> > I'm sorry; I'm confused by pretty much everything. I think I get the general idea but would it be possible for you to explain more? I'd appreciate it.
>
>
> The general point is, in these cultures, there is no "teenage" or adolescent period. There are simply youths, who then just become adults. This would thus imply that what we know of as the adolescent condition is not something that is genetic, or "natural", if you will. Therefore, it must be a manufactured by the environment in which a person is raised.
>

Yes. Adolescence, as we have learned in cultural anthropology, is a product of two things (in our culture): vastly better nutrition, and the pushing back of the marriage age (due to industrialization.)

The improvements in nutrition have caused kids to become sexually mature much earlier than used to be the case. The ideal age for marriage has been pushed back as well, because of the culture's idea that you need a stable job in order to support a family. And our culture has also added to that a higher requirement for education in order to get that job. As a result, the ideal age for marriage has moved from 14-16 all the way to as late as the mid-20s, while sexual maturity has moved from about the same point to as young as 10. As a result, you've now created a massive gap between childhood and adulthood. Thusly: adolescence.

The Other "I love that class" Matthew