| Abstract: | SUMMARY. Much has changed in our understanding of adolescence over the last three decades. In the first place the very definition of this stage has become more uncertain, both at the point where childhood ceases, and at the time when it merges into adulthood. Second, there has been an enormous increase in the amount of empirical research available. This has had the effect of modifying - even transforming - some traditional notions of adolescence. Thirdly, a greater awareness of gender and race has enabled us to move beyond the white male dominated views of the teenage years which went unchallenged for some considerable time. Lastly, changes in legislation and youth policy in the United Kingdom have had a major impact on practice, and on the way professionals work with young people. This article reviews some of these changes, and attempts to reflect on our understanding of adolescence in the 1990s. |
