Publisher's Synopsis
Jane Addams (1860-1935) was an American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, and author. She was an important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage in the US and advocated for world peace. She co-founded Chicago's Hull House, one of America's most famous settlement houses, and in 1910 was awarded an honorary master of arts degree from Yale, becoming the first woman to receive an honorary degree from the school. In 1920 she was a co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and in 1931 became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Addams is recognized as the founder of the social work profession in the US, was a radical pragmatist, and the first woman "public philosopher" in the US. One of the most prominent reformers during the Progressive Era, she became a role model for middle-class women who volunteered to uplift their communities. In The Spirit of Youth and the City Streets, first published in 1909, Jane Addams examines the causes of discontent amongst the youth in the city and argues for the importance of providing direction and focus for the pent-up energies of young men and women. Her compassion is evident throughout, as are her pragmatism and humour, and with the aid of anecdotes of her own experiences with young people she presents a level-headed assessment of the challenges facing urban youth in the early 20th century and the most effective ways to meet them.
