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Entry: Adolescence: A Heresy Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/the_case_against_adolesence#10728 Post contents: You might want to consider placing the entire development into a different perspective. Instead of saying that in many societies, including medieval Europe, childred were integrated into adult society, it would be more accurate to say that in those societies "adults" never became adults: they played the same games, read the same fairytales and in general remained just as emotional and impulsive as children. Beginning in the late 15th century, adulthood slowly came into being in the West as a separate condition characterized by self-control, self-discipline, delayed gratification and a general suspicion of impulse-behavior. Set against this historical background, the condition of teenage stems from an effort to delay the change into adult behavior. Indeed, it is easy to point out ever more "adults" who do not seem to have made the transition at all. The "adulthood came and is now disappearing" perspective produces a very different set of suggestions about how to deal with the problem. Unfortunately there is not enough room to discuss them here. Sent at: 2008 12 01