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Young People's Perspectives on End-of-Life: Death, Culture and the Everyday
by Sarah CoombsThis book challenges adult assumptions that young-people do not, cannot and should not think about death. The author uses everyday material objects in order to facilitate a range of conversations, revealing lively engagement with the topic. Cultural resources, such as literature and film, provide a rich variety of perspectives on and responses to death, whilst equally providing an opportunity to challenge many of these representations as unreal and unauthentic. The book contains personal narratives of loss and memories of loved ones, presenting a variety of encounters with significant deaths, the stories being told in an array of vibrant, amusing and emotive ways. Similarly, death is explored from a variety of religious and scientific frameworks, highlighting rich and changing perspectives. Such shifting and exciting vistas are a largely undiscovered part of young-people's lives and situate them in a landscape not often associated with childhood. Young-People's Perspectives on End-of-Life will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, including Childhood and Youth Studies, Death Studies, Qualitative Research Methodologies, Sociology, Anthropology and Education.
Young People's Perspectives on End-of-Life: Death, Culture and the Everyday
by Sarah CoombsThis book challenges adult assumptions that young-people do not, cannot and should not think about death. The author uses everyday material objects in order to facilitate a range of conversations, revealing lively engagement with the topic. Cultural resources, such as literature and film, provide a rich variety of perspectives on and responses to death, whilst equally providing an opportunity to challenge many of these representations as unreal and unauthentic. The book contains personal narratives of loss and memories of loved ones, presenting a variety of encounters with significant deaths, the stories being told in an array of vibrant, amusing and emotive ways. Similarly, death is explored from a variety of religious and scientific frameworks, highlighting rich and changing perspectives. Such shifting and exciting vistas are a largely undiscovered part of young-people's lives and situate them in a landscape not often associated with childhood. Young-People's Perspectives on End-of-Life will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, including Childhood and Youth Studies, Death Studies, Qualitative Research Methodologies, Sociology, Anthropology and Education.
Young People's Political Participation in Western Europe: Continuity or Generational Change? (Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology)
by Gema Garcia AlbaceteAre young people today politically 'apathetic'? Or are they democratically 'mature' citizens? This book examines several types of involvement to reveal changes in young people's political participation in Europe in recent decades. It uses various concepts of 'age' to compare participation across countries and over time.
Young People's Quality of Life and Construction of Citizenship (SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research)
by Graciela TononThe study of quality of life refers to the material environment (social welfare) and psychosocial environment (wellbeing). It has been defined as a concept that implies the objective and subjective dimension that Cummins (1997) first studied in seven domains. The use of domains in the quality of life study allows a more precise measurement than the one that could have been reached through simple questions, since psychometric scales are used and if the addition of domains is equivalent to the totality of life satisfaction, then the group of domains is a valid measure of quality of life. In the case of young people, it has been observed that even if they live in negative physical, social and contextual conditions, they can nevertheless experience a relatively positive experience in relation to their quality of life, depending on the strategies and capabilities that they generate in relation to the context. Similarly, young people that live in favorable socioeconomic conditions and with a trouble free psychological situation may experience a relatively poor evaluation of their position in life (Patrick et al). oung people do not form a homogenous group and, in this sense, it is not possible to generalize about youth; they interact with the environment in which they live and they are a product of the history they happen to live, in this way they transit different vital scenarios in daily life that affect their quality of life. The social representations about youth that each population has, in each historical moment, are embedded in the social context in which young people live and develop, conditioning every-day life and /or creating related stereotypes. The concept of youth is a social construction built conjointly by all members of society in the historical moment in which they live. Young people interact with the environment in which they live and they are a product of the history they happen to live. Authors like Urresti (1999) define youth from a point of view that takes into account the living together of different generations in different societies, thus being impossible to compare young people of today with those of two or three decades ago; in addition, he states that it is necessary to situate the understanding of youth within the historical and social moment in which they live. Nowadays the predominant adult model is based in individualism, and even if an intergenerational dialogue is necessary, it is difficult for young people to achieve this kind of communication with adults that, in some cases, are living “stages of youth” or that need to be “forever young”. Young people live in uncertainty, with a limited perspective for future action, assigning their own meaning to events and facts, according to their fundamental concerns that are significantly different from those of their parents’ generation. In the other side the process of globalization and the protagonist social role of the new informational and communicational technologies, produce that the