Growing Up in America: Historical Experiences

For this collection, Harvey Graff chose readings which, taken together, provide a detailed overview of the history of growing up in America from the colonial period to the present. Arranged chronologically, the selections document a wide variety of experiences based on gender, social class, ethnicity, race, geography, and the changing meanings and significance of age itself. Graff's general introduction and short introductory statements to each part serve as instructional guides to the key issues in the book. Since the readings focus on emerging questions and conflicting interpretations of many traditionally accepted ideas, Growing Up in America opens a variety of issues for discussion and research for the student, the historian, and the social scientist alike.