Peer Power: Preadolescent Culture and Indentity [Paperback]

Peter Adler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998

"An engaging, fascinating, and important book." -Spencer Cahill, University of South Florida "An in-depth and often sobering account of the social dynamics of childhood in the 1990s. This important study extends our knowledge of peer culture beyond the walls of classrooms into the day to day dilemmas of middle class children as they seek power and acceptance from their peers." -Donna Eder, author of School Talk "An excellent addition to a growing number of rich empirical studies of children's lives and peer cultures. The Adlers' study demonstrates the importance of entering children's worlds and gaining their perspectives for a new sociology of childhood." -William A. Corsaro, Indiana University Peer Power explodes existing myths about children's friendships, power, and popularity, and the gender chasm between elementary school boys and girls. Based on eight years of intensive insider participant observation in their own children's community, the book discusses the vital components in the lives of preadolescents: popularity, friendships, cliques, social status, social isolation, loyalty, bullying, boy-girl relationships, and afterschool activities. It describes how friendships shift and change, how children are drawn into groups and excluded from them, how clique leaders maintain their power and popularity, and how the individuals' social experiences and feelings about themselves differ from the top of the pecking order to the bottom. The Adlers focus their attention on the peer culture of the children themselves and the way this culture extracts and modifies elements from adult culture. Children's peer culture, as it is nourished in those spaces where grownups cannot penetrate, stands between individual children and the larger adult society. As such, it is a mediator and shaper, influencing the way children collectively interpret their surroundings and deal with the common problems they face. The Adlers explore some of the patterns that develop in this social space, noting both the differences in the gendered cultures of boys and girls and their overlap into afterschool activities, role behavior, romantic inclinations, and social stratification. Peer culture shows the informal social mechanisms through which children create their social order, determine their place and identity, and develop positive and negative feelings about themselves. Patricia A. Adler is a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado. Peter Adler is a professor of sociology at the University of Denver. The Adlers have worked and written together for more than twenty-five years, producing ten books and more than fifty articles.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Peer Power explodes existing myths about children's friendships, power, and popularity, and the gender chasm between elementary school boys and girls. Based on eight years of intensive insider participant observation in their own children's community, the authors discuss the vital components in the lives of preadolescents: popularity, friendships, cliques, social status, social isolation, loyalty, bullying, boy-girl relationships, and afterschool activities. They describe how friendships shift and change, how children are drawn into groups and excluded from them, how clique leaders maintain their power and popularity, and how the individuals' social experiences and feelings about themselves differ from the top of the pecking order to the bottom. The Adlers focus their attention on the peer culture of the children themselves and the way this culture extracts and modified elements from adult culture. Children's peer culture, as it is nourished in those spaces where grownups cannot penetrate, stands between individual children and the larger adult society. As such, it is a mediator and shaper, influencing the way children collectively interpret their surroundings and deal with the common problems they face. The Adlers explore some of the patterns that develop in this social space, noting both the differences in the gendered cultures of boys and girls and their overlap into afterschool activities, role behavior, romantic inclinations, and social stratification. Peer culture contains the informal social mechanisms through which children create their social order, determine their place and identity, and develop positive and negative feelings about themselves.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813524601
• ISBN-13: 978-0813524603
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight in to 8-12 age group structure/dynamics first hand, December 22, 2002

By 

Northern Calif. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peer Power: Preadolescent Culture and Indentity (Paperback)

As a therapist who thinks a lot about group dynamics, I found this book's map of peer status catagories and group structure very deep and practical. The map of four layers of groups, Popular/wannabes/middle group and isolates rich and multi dimentional. It was also painful to hear about the raw quest for power lived out in popular group dynamics. In contrast to one reviewer's disturbing experience, my disturbing expereince in reading this book was the appearance of non-involvement from the researchers who were witnessing children going through enormous social stress. Very enlightening. I use their work a lot in how I think and work with groups and with clients.

5.0 out of 5 stars it will help you understand Preadolescent Culture and Identity, September 4, 2008

By 

Michael Bishop "aspiring scientist of the social" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Peer Power: Preadolescent Culture and Indentity (Paperback)

This book is fantastic for those of us who have begun to forget what it is like to navigate the children's social world.

As a fellow social scientist, I want to understand preadolescent culture and identity and use that knowledge to think about how to improve education. This book has helped me towards that goal.

9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Total [poop], November 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Peer Power: Preadolescent Culture and Indentity (Paperback)

These "researchers" used the most unethical and unscientific methods to obtain their results. I was a student in their daughter's class and they essentially encouraged her and her friends to torment other students. Apparently in high school, they published minors' accounts without their consent! The conclusions they came to were far from my observations. They should be ashamed of themselves for making money off of using their own children as guinea pigs. Don't give them a cent of encouragement by buying this book. They put a bad name on psychology.