ABSTRACT
Current interest on the part of the international health community in adolescent sexuality is based on the assumption that the biological changes associated with puberty make adolescence a pivotal period in the life course of an individual. These biological changes have social consequences that help define what it means to be an adult, a woman or a man. The fact that most developing countries have a young age structure has brought attention to young people and their specific needs, especially in relation to reproductive health and fertility. To understand adolescence, one must have some sense of the meaning of childhood and adulthood. A study of childhood among Kashmiri Pandits provides insight into the life course of an individual that is relevant for Shaktipur. To understand adolescence, one must have some sense of the meaning of childhood and adulthood. A study of childhood among Kashmiri Pandits provides insight into the life course of an individual that is relevant for Shaktipur.