possibilities to expand individual freedoms increase, but not all young people can manage with it (Lechner, 2002). What young people need in order to construct their citizenship and feel satisfied, varies according to the different societies, especially considering that most of them live a fragile situation. As Cortina (2003:7-9) states, the idea of citizenship always transcends individualism, because the citizen is somebody that exists together with others, and those others are equal to him before the city, is somebody that deliberates with others, that acts with others conjointly, that assumes the protagonist role of his own life, in this way citizen is not only that who the law protects, but that who participates in the public issues. Speaking about young people we propose to recognize them from their equal dignity because “recognition is not only a courtesy that we owe others: it is an essential human need” (Taylor, 1993:46). This recognition is based in human dignity and tends to protect the basic rights of people as individuals and to recognize the particul
Young People's Rights in the Citizenship Education Classroom (Palgrave Studies in Global Citizenship Education and Democracy)
by Helen HannaThis book explores the rights held by young people in the citizenship education classroom in the divided societies of Northern Ireland and Israel. Against the backdrop of a long history of protracted conflict and division, the author analyses how international rights obligations are reflected in the contested citizenship education curriculum in secondary schools. Drawing upon extensive qualitative data as well as policy and curriculum documents, the author reveals that understandings of education rights can be oriented around three themes – minority group representation in the curriculum, dealing with difference through pedagogy, and preparing young people for life in a (divided) society. This can be mapped onto the 42-A rights framework where education should be ‘acceptable’ and ‘adaptable’. However, the variety of interpretations held by participants raises questions regarding the ‘universality’ of international frameworks for education rights, and the workability of such frameworks in the national and divided contexts. While the contexts of Northern Ireland and Israel have much in common, they are rarely compared: this book will show that their comparison is as relevant as ever, as issues of identity continue to affect everyday school life. This book will be of interest to citizenship and history education scholars, as well as those who are concerned with the application of international human rights law.
Young People’s Transitions into Creative Work: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities (Routledge Research in Education)
by Julian Sefton-Green S Craig Watkins Ben KirshnerExploring how formal and informal education initiatives and training systems in the US, UK and Australia seek to achieve a socially diverse workforce, this insightful book offers a series of detailed case studies to reveal the initiative and ingenuity shown by today’s young people as they navigate entry into creative fields of work. Young People’s Journeys into Creative Work acknowledges the new and diverse challenges faced by today's youth as they look to enter employment. Chapters trace the rise of indie work, aspirational labour, economic precarity, and the disruptive effects of digital technologies, to illustrate the oinventive ways in which youth from varied socio-economic and cultural backgrounds enter into work in film, games production, music, and the visual arts. From hip-hop to new media arts, the text explores how opportunities for creative work have multiplied in recent years as digital technologies open new markets, new scenes, and new opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovation. This book will be of great interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students in the fields of youth studies, careers guidance, media studies, vocational education and sociology of education.
Young People’s Transitions into Creative Work: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities (Routledge Research in Education)
by Julian Sefton-Green S Craig Watkins Ben KirshnerExploring how formal and informal education initiatives and training systems in the US, UK and Australia seek to achieve a socially diverse workforce, this insightful book offers a series of detailed case studies to reveal the initiative and ingenuity shown by today’s young people as they navigate entry into creative fields of work. Young People’s Journeys into Creative Work acknowledges the new and diverse challenges faced by today's youth as they look to enter employment. Chapters trace the rise of indie work, aspirational labour, economic precarity, and the disruptive effects of digital technologies, to illustrate the oinventive ways in which youth from varied socio-economic and cultural backgrounds enter into work in film, games production, music, and the visual arts. From hip-hop to new media arts, the text explores how opportunities for creative work have multiplied in recent years as digital technologies open new markets, new scenes, and new opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovation. This book will be of great interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students in the fields of youth studies, careers guidance, media studies, vocational education and sociology of education.
Young People's Understanding of Society (Adolescence And Society Ser.)
by Adrian FurnhamFirst published in 1991, this book represents the first wide-ranging review of young people’s understanding of the social world and the functioning of society. Taking a social cognitive view of adolescence, it focuses on the processes by which young people learn to understand other people’s thoughts, emotions, intentions and behaviour. Concentrating on the social world of politics, economics, work, gender and religion, the authors cover such issues as: politics and government; work and unemployment; law and legislative matters; religion; marriage and the family; social class; and racial and ethnic differences. This work will be of interest to students of sociology and psychology.
