Take a cutting edge look at the civic engagement of young people. Increasingly recognized as an important feature of democratic functioning in communities, it has also become clear that the civic domain is indispensable as a context for understanding human development processes. This volume proposes the following central theses in relation to youth civic development:* It is rooted in the realities of young people's everyday lives.* It is collectively constructed.* It raises questions about the principles, values, and relationships that bind people together in societies.* It raises questions about power and justice.Youth civic development pushes the field to focus on the social issues with which younger generations are grappling and the identities they are constructing--issues that also are shaped by structural inequalities and by the collective actions of youth. The volume builds on themes of agency and assets from the field of positive youth development and points to ways that the critical analysis and engagement of young people in their society can contribute to social change.This is the 134th volume in this series. Its mission is to provide scientific and scholarly presentations on cutting edge issues and concepts in child and adolescent development. Each volume focuses on a specific new direction or research topic and is edited by experts on that topic.

1. Youth Civic Development: Historical Context and EmergingIssues 1Constance A. Flanagan, Brian D. ChristensThe authors provide a brief history of youth civic developmentas an area of study and, through a summary of the contributions ofthe chapters in this volume, discuss emerging issues.2. The Developmental Roots of Social Responsibility inChildhood and Adolescence 11Laura Wray-Lake, Amy K. SyvertsenThe authors posit that the development of social responsibilitybegins in childhood and develops in adolescence as a valueorientation that links one's own fate with those of fellow humanbeings.3. Taking Stock of Youth Organizing: An InterdisciplinaryPerspective 27Brian D. Christens, Ben KirshnerIntegrating literature from multiple disciplines, the authorsprovide a multilevel framework for understanding a promising modelfor civic development and social change--youth organizing.4. Critical Consciousness: Current Status and FutureDirections 43Roderick J. Watts, Matthew A. Diemer, Adam M. VoightDrawing on the work of the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, theauthors explicate the role of critical consciousness in youth civicdevelopment.5. "Unapologetic and Unafraid": Immigrant Youth Come Out Fromthe Shadows 59Hinda SeifThe author explores the changing political consciousness andaction of Latino/a youth as they organize and publicly advocate forequal rights and an end to discrimination against members of theirethnic group.6. Early Educational Foundations for the Development of CivicResponsibility: An African Experience 77Robert Serpell, Paul Mumba, Tamara Chansa-KabaliThe authors describe an innovative peer education curriculum inrural Zambia that not only promotes health, but also fosterscooperation, gender equality, and social responsibility.7. Youth Civic Development: Theorizing a Domain With EvidenceFrom Different Cultural Contexts 95Constance A. Flanagan, M. Loreto Martínez, PatricioCumsille, Tsakani NgomaneThe authors point toward the primacy of collective action,groupways, and mediating institutions as aspects of the civicdomain germane to youth development across cultures.INDEX 111