The Adolescent: Development, Relationships, and Culture - Tenth Edition - Book Review

Adolescence, Fall, 2002

RICE, F. Philip, & DOLGIN, Kim Gale. The Adolescent: Development, Relationships, and Culture (Tenth Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2002. 560pp. $83.00 (h).

This text emphasizes the eclectic approach to adolescence, presenting not just one theory on the subject, but many, and discussing the contributions, strengths, and weaknesses of each. The authors also take into consideration current and important topics such as ethnic identity formation and gender issues. With the addition of co-author Kim G. Dolgin, current and important topics, such as ethnic identity formation and gender issues, have been emphasized. The result is a treatment of the adolescent that offers a current scholarship as well as an understanding of what it means to be an adolescent in the 21st century. Chapters include: adolescents in social context; adolescents in theoretical context; adolescents in ethnic context; sexual maturation and physical growth; body image; traditional views of cognitive growth -- Piaget and Elkind; intelligence, information processing, and decision making; self-concept, identity, ethnicity, and gender; sexual values, behavior, and education; adolescent society, culture, and subculture; social development, relationships, dating, nonmarital cohabitation, and marriage; development of moral judgment, character, values, beliefs, and behavior; adolescents and their families; divorced, parent-absent, and blended families; education and school; work and vocation; adolescent alienation; and substance abuse, addiction, and dependency.