Episode 60: Pass the Torch (w/ Jean Rhodes)

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

My generation, and the ones before mine, have really screwed things up, it seems. But eventually, younger people will take their place as leaders (and some already are). For all our screw-ups, those of us who have some years under our belts can potentially play helpful roles as mentors, as younger folks find their way. I recently had a chance to talk about mentorship with Jean Rhodes, an influential expert on the topic, and the Frank L. Boyden Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She studies intergenerational relationships, especially formal and informal mentorship, and their effects on the development of youth, particularly marginalized youth. Among the issues we discussed: What is the impact of mentorship? When is it most effective? What’s the role of gender and race? What does it take to be a good mentor? And what kinds of policies can support effective mentoring?

LINKS

--Jean Rhodes web profile

--New York Times obituary on George Albee

--"The effects of youth mentoring programs: A meta-analysis of outcome studies," Raposa et al. (2019), Journal of Youth and Adolescence

--Older and Wiser: New Ideas for Youth Mentoring in the 21st Century, by Jean E. Rhodes

Special Guest: Jean Rhodes.