Runaways
How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped Today's Practices and Policies
📘 About This Book
During the 1960s and 1970s, the issue of runaways became a source of national concern. This text examines the programmes and policies that took shape during this period and the ways in which the ideas of the alternative services movement continue to guide our responses to at-risk youth.
📖 Summary
Karen M. Staller's 2006 text, Runaways, offers a deep and rigorous political science analysis of how youth abandonment and running away transformed from an isolated personal trouble into a major source of national concern during the turbulent decades of the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning 328 pages, the book meticulously reconstructs the historical landscape of this era, charting the emergence of specialized social programmes and institutional policies designed to cope with the rising tide of runaway youth. Rather than viewing policy development as a purely top-down bureaucratic process, Staller examines the crucial role played by the alternative services movement. This grassroots counterculture movement introduced radical new paradigms for youth care, challenging conventional state interventions and forging community-based frameworks that prioritized empathy, peer support, and alternative living arrangements over traditional punitive or correctional measures. A central pillar of Staller's investigation is the exploration of how these pioneering ideas did not simply fade away with the counterculture of the seventies, but instead proved remarkably resilient. The book traces how the foundational concepts, philosophies, and operational strategies born out of the alternative services movement continue to permeate and guide contemporary responses to at-risk youth today. By evaluating the political dynamics, ideological struggles, and practical realities that shaped these historical programmes, Staller provides readers with a comprehensive look at the intersection of social welfare policy, political movements, and institutional reform. The text serves as an essential resource for understanding the complex mechanisms through which society defines, governs, and attempts to rescue its most vulnerable young people, highlighting the enduring legacy of 1960s and 1970s activism on modern social policy frameworks.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Provides a thorough historical analysis of the 1960s and 1970s alternative services movement.
Connects past policy developments directly to contemporary at-risk youth strategies.
Offers a rigorous political science perspective on social welfare and institutional programs.
Illuminates the grassroots origins of modern youth intervention policies.
⚠️ Cons
Focuses heavily on historical policy and may be dense for casual readers.
Limited coverage of developments outside the specific timeframes emphasized.
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of Runaways? +
The book was written by Karen M. Staller.
When was Runaways published? +
It was published in 2006.
How many pages does the book contain? +
The text spans 328 pages.
What historical time period does the book primarily examine? +
The book focuses primarily on the 1960s and 1970s.
What genre does this book belong to? +
It falls under the political-science genre.
