Lerner, Richard M. Liberty: Thriving and Civic Engagement Among America's Youth.

• Author: Sherman, Matthew
• Position: Book Review

Lerner, Richard M. Liberty: Thriving and Civic Engagement Among America's Youth. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2004. xxi + 203 pp. Paper, $34.95.

Richard Lerner, a noted psychologist of human development, has written a provocative and timely study. Responding to the horrifying events of September 11,2001, Liberty: Thriving and Civic Engagement Among America 's Youth explores the development of civic values and participation among adolescents. Using positive youth development--that is, the process by which adolescents are able to contribute to society--Lerner demonstrates the importance of engaging youth in a democracy through programs and policies at a crucial period of psychological, social, and physical development.

According to Lerner, the history of human development consistently reveals evidence of symbiotic relationships between society and its inhabitants. With this in mind, Lerner concludes that the ideas of human developmental psychology can be applied to uphold liberty or "the idea of America" (p. 19). The "idea of America," Lerner argues, is the belief in "behaviors that support justice, freedom, equity, and democracy and support a social order that ensures the availability of liberty to all" (p. 19). A society that believes in liberty, Lerner asserts, will protect it for future generations. But in order to guarantee that liberty continues in American society, Lerner argues, "there is no time to lose in the development of" programs and policies to foster civic engagement among adolescents in American communities (p. 83).

Lerner refers to two innovative approaches: the family-centered community-building program of former Vice President Al Gore and the 'community youth charter' approach of William Damon, director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence. Lerner argues that programs "must engage all levels within the developmental system" (p. 124). As Lerner points out, however, a number of programs already exist. The Catholic Church, for example, sponsors a youth program that encourages community clean-up days and family participation. Similarly, 4-H, the youth program found at many land-grant colleges and universities, promotes youth participation, learning, self-determination, and self-esteem.

Moreover, Lerner contends, the federal government must take an active role in promoting the concept of liberty by...