Your assignment will be graded on the following areas:

Self Reflection

Analytical Reflection

Grammar, Attention to Detail, Accurate Citations

Self Reflection

Keeping in mind that this assignment requires a critical analysis, your reflection should engage the following questions:

How has the term youth been utilized and understood in your life experience

Reflect on your own life experience. What has this taught you so far about youth. Who are they, what can they do?

What did you learn about youth? Perhaps this is also in relationship to what you learned about “adults,” but not necessarily.

Reflect on, how the social institutions you have encountered have taught you how to think, what to think, why we should think in specific ways about youth

What is the mainstream picture of youth/youthfulness?

Reflect upon who we see associated with the word, and in what ways? Are they always a particular class, religion, race/ethnicity,

Growing up did you see yourself and your experience reflected?

Looking back who was often left out/who did you not see depicted often? Offer up your preliminary understanding of how our course and the field of Critical Youth Studies addresses this issue.

Analytical Reflection

Define youth. Be concise. How is this informed by your current understanding and life experience.

This is both an analyticaland interpretative paper. You are analyzing(using critical thinking to make sense) of course materials, alongside your own experiences; and you are interpreting (creative/descriptive thinking — developing your own thoughts, ideas, and conclusions) to develop reflection about your own experiences as it relates to the readings and class discussions.

It is important that you engage with the literature from class. This is not simply using a particular author’s name or a cut-and-paste of direct quotations. Your reflection should truly engage the material and how it helps you make sense of what your experience has been.

Grammar, Attention to Detail, Accurate Citations

Your self-definition reflection should be between 1000–1200 words (this doesn’t include references) typed, double-spaced, in 12-point (of an easily legible) font, and with 1” margins. Make sure your assignment has your name, the course title, and the assignment title. Keep in mind, you have limited space. Your answers will need to be concise and to the point. Use concise, comprehensive language (i.e., avoids “filler” or “fluff”). Filler always looks bad, distracts from your argument, and will be graded down. Check your spelling. Finally, all materials cited in your paper must be cited following APA format, including a reference section. Any reproduction of words and ideas that are not yours originally must be cited or you run the risk of plagiarizing.