Sunday, March 06, 2011

Pg. 99: Natasha K. Warikoo's "Balancing Acts"

The current feature at the Page 99 Test: Balancing Acts: Youth Culture in the Global City by Natasha K. Warikoo.

About the book, from the publisher:
In this timely examination of children of immigrants in New York and London, Natasha Kumar Warikoo asks, Is there a link between rap/hip-hop-influenced youth culture and motivation to succeed in school? Warikoo challenges teachers, administrators, and parents to look beneath the outward manifestations of youth culture -- the clothing, music, and tough talk -- to better understand the internal struggle faced by many minority students as they try to fit in with peers while working to lay the groundwork for successful lives. Using ethnographic, survey, and interview data in two racially diverse, low-achieving high schools, Warikoo analyzes seemingly oppositional styles, tastes in music, and school behaviors and finds that most teens try to find a balance between success with peers and success in school.
Learn more about Balancing Acts at the the University of California Press website.

Natasha Kumar Warikoo is Assistant Professor at Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

The Page 99 Test: Balancing Acts.

--Marshal Zeringue