Narrative Development In Adolescence: Creating the Storied Self

Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development

by Kate C. McLean (Editor), Monisha Pasupathi (Editor)

The need to establish a narrative self reaches an important peak during adolescence as teens work to understand life events and establish their self-identity. The first book to examine narrative development during adolescence in depth, Narrative Development in Adolescence: Creating the Storied Self, focuses on both stable and at-risk youth as they construct, organize, and tell their life stories and link these stories to larger developmental contexts as they grow to maturity.

Renowned specialists identify such core skills as reflection, meaning making, and decision making as well as crucial domains, including autonomy and moral agency evolving across normative adolescence, and relate them to the narrative process. Deficits in these key areas are seen in the more contradictory and incoherent stories narrated by delinquent youth, teenage mothers, and victims of war and violence. In addition, these themes are observed as adolescents process and interpret the narratives of others.

This volume offers insights into the crucial task of identity development, and explores new possibilities for counseling and therapy. Its authoritative and accessible coverage:

Examines the relationships between narrative and developmental outcomes

Identifies normative and problematic issues in adolescents across cultures and social backgrounds in the United States, Canada, Germany, the former Yugoslavia, and New Zealand

Offers current research on adolescent narrative development, with attention to theoretical bases and methodological issues

Discusses the roles of parents, grandparents, and peers in shaping narratives

Features case studies of narratives from at-risk youth

Includes findings on how early narrative development predicts narrative identifying adolescence

Narrative Development in Adolescence is an essential resource for researchers, clinicians, and graduate students in developmental, clinical child, and school psychology as well as allied mental health and education fields. It is a must-have volume for anyone conducting research or working with adolescents to ensure their healthy development and successful transition to adulthood.

270 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2009