Viewing adolescence as a "dynamic social construction," this volume explores the state of adolescence in the context of rapid social change. The articles in the volume reveal a recurrent theme: no matter how adolescence is defined, the establishment of identity and the search for autonomy remain central developmental tasks of the adolescence years; changes in the various social contexts in which teenagers live--family, school, community, peer groups, workplace--can significantly affect the progress teens make in these critical tasks. The articles are as follows: (1) "Stress and Resilience in Adolescence: An Evolutionary Perspective" (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jennifer A Schmidt); (2) "Identity Formation in Adolescence" (Dena Phillips Swanson, Margaret Beale Spencer, and Anne Petersen); (3) "Growing Up Female" (Ellen B. Kimmel, with Tricia Rudolph); (4) "Adolescent Sons and Daughters of Immigrants: How Schools Can Respond" (Margarita Calderon); (5) "How Secondary Schools Contribute to Academic Success" (Fred M. Newmann); (6) "Learning Contexts beyond the Classroom: Extracurricular Activities, Community Organizations, and Peer Groups" (B. Bradford Brown and Wendy Theobald); (7) "Social Institutions Serving Adolescents" (Chandra Muller and Michelle Frisco); (8) "Working: Perceptions and Experiences of American Teenagers" (Charles Bidwell, Barbara Schneider, and Kathryn Borman); (9) "Adolescent Part-Time Work and Educational Achievement" (Jeylan T. Mortimer and Monica Kirkpatrick Johnson); and (10) "Making the Transition from High School: Recent Trends and Policies" (David Lee Stevenson, Julie Kochanek, and Barbara Schneider). Each article contains references. (HTH)