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Abes, Elisa S., 139–40 adulthood, 16, 35–36, 45, 64, 159. See also maturity autonomy, 27, 28, 46, 69, 148, 150, 157, 162. See also freedom; independence Bandura, Albert, 44 Baxter Magolda, Marcia, 114, 120, 121–24, 140, 141, 146, 147 body image, 37–38, 46, 47 careers, 5, 15, 19, 20, 22, 102, 104, 105, 106. See also vocations care work, 20–21, 23, 32, 35, 36, 44, 69, 166, 170 challenges, 27, 28, 47; desire for, 16–18, 22, 34, 104, 154; and emotional maturity, 30; fulfillment from, 151; in gender relations, 62; learning from, 1; level of, 36–37, 45, 148, 149, 150–52; and motivation, 21, 23; of return, 67; and self-confidence, 33–34, 44; and self-understanding, 25; to sense of self, 69; and transformative learning, 45 charity, 79, 80, 95, 107 children, 21, 44, 61–62; care for, 9; death of, 78, 112, 115, 151; maturity from caring for, 35, 36, 51, 65; role models for, 32, 36. See also orphans/orphanages Christianity, 40, 72 cities. See urban communities City Year in the United States, 153 civic education, 128–32, 167, 169, 170 civic life. See community civic meaning-making, 9, 127–29, 131–34, 142–46 cognitive dimensions, 6, 70, 114, 138, 142, 149, 157; of civic involvement, 131, 134, 142–43; and dissonance, 120, 136; of meaning-making, 121, 123, 131, 139; of self-understanding, 140 colleges and universities: as academic treadmills, 3, 14, 22, 103, 139; altered course of study at, 104–8, 114; application and admission to, 3, 19, 113; attendance after gap year, 101–4; community fostered at, 75; differences of volunteers from non–gap year students at, 27; formulas for success supplied in, 122–23, 146; gap year taken before, 166; high-risk students in, 123, 141; independence in, 169; leadership positions at, 115; and meaning-making, 121; motivation for, 5–8, 19, 102–3; and partner relationships, 55; preparation for, 16; readjustment to after gap year, 108–10, 112; research in, 107; as selfish pursuit, 111; as vocational training, 15; volunteers as gravitating toward each other in, 58–59. See also education comfort zone, removal from, 15–16, 25, 28, 33 commitment, 21–22, 80, 114, 131, 142 common good, 127, 130, 142 communication, 49, 50, 51, 54–55, 66, 67, 69 Index 178 Index community, 9, 69; active membership in, 169–70; adult roles in, 35–36, 45; appreciation of, 95; as basis for social change, 79; changes in ideas about, 127, 135; charities embedded in, 80–81; citizens in international , 128; and civic education, 130, 131; concern for local, 132; connectedness to, 46, 84; contribution to, 17, 21, 74, 75, 83, 84, 131, 143–44, 165; and cultural difference , 82; and Dewey, 129; exposure to larger, 139; of gap year vs. home, 110; guilt over, 109; impact of actions on, 31–32, 168; importance of living in, 68; improvement of, 142; in-depth perspective on, 16–17; integration into, 17, 21, 23, 26, 45–46, 56, 73–76, 84, 90–91, 144, 149, 154–56, 158, 159, 160, 162; long-term experience in, 29; and materialism, 84; and mental health, 47; and mental health disorders, 161; moral expectations of, 77–78; and morality and religion, 84; participation in, 142; professional roles in, 29; receptivity of, 154; return to gap year, 48, 109; role in, 27; selection of, 152–54; sense of, 96; volunteering in, 169. See also relationships; rural communities; urban communities competence, 28, 31, 32, 64 constructive developmental learning, 120–24, 126, 133, 135, 146, 167 control, 28–29, 38–39, 45, 47 cosmopolitanism, 9, 127–28, 131–34, 145–46 counterculture, 2, 14, 141 country, gap year: college attended in, 101; connection with, 93; continued contact with friends from, 104; continued residence in, 101; guilt over lack of opportunities in, 116; investment in, 101; location of, 167; return to, 101; selection of, 152–54; training about, 162. See also community; cultures; home countries critical thinking, 1, 99, 113, 116, 124, 139; and confidence, 98; encouragement of, 162; about media and culture, 97, 98; and mestiza consciousness, 85; about self and tradition, 133, 145; in West, 94 Crittenden, Jack, 128, 129 Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, 70 cultures, 87; aid relevant to, 80; challenge of different, 153–54; and community integration , 155; context of, 96–97; differences in, 82, 88–89, 133; and dissonance, 137, 138; experience of, 169; and family, 59, 60, 65; and gender roles, 62–64; home, 83; influence of local, 50...

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