Investing in Children, Youth, Families, and Communities takes a theoretically
exciting and socially critical view of human development and the power of context
to shape positive outcomes. Co-editors Kenneth I. Maton, Cynthia J. Schellenbach,
Bonnie J. Leadbeater, and Andrea L. Solarz bring together leading social scientists
and policy experts to discuss what helps or hinders healthy development. A transformative
theme, from deficits to strengths, emerges in this book, as it surveys the mounting
evidence that programs that shore up resilience can and do work. Empirically
rich chapters show how children, youth, families, and communities can be vital
resources in countering the challenges posed by violence, abuse, neglect, and
other obstacles to development. It provides concrete examples of programs that
recognize, strengthen, and marshal the abilities of individuals and groups traditionally
assumed to be deficient or in need of "fixing."
