The essays in this study take an anthropological approach to understanding adolescence in the Islands of the Pacific. They explore the biological basis of teenage rebellion, the role of the adolescent in Pacific Island cultures, and teenagers' influence as agents of change.

A ground-breaking comparative study of adolescence, "Adolescence in Pacific Island Soci"eties examines how biology, culture, and adolescence interact in the rapidly changing Pacific Islands, and question the relationship of social change and adolescent experience.