Exploring Adolescent Happiness

This book is bound to be significant not only for theoreticians and researchers in adolescence, but for a wide range of practitioners; and, I am convinced for social philosophers as well. Rejecting the widespread view of adolescents as an alienated subculture, Dr.Zipora Magen effectively challenges this by demonstrating that adolescents have a great capacity and concern for reaching beyond the self. Further, her data are persuasive in showing that this optimistic insight transcends culture and is thus a very meaningful contribution to cross-cultural studies. Thoroughly grounded in philosophical analysis of the construct of happiness, this book easily moves from an elegant philosophical study to detailing the methodological issues in this type of research. Beautifully written, thoughtfully argued, bolstered by a most impressive review and synthesis of relevant literature, it is qualitative research at its best. Dr. Magen's own body of research is well-integrated into this synthesis, but she propounds her thesis without dogmatism; instead, with an affirmation of humanistic values. One of the most enriching features of the book is the extensive selection of adolescent responses. Finally, Dr.Zipora Magen reaches beyond the theory and research to offer positive suggestions for applying her insights to the enhancement of adolescents' lives. The several themes and strands in this unusual book are woven into an organically unified volume that is scholarly and practical, philosophical and empirical, provocative and persuasive: altogether a fine achievement. -Martin Hamburger, Professor Emeritus, New York University & Adjunct Professor, Florida International University "Studies on adolescents and adolescence often show adolescent discontent and hardships as characteristic of the stage of adolescence in human life. Such studies often indicate that adolescents are guided primarily by selfish interests. The present volume by Zipora Magen provides impressive evidence of the fact that there is much room for happiness in adolescent life and that the daily actions of young people are often guided by commitment to the other." -Mordecali Arieli, Tel-Aviv University "Exploring Adolescent Happiness is a refreshing, original, highly readable volume with several truly distinctive features. First is its resolute focus on positive outcomes in adolescence, i.e., on how things go rightas opposed to past traditional emphasis on things that go wrong and how to fix them. Based on more than a decade of research, reflecting an unusual and very effective blend of tender humanistic, and tough-minded forms of scientific inquiry, it documents the central role that altruistic commitment plays in the emergence of adaptive adolescent outcomes. The volume's solid rooting in cross-cultural study sheds light on forces that uniformly favor happiness in adolescence across a variety of cultural contexts. Zipora Magen's emphasis on the practical applications that stem from her...