SO 100: Youth Culture in Transition

• Other words and phrases for youth? Try using these (they will help): Teenager, Teenagers, Teenage, Adolescent, Adolescence, "Young Adults", "High School Students", "College Students", Juveniles.

You can also search individual databases:

• Sociological Abstracts - Journal articles, books, and other resources on all aspects of sociology and related disciplines. Subjects include demography, environmental interactions, family and social welfare, social psychology, human biology, women’s studies, health, medicine, law, etc.
• Social Services Abstracts - Journal articles and other resources focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development. 1979 to present.
• PsycINFO - Journals, books, and other resources covering psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines including: anthropology, business, education, law, linguistics, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, physiology, and sociology. 1805 to present.
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts (NCJRS) - Contains journal articles, books, and other resources on the subjects of corrections, courts, drugs, law enforcement, juvenile justice, crime statistics, domestic preparedness, and victims. 1970 to the present.
• Directory of Open Access Journals - Free, scholarly journals. This is a worldwide resource, covering all topics and languages.
• Google Scholar - A different kind of resource. Journal articles, books, and other resources across many subjects. Provides a “cited by” feature to indicate other papers containing a source paper as a reference.

Government

USA.gov. The U.S. Government's official web portal. Many studies and reports cited elsewhere come from government agencies.

• Some publications and web resources from the federal government you might find helpful are:
  Monitoring the future: national survey results on drug use. Yearly publication on this topic.
  National statistics on child abuse and neglect There are many more publications on this website regarding children.
  America's children: key national indicators of well being. Links to current report. Older issues are linked off that page.
  Youth Violence website, from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
  National Institute on Drug Abuse InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends.
  Youth & Labor statistics. From the U.S. Department of Labor.

FedStats. Use the "search across agency websites": use the varuous terms listed above for youth.

Congressional Research Service. Reports published for Congress on any issue.

United Nations Social Policy & Development Division: Youth, and UNESCO Youth.

Additional Links

Evaluating Internet Resources: yes, you've been surfing for years now, but do you ask yourself these questions when you land on a website? Do you have the guts to use a resource you've found online without checking it out first? Searching online regarding the topic of this course is going to return a lot of hits. Some good, some bad.

Everyday Sociology blog. A website created by Dr. Karen Sternheimer, sociology professor teaching at the University of Southern California. Her research is primarily youth and popular culture.

Child Development from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (adolescence categories are off on the right hand side).

Also from the CDC, Adolecence and School Health.

Developing Adolescence, by the American Psychological Association. From the introduction, a reference book developed for the many professionals who, because they work with adolescencts, need substantive knowledge about the trajectory of youngsters' lives from late elementary ages through high school years.

Kids Count Publications and Resources from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In adition to reports, the annual Kids Count Data Book provides national and state-by-state information on the conditions of America’s children and families.

Child Care & Early Education Research Connections. This organization promotes high quality research in child care and early education and the use of that research in policy making. Through this Web site, they offer research and data resources for researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and others.

Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN). This group seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community. We welcome as members any and all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or occupation, who are committed to seeing this philosophy realized in K-12 schools.

Need further assistance?

Stop by the Reference Desk for further assistance with any of these sources. You can also contact the Reference Desk through live chat or by phone at 227-2294. You may also contact Bruce Sarjeant, Reference Librarian, at 227-1580.