Construction and Experience of Black Adolescence

This course investigates Black adolescence as a complex social, psychological, cultural and political phenomenon that has implications for research and policy impacting Black youths' life outcomes. Utilizing a Human Development approach, students will first examine adolescence as a biopsychosocial developmental period through reading texts drawn from psychology, sociology and anthropology. Students will then investigate how context shapes developmental trajectories, with a strengths-based focus on the varied nature of risk, coping and meaning making for Black adolescents. Here, students will have an opportunity to discern and discuss how social science research and public policy have and have not engaged the needs and interests of Black youths and families over time and explore approaches that center healthy development as a primary outcome. The course will provide an opportunity to interrogate constructs of adolescence from a global perspective, utilizing film, social media and image building to explore the variability and commonalities of the lived experiences of Black adolescents across the African diaspora.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC; UC SSC; UG ACS

Construction and Experience of Black Adolescence

AMERICAN CULTURE STUDIES 461B

Section 01