn and develop competencies that are largely...