Young People's Understanding of Society (Routledge Revivals)
by Adrian FurnhamFirst published in 1991, this book represents the first wide-ranging review of young people’s understanding of the social world and the functioning of society. Taking a social cognitive view of adolescence, it focuses on the processes by which young people learn to understand other people’s thoughts, emotions, intentions and behaviour. Concentrating on the social world of politics, economics, work, gender and religion, the authors cover such issues as: politics and government; work and unemployment; law and legislative matters; religion; marriage and the family; social class; and racial and ethnic differences. This work will be of interest to students of sociology and psychology.
Young People's Views on Sex Education: Education, Attitudes and Behaviour (PDF)
by Lynda Measor Coralie Tiffin Katrina MillerBased on observation of sex education programmes and in-depth interviews with young people, the authors aim to understand more about adolescent's attitudes to sexuality and their sexual behaviour in order to develop policies which will meet their needs more appropriately and effectively. Issues covered in this interesting and accessible book include the ways adolescent informal culture affects sex education programmes and practice; the impact of gender inequality on sex education and safer sex behaviours; legislation and policy frameworks which effect sex education policies; the way young people see legislation and evaluate sex education programmes; and the impact health professionals can have in school sex education. The authors contend that the insights into the values and views that young people bring to bear on the sex education they receive should have an important role to play in the development of policy and practice of those involved in sex education work.
Young People's Views on Sex Education: Education, Attitudes and Behaviour
by Lynda Measor Coralie Tiffin Katrina MillerBased on observation of sex education programmes and in-depth interviews with young people, the authors aim to understand more about adolescent's attitudes to sexuality and their sexual behaviour in order to develop policies which will meet their needs more appropriately and effectively. Issues covered in this interesting and accessible book include the ways adolescent informal culture affects sex education programmes and practice; the impact of gender inequality on sex education and safer sex behaviours; legislation and policy frameworks which effect sex education policies; the way young people see legislation and evaluate sex education programmes; and the impact health professionals can have in school sex education. The authors contend that the insights into the values and views that young people bring to bear on the sex education they receive should have an important role to play in the development of policy and practice of those involved in sex education work.
Young Refugees and Forced Displacement: Navigating Everyday Life in Beirut (Routledge Advances in Sociology)
by Liliana Riga Mary Holmes Arek Dakessian Johannes Langer David AndersonYoung Refugees and Forced Displacement is about young Syrian and Iraqi refugees navigating the complex realities of forced displacement in Beirut. It is based on a British Academy funded two-year project with 51 displaced youths aged 8 to 17 and under the care of three local humanitarian organisations. Focus groups, interviews and innovative arts-based methods were used to learn about their everyday lives. At the end of the project, we coproduced with them a public mural, allowing unexpected epistemological and methodological reflections on researching refugees and the "right to opacity." Families and friendships, humanitarian caregiving, racism, discrimination and everyday decencies and civilities make up the stuff of their ordinary, everyday encounters within refugeedom, defining both its sharper edges and its more inadvertent and quietly political ones. Thus, refugeedom, as we conceive it, includes "the humanitarian condition" but goes a little beyond it, to become also a human condition of political alterity. In navigating refugeedom, the young Syrians and Iraqis become sophisticated political and moral actors, using emotional reflexivity as they engage layered subjectivities to define the terms of their own forced displacement. This book will be of interest to policymakers, humanitarian organisations, social science scholars and students working on refugees, displacement, humanitarianism, intimacies and emotions, racism and discrimination. It may also be of interest to displaced youth.
Young Refugees and Forced Displacement: Navigating Everyday Life in Beirut (Routledge Advances in Sociology)
by Liliana Riga Mary Holmes Arek Dakessian Johannes Langer David AndersonYoung Refugees and Forced Displacement is about young Syrian and Iraqi refugees navigating the complex realities of forced displacement in Beirut. It is based on a British Academy funded two-year project with 51 displaced youths aged 8 to 17 and under the care of three local humanitarian organisations. Focus groups, interviews and innovative arts-based methods were used to learn about their everyday lives. At the end of the project, we coproduced with them a public mural, allowing unexpected epistemological and methodological reflections on researching refugees and the "right to opacity." Families and friendships, humanitarian caregiving, racism, discrimination and everyday decencies and civilities make up the stuff of their ordinary, everyday encounters within refugeedom, defining both its sharper edges and its more inadvertent and quietly political ones. Thus, refugeedom, as we conceive it, includes "the humanitarian condition" but goes a little beyond it, to become also a human condition of political alterity. In navigating refugeedom, the young Syrians and Iraqis become sophisticated political and moral actors, using emotional reflexivity as they engage layered subjectivities to define the terms of their own forced displacement. This book will be of interest to policymakers, humanitarian organisations, social science scholars and students working on refugees, displacement, humanitarianism, intimacies and emotions, racism and discrimination. It may also be of interest to displaced youth.
