Directions: Please respond to the following to prepare for discussion on the text each week. Responses should be TYPED, double-spaced, 12-pt font, and 2-3 pages in length. Please back up your responses with page numbers for reference for ALL responses. Your responses will be collected in class each week. Please come prepared, no late papers will be accepted.
 

Reading for Week 6 - Feb. 8

Preface, Prologue, Introduction, Part I: Stepping Inside

1. First, state your understanding of Hersch's rationale for this study. Then, ELABORATE on whether or not you agree with her reasoning, and why/why not.
2. What is Hersch's question for this study?
3. Outline the steps of Hersch's methodology for the study. Then, ELABORATE/critique how credible and/or dependable is her methodology. (USE THE CRITERIA FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TO ANSWER THIS)

Some specifics to consider: How did she gain access to her subjects? How did she narrow the study of her subjects? Where did she begin? Where did she end up? What was the length of the study?
4. Hersch argues that "At the heart of the paradox of adolescence is that much of what we worry about they take in stride as normal" (p. 30), List some examples from the text of what is taken in stride as normal versus what adults worry about.
5. What generalizations about the adolescent world might we make based on the individual stories Hersch provides? Make a list!