Wikipedia talk:Education program archive/Drake University/Global Youth Studies (Spring 2013)/Course description
The social location of youth in a given society is both universal and particular. In almost all societies, a period before adulthood has specific meanings as a marked social category. Nations view young adults as both the key to the future and a threat to the current social and political order. At the same time, young adulthood (“youth” or “emergent adulthood”) is related to economic and social changes. Sometimes, youth are forced to grow up sooner due to national crises; in other settings, their adulthood is delayed because they cannot obtain the resources necessary to be considered an “adult.”
To demonstrate and share the expertise we develop this semester, we are entering the bold world of Wikipedia. Very few articles exist in English on youth experiences in specific regions and countries of the world. We will work to disseminate our synthesis of scholarly materials through working with the Wikipedia community and volunteer editors. Through this effort, we also hope to improve our writing and research skills.
Young adults, argue sociologists, have a specific set of outlooks that are different from older societal members. They are less fixed to the given social order and the social relationships born of them. Our course explores how young adults around the world share experiences due to global trends but also have unique contexts due to local and national factors. Focusing on work and the economy, subcultures, and political activism, we will explore together the experiences of young adult lives.