Young urban poor: Abstiegsprozesse in den Zentren der Sozialstaaten
by Matthias DrillingDie Zahl der jungen Menschen, die in den europäischen Städten auf Sozialhilfe angewiesen sind, ist in den letzten Jahren stark gestiegen. Die vorliegende Arbeit verbindet sozialwissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse (insbesondere von Ulrich Beck, Pierre Bourdieu und Amartya Sen) für eine theoretische Erklärung dieser Entwicklung und skizziert einen Analysenrahmen zur dynamischen Betrachtung von Armut junger Menschen im städtischen Kontext. Am Beispiel der 18- bis 25-jährigen Sozialhilfeempfänger in der Stadt Basel werden Eintritts- und Verlaufstypen sowie die Bedeutungen der Stadt dargestellt. Interviews mit jungen Erwachsenen zeigen, wie sich soziale Abstiegsprozesse vollziehen und wo staatliches Handeln nötig wird.
Young V. Old: Generational Combat In The 21st Century
by Susan MacmanusArguing that an inter-generational war is brewing in the United States, this book paints a picture of the "ageing of America" and what it means for politics and policy questions, including social security, health care, crime, jobs, social welfare, defence and foreign affairs. Differences between older and younger citizens are examined in the light of voting and registration patterns, ideological and party preferences, and varieties of political activism. Contemporary media and new technologies are highlighted as sources of disparities and bridges between the generations - how they "watch politics", how they prefer to solve social problems, and how inter-generational understanding may be improved through communication and education.
Young Women and the Body: A Feminist Sociology
by L. FrostYoung Women and the Body sets out to examine why the current generation of young women seem to be deeply unhappy with their own bodies. Dieting and disguising are commonplace, and inflicting serious harm by no means rare in fourteen to eighteen year olds. Despite prophesies to the contrary boys and adults are suffering far less. Drawing on feminist social constructionist perspectives the book seeks to examine this epidemic of body-hatred.
Young Women of Prague
by Alena Heitlinger Susanna TrnkaThis book is about the lives of young 'ordinary' Czech women who came of age in the aftermath of the 1989 Velvet Revolution. It is a collection of interviews with fourteen women of similar age and education, but varying work, marital and childbearing experiences. Three additional chapters outline the design of the study, the social and historical forces that have shaped these women's lives, and the common themes emerging out of the interviews, linking them to both legacies of communism and the current postcommunist transition.
Young Working-Class Men in Transition (Critical Studies of Men and Masculinities)
by Steven RobertsYoung Working Class Men in Transition uses a unique blend of concepts from the sociologies of youth and masculinity combined with Bourdieusian social theory to investigate British young working-class men’s transition to adulthood. Indeed, utilising data from biographical interviews as well as an ethnographic observation of social media activity, this volume provides novel insights by following young men across a seven-year time period. Against the grain of prominent popular discourses that position young working-class men as in ‘crisis’ or as adhering to negative forms of traditional masculinity, this book consequently documents subtle yet positive shifts in the performance of masculinity among this generation. Underpinned by a commitment to a much more expansive array of emotionality than has previously been revealed in such studies, young men are shown to be engaged in school, open to so called ‘women’s work’ in the service sector, and committed to relatively egalitarian divisions of labour in the family home. Despite this, class inequalities inflect their transition to adulthood with the ‘toxicity’ neoliberalism - rather than toxic masculinity - being core to this reality. Problematising how working-class masculinity is often represented, Young Working Class Men in Transition both demonstrates and challenges the portrayal of working class masculinity as a repository of homophobia, sexism and anti-feminine acting. It will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as youth studies, masculinity studies, gender studies, sociology of education and sociology of work.
