Adolescent Development and Rapid Social Change

The 1990s was a decade of rapid economic, social, and political change for Eastern Bloc countries. While much has been written about the political and economic changes, little has been written about what effect the turmoil will have on the youth of the eraDtermed the alpha-omega generation. The authors believe that by studying the youth during this period we will be able to determine how they will react as citizens and leaders. Ultimately, the children experienced so much change in such a short period of time that the authors feel that their decisions and judgments will be forever affected. Moreover, it will take several generations before political moderates emerge. Van Hoorn previously studied the effects of nuclear threat on adolescents and used a similar approach in studying youth in Hungary and Poland. She and her associates, psychologists specializing in development, surveyed students and then interviewed them. The methodology is well documented, and the interviews are very thorough and contextual. Well suited for coursework in sociology, psychology, child development, or cultural anthropology, this work is recommended for academic libraries and large public libraries.DSandra Isaacson, US EPA/OAO Corp., Las Vegas Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.