Coles Speaks On Teenage Parents At Ed School

Robert Coles, professor of psychiatry and medical humanities, talked about his recent study on teenage parents with audience members at Asquith Hall at the School of Education last night.

Coles, who spoke as part of the Harvard Education Forum, discussed his new book, The Youngest Parents, which was recently released by W.W. Norton & Company.

The book, which chronicles Coles' conversations with teenage parents from various parts of the country, includes photographs by John Moses, one of Coles's former students.

The 1973 Pulitzer Prize winner spoke about the importance of interactions between text and photography in the book.

"I started this work about 20 years ago at the behest of my wife, who said that some of the young people I know should be done justice to through a description of their lives," Coles said.

"This offers some glimpse of young women and men who become parents at age 14 or 15, beginning with the men," he added.

Coles read some excerpts from his book about the dialogues he had with many teenage fathers.

During their conversation with Coles, the men identified the difference between adolescent boys and girls as encapsulated in the dilemma of teenage sex.

"It's minutes for you and months for her," said one young man to Coles, explaining his belief that female peers used sex simply to start families.

"That's a nice way of summarizing the situation for someone with a limited education," Coles said, referring to the stereotypes and fears he brought into neighborhoods such as Roxbury and South Boston where many of the interviews were conducted.

Coles said he often felt "afraid and confused" dealing with youth in the neighborhoods, struggling to differentiate between the young parents he encountered there.

"I put in a plea," Coles said. "Yes, they are young, the youngest parents, but let's get rid of that 'they,' and see these young men and women as people."

Coles also said that many of the weaknesses that older single parents or parents in general encounter in rearing children are magnified in teen parenting and pregnancy cases he examined.

"We see more vividly in other worlds what it's hardest to see in our own," he said.

Many audience members said they were pleased with Coles' straightforward and exhaustive approach to the subject.

"I was very impressed by his humbleness and sense of reason in dealing with particular relationships," said Emily Dossett, a student at the Divinity School. "He really invested the time, both in terms of labor and emotional time."

Anthony Loscalzo, a student at the School of Education, said he can relate to Coles' project on a personal level. As a filmmaker interested in projects concerning single mothers, Loscalzo said he enjoyed Coles's unique perspective.

"The public needs to be educated about this issue," he said. "That's how we'll get rid of the stigma.

Coles said he often felt "afraid and confused" dealing with youth in the neighborhoods, struggling to differentiate between the young parents he encountered there.

"I put in a plea," Coles said. "Yes, they are young, the youngest parents, but let's get rid of that 'they,' and see these young men and women as people."

Coles also said that many of the weaknesses that older single parents or parents in general encounter in rearing children are magnified in teen parenting and pregnancy cases he examined.

"We see more vividly in other worlds what it's hardest to see in our own," he said.

Many audience members said they were pleased with Coles' straightforward and exhaustive approach to the subject.

"I was very impressed by his humbleness and sense of reason in dealing with particular relationships," said Emily Dossett, a student at the Divinity School. "He really invested the time, both in terms of labor and emotional time."

Anthony Loscalzo, a student at the School of Education, said he can relate to Coles' project on a personal level. As a filmmaker interested in projects concerning single mothers, Loscalzo said he enjoyed Coles's unique perspective.

"The public needs to be educated about this issue," he said. "That's how we'll get rid of the stigma.