The Age of Youth

In The Age of Youth (Cambridge University Press), Hattori explores how the United States reshaped the meaning of “youth” in the first half of the 20^th century. Through policies from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps to the New Deal and wartime training initiatives, she reveals how national security priorities affected young people’s access to education in times of war and peace. Hattori argues that military-age men were cast as guardians of the future, linking youth with politics. Bridging education, citizenship, and security, The Age of Youth shows how global conflict had a profound impact on American ideas about adolescence and obligation.