Cynthia Lightfoot

Most studies about adolescent life and teen culture have been dominated by the viewpoint of adults. Cynthia Lightfoot wanted to change that trend when she wrote The Culture of Adolescent Risk—Taking in 1997. To enhance her research, she interviewed over forty teenagers to collect their ideas about taking risks during the teen years. The conclusion she presents is that risk—taking is a meaningful activity from the vantage point of teenagers. To contextualize her study, Lightfoot draws from anthropology, psychology, literature, and popular culture to interpret how adolescent risk involvement has been represented historically. This excerpt from her book provides an overview of our cultural ambivalence toward the subject. On the one hand, we tend to romanticize young adventurers and see their exploits as rites of passage. On the other hand...