Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Today's College Student: Lost in Transition (?)

For the next couple of days, I am focused on synthesizing research regarding the changing cultural landscape of today's college student.  I will post a few of the resources that have captured my attention and may be worth your time to peruse. 

The first is Lost in Transition, by Christian Smith, along with Hillary Davidson, Kari Christofferson and Patricia Snell Herzog (08-04-2011).

Based on their on-going studies of teenagers who have now become "emerging adults", Smith explores the "darker side of emerging adulthood". The chapters are:
  1. Morality Adrift
  2. Captives to Consumerism
  3. Intoxications: Fake Feelings of Happiness
  4. The Shadow Side of the Sexual Revolution
  5. Civic & Political Disengagement
While sociological "data" can be extracted from each chapter, the writing focuses around in-depth personal interviews with 230 emerging adults, enabling us to understand, even empathize with the world of the 18-23 year-old (the narrower focus of this present study).  

Great insights into the world of today's college student.  

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