Voice, Choice, and Action

Earls and Carlson have discovered, studied, and advocated for an aspect of development previously unrecognized: how children and youth can find their voice, feel empowered to use that voice, and translate that voice into political action. This is a remarkable book, personally, scientifically, and politically. -- Gordon Harper * Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry * Aims to provide convincing proof that children are and can be political actors in their own communities, and attempts to show the tools required for child and youth citizenship to develop and flourish…It provides a comprehensive exploration of the potential for enabling children to develop into deliberative citizens…A valuable read for researchers on childhood in any discipline. -- Nico Brando * Journal of Human Development and Capabilities * Reflecting their years of research and dedication to an action-based, participatory approach, the authors provide specific guidelines for parents, teachers, police, and other authority figures in setting up a Young Citizens program, aimed at children ages 10 to 14, in their own communities…An inspiring vision of a newly inclusive democracy. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * A wide-ranging and inspiring study of citizen engagement among young people…Earls and Carlson provide an educational program for improving children’s communication skills and reasoning capacities in order to make them effective advocates for themselves and others…Readers interested in childhood development, progressive causes, and public health will want to take note. * Publishers Weekly * This important book presents fascinating research about children’s experiences under difficult conditions in several parts of the world. The book shines with rich detail, heartfelt concern, and deep insight. -- William Damon, Professor and Director, Stanford Center on Adolescence Here is a compelling argument for the democratic capacities of children and youth. Science, philosophy, and two lifetimes of hands-on experience support its bold vision. -- Peter Levine, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University In this insightful and revelatory book, Earls, a psychiatrist, and Carlson, a neurobiologist—lifelong partners in work and love—sing a duet that blends empiricism and social activism, theory and practice, intellectual biography and interdisciplinarity. Their international journeys and projects, distinguished by scientific rigor, innovation, and discovery, offer strong evidence of the power and wisdom of children’s voices, raised in disciplined and deliberative discourse, to the building of a more inclusive and just democracy. Voice, Choice, and Action is at once a richly detailed narrative, a discerning analysis, a moral declaration, a rigorous roadmap, and an urgent call to action. -- Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Emily Hargroves Fisher Research Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education A landmark work. Integrating neurobehavioral and social sciences, Earls and Carlson link theory and social action to offer a transformative vision of children as active agents in democratic societies around the world. -- Lincoln Chen, President, China Medical Board of Cambridge, MA; Chair, BRAC/USA; former Chair, CARE/USA Voice, Choice, and Action is a book for these times as we confront the fault lines in our democracy. Tony Earls and Maya Carlson have written a cri de coeur, urging us to include children as full citizens, as participants in the public square. It’s a deeply provocative work about the place of children in strengthening our sense of community. -- Alex Kotlowitz, author of <i>An American Summer</i> and <i>There Are No Children Here</i>