Young Working-Class Men in Transition (Critical Studies of Men and Masculinities)
by Steven RobertsYoung Working Class Men in Transition uses a unique blend of concepts from the sociologies of youth and masculinity combined with Bourdieusian social theory to investigate British young working-class men’s transition to adulthood. Indeed, utilising data from biographical interviews as well as an ethnographic observation of social media activity, this volume provides novel insights by following young men across a seven-year time period. Against the grain of prominent popular discourses that position young working-class men as in ‘crisis’ or as adhering to negative forms of traditional masculinity, this book consequently documents subtle yet positive shifts in the performance of masculinity among this generation. Underpinned by a commitment to a much more expansive array of emotionality than has previously been revealed in such studies, young men are shown to be engaged in school, open to so called ‘women’s work’ in the service sector, and committed to relatively egalitarian divisions of labour in the family home. Despite this, class inequalities inflect their transition to adulthood with the ‘toxicity’ neoliberalism - rather than toxic masculinity - being core to this reality. Problematising how working-class masculinity is often represented, Young Working Class Men in Transition both demonstrates and challenges the portrayal of working class masculinity as a repository of homophobia, sexism and anti-feminine acting. It will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as youth studies, masculinity studies, gender studies, sociology of education and sociology of work.
Your Choice — THE COMPLETE PSHE PROGRAMME FOR KS4: Relationships, Sex And Health Education
by Kate Daniels and Simon Foster
Your Choice Book One (PDF)
by John Foster Simon FosterYour Choice Book 1 covers the 2019 Health, Relationships and Sex Education curriculum, offering advice and practical techniques for managing students' time, money, emotions and health. Topics are organised into four strands to offer a coherent, progressive PSHE course for Years 7 to 9. Each unit can be taught on its own, at any point during Key Stage 3 that the school thinks is appropriate. In Student Book 1: · Personal wellbeing and mental health units focus on increasing self-awareness, building confidence and learning to manage feelings. · Relationships and sex education units make students aware of their rights and responsibilities in relationships, to help them stay safe and treat others with respect. · Physical health and wellbeing units deal with the importance of exercise, sleep, nutrition and leading a healthy lifestyle. · Social education units look outwards to the local community and beyond. The content has been reviewed and trialled by a team of PSHE teachers and RSE experts. The series is accompanied by a detailed teacher guide.
Your Choice Book Three: The Whole-school Solution For Pshe Including Relationships, Sex And Health Education (PDF)
by John Foster Simon Foster Kim RichardsonYour Choice Book 3 covers the 2019 Health, Relationships and Sex Education curriculum, offering advice and practical techniques for managing students' time, money, emotions and health. Topics are organised into four strands to offer a coherent, progressive PSHE course for Years 7 to 9. Each unit can be taught on its own, at any point during Key Stage 3 that the school thinks is appropriate. In Student Book 3: · Personal wellbeing and mental health units concentrate on building confidence and self-esteem, and coping with stress, anxiety and depression. · Relationships and sex education units explore sexuality and gender identity, different types of partnership and marriage, and pregnancy and parenthood. · Physical health and wellbeing units include a focus on drugs, body image and the dangers of gambling. · Social education units look outwards to the local community and to global Citizenship issues. The content has been trialled by a team of PSHE teachers and RSE experts. The series is accompanied by a detailed teacher guide.
Your Choice Book Two: The Whole-school Solution For Pshe Including Relationships, Sex And Health Education (PDF)
by John Foster Simon FosterYour Choice Book 2 covers the 2019 Health, Relationships and Sex Education curriculum, offering advice and practical techniques for managing students' time, money, emotions and health. Topics are organised into four strands to offer a coherent, progressive PSHE course for Years 7 to 9. Each unit can be taught on its own, at any point during Key Stage 3 that the school thinks is appropriate. In Student Book 2: · Personal wellbeing and mental health units focus on increasing self-awareness, building confidence and learning to manage feelings. · Relationships and sex education units offer guidance on healthy relationships, contraception and safer sex, consent, and how to protect yourself online. · Physical health and wellbeing units deal with the importance of taking care of your body, and understanding the risks of alcohol, drug-taking and addiction. · Social education units look outwards to consider attitudes to others and Citizenship topics such as voting, human rights and democracy. The content has been trialled by a team of PSHE teachers and RSE experts. The series is accompanied by a detailed teacher guide.
