ABSTRACT
At the turn of the twentieth century, adolescence was a character in multiple stories: the city as jungle, family upheaval, nation-building, political reforms, immigration, economic tumult, and international imperialism, among others. The adolescent was enormously plastic, even promiscuous, and was eagerly and regularly invoked in discussions about the threats to nation and empire, the erosion of Anglo Protestant values and morals in urban areas, and fear of racial suicide. This chapter describes the "boy problem" and dominant responses in child study, character-building, and play reform. Although white middle-class boys were the focus of salvation efforts, their central positions were articulated and meaningful against the shadows of uncivilized others: working-class boys, girls, and primitives. I seek to portray not only the reasoning of the reformers, but also the material arrangements used to identify problems, offer recommendations, and implement strategies. This materialist analysis is important because when we combine ideas and concrete practices, "peculiar activists" of another time begin to resemble ourselves. I look at the constructions of the problems and the solutions in ways that highlight the continuing influences of these reformers.
