Everyday Courage

From Library Journal While suburban youth violence elicits shock, similar problems are assumed to be characteristic of urban settings. This study challenges such stereotypes by exploring the ordinary lives of 24 teenagers in a Northwestern city. In this adaptation of a larger, government-funded study of high-risk behaviors, Way (psychology, New York Univ.) follows in the tradition of Carol Gilligan (In a Different Voice, 1982) and others by focusing on subjects' perceptions of their world and the implications for an understanding of adolescence as a developmental stage. Topics include betrayal, trust, racism, sexism, single motherhood, and death. Contradictory and surprisingly conservative viewpoints are expressed by these young people, who seem to value relationships and community above all. Though based on a small sample, the book is meticulous, provocative, and innovative. Recommended for academic collections and for anyone who works with inner-city youth.?Antoinette Brinkman, Southwest Indiana Mental Health Ctr. Lib., Evansville Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.