Your Legacy is Now: Life is Not a Search for Meaning from Others -- It's the Creation of Meaning for Yourself
by Alan WeissFor over 30 years Alan Weiss has consulted, coached, and advised everyone from Fortune 500 executives, state governors, non-profit directors, and entrepreneurs to athletes, entertainers, and beauty pageant contestants. That’s quite an assortment of people, and they run into the thousands. Most of them have had what we euphemistically call "means," and some of them have had a lot more than that. Others have been aspiring and with more ends in sight than means on hand. Alan Weiss states: I’ve dealt with esteem (low), narcissism (high), family problems, leadership dysfunctions, insecurities, addictions, and ethical quandaries. And I’ve talked with them through the coronavirus crisis. But don’t get the wrong idea. About 95% of these people have been well-meaning, honest (to the best of their knowledge), and interested in becoming a better person and better professional. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking to me. I found the equivalent of the "runner’s wall" in their journeys, where they must break through the pain and the obstacles and then can keep going with renewed energy and spirit. But runners know how far they must go after the breakthrough, be it another half lap or another five miles. There is a finish line. I’ve found that people in all positions, even after the "breakthrough," don’t know where they are in the race, let alone where the finish line is. They do not know what meaning is for them. They may have money in the bank, good relationships, the admiration of others, and the love of their dogs. But they have no metrics for "What now?" They believe that at the end of life there is a tallying, some metaphysical accountant who totals up their contributions, deducts their bad acts, and creates the (hopefully positive) difference. That difference, they believe, is their "legacy." But the thought that legacy arrives at the end of life is as ridiculous as someone who decides to sell a business and tries to increase its valuation the day prior. Legacy is now. Legacy is daily. Every day we create the next page in our lives, but the question becomes who is writing it and what’s being written. Is someone else creating our legacy? Or are we, ourselves, simply writing the same page repeatedly? Or do we leave it blank? Our organic, living legacy is marred and squeezed by huge normative pressures. There is a "threshold" point, at which one’s beliefs and values are overridden by immense peer pressure. Our metrics are forced to change. In an age of social media, biased press, and bullying, we’ve come to a point where our legacy, ironically, is almost out of our hands. Yet our "meaning" — our creation of meaning and not a search for some illusive alchemy — creates worth and impact for us and all those with whom we interact.
Your Legacy is Now: Life is Not a Search for Meaning from Others -- It's the Creation of Meaning for Yourself
by Alan WeissFor over 30 years Alan Weiss has consulted, coached, and advised everyone from Fortune 500 executives, state governors, non-profit directors, and entrepreneurs to athletes, entertainers, and beauty pageant contestants. That’s quite an assortment of people, and they run into the thousands. Most of them have had what we euphemistically call "means," and some of them have had a lot more than that. Others have been aspiring and with more ends in sight than means on hand. Alan Weiss states: I’ve dealt with esteem (low), narcissism (high), family problems, leadership dysfunctions, insecurities, addictions, and ethical quandaries. And I’ve talked with them through the coronavirus crisis. But don’t get the wrong idea. About 95% of these people have been well-meaning, honest (to the best of their knowledge), and interested in becoming a better person and better professional. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking to me. I found the equivalent of the "runner’s wall" in their journeys, where they must break through the pain and the obstacles and then can keep going with renewed energy and spirit. But runners know how far they must go after the breakthrough, be it another half lap or another five miles. There is a finish line. I’ve found that people in all positions, even after the "breakthrough," don’t know where they are in the race, let alone where the finish line is. They do not know what meaning is for them. They may have money in the bank, good relationships, the admiration of others, and the love of their dogs. But they have no metrics for "What now?" They believe that at the end of life there is a tallying, some metaphysical accountant who totals up their contributions, deducts their bad acts, and creates the (hopefully positive) difference. That difference, they believe, is their "legacy." But the thought that legacy arrives at the end of life is as ridiculous as someone who decides to sell a business and tries to increase its valuation the day prior. Legacy is now. Legacy is daily. Every day we create the next page in our lives, but the question becomes who is writing it and what’s being written. Is someone else creating our legacy? Or are we, ourselves, simply writing the same page repeatedly? Or do we leave it blank? Our organic, living legacy is marred and squeezed by huge normative pressures. There is a "threshold" point, at which one’s beliefs and values are overridden by immense peer pressure. Our metrics are forced to change. In an age of social media, biased press, and bullying, we’ve come to a point where our legacy, ironically, is almost out of our hands. Yet our "meaning" — our creation of meaning and not a search for some illusive alchemy — creates worth and impact for us and all those with whom we interact.