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Do economic conditions influence how theorists view adolescents?
R D Enright1, V M Levy, D Harris
1Human Development Area, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706, Madison, WI.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|November 27, 2013
Summary
Adolescent ideologies in scientific articles shift with societal crises. During economic depressions, teens are seen as needing more education, while wartime articles emphasize their competence and shorter schooling.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Education
Background:
- Historical context significantly influences scientific discourse on adolescence.
- Previous research has not systematically analyzed ideological shifts in adolescent psychology during major global events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate ideological biases in the portrayal of adolescent development.
- To determine how economic depressions and world wars affect theories of adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of 89 articles from 'Pedagogical Seminary' and 'Journal of Genetic Psychology'.
- Analysis focused on articles published during two economic depressions and two world wars.
- Statistical analysis to identify significant ideological biases.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant ideological bias was detected in the analyzed articles.
- Economic depressions correlated with theories portraying adolescents as immature and requiring prolonged education.
- Wartime periods were associated with emphasis on adolescent psychological competence and shorter educational durations.
Conclusions:
- Theories of adolescence are not objective but are shaped by prevailing socio-economic and political conditions.
- Scientific understanding of adolescent development is susceptible to ideological framing during times of crisis.
- The study questions the inherent objectivity in scientific theory-building regarding youth development.
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