Rough DraftIn this article, we will look at the stage of adolescence throughout life. Race/ethnicity, class, and gender are linked to the resources and well-being of adolescents because….. The social problem we will examine is depression and its correlation with changes in family structure and the effects both have on adolescents. One of the major limitations in analyzing parental absence (is that there have not been many studies that have presented data representing race/ethnicity separately (Amato 545).) Before we dive further into this article, we will begin by identifying what stage of the life course is considered adolescence. Adolescence is the stage of life when a child is in the process of transforming into a young adult. During this phase of the life course adolescents experience biological growth and development, a state of unidentified status, increased important decision making, increased pressure, and self-searching. [you need to find something that supports it]. Race/ethnicity, class, and gender are all important aspects of the adolescent stage in the life course and as well as the adolescent's family structure. Critical Literature Review As mentioned above, this stage in the life course is crucial because it is when a child is developing into an adult.a. Race/ethnicityb. Class: “experiences higher levels of depression related to difficult economic conditions” (Portnoy 127)c. Gender “Existing evidence regarding the effects of gender is equally inconclusive” (Culpin et al. 2616). There is some evidence of gender effects on the association between father absence and depressive symptoms, with girls being more negatively affected than boys, but.. ....middle of paper......may be seen as an opportunity for growth. However, in Portnoy's article his findings demonstrate that "children of divorce exhibit higher levels of depression and anxiety, lower self-esteem, and more frequent use of psychological services" (127). Depression with Death of a Parent Along with other forms of loss, the death of a parent is another extremely painful experience. By the age of 11, 3% of