Intense Years

This volume examines the lives of young adolescents in Japanese middle schools, focusing on the dynamics of school, family, and social life, and explores the change from child to adolescent that takes place in the middle school years. The Context of Schooling 1. Life in the Classroom; 2. The Academic Curriculum; 3. The Social Curriculum: Counselling, Guidance, and Planning for the Future; Peer Relations and Maturation. 1. Peers and Friendships: Groups and Expanding Social Networks (Committees, Clubs, Events); 2. Girls and Boys: Development of Gender Differences; 3. Adjustment: Problems In School and Out; Relations With Adults 1. Teachers and Coaches; 2. Parents, Families and their Relation to School; 3. Exams, Juku, and the Pressure to Advance in School; Conclusion: A Question of Balance Appendix I: Field Sites and Data Collection; Appendix II: Japanese Terms