The concept of adolescence: Evolution and representation in Quebec children's literature

Unlike adult literature, which presents childhood or adolescence as seen by adults, children's literature is a valuable corpus through which to study the evolution of the concept of adolescence. Although the word adolescence has existed for a long time, only in the twentieth century have teenagers b een recognised as a specific social group. The Depression of the thirties, the new postwar social order and the demonstrations of the sixties were mom ents of challenge to established structures that enabled teenagers to estab lish themselves as a social group with a distinct culture. The evolution of the concept of adolescence has led to major shifts in the themes of books written for this age group. In establishing a parallel between the history of the concept and the content of literature for teenagers, the article pro vides ways of understanding the most recent aspects of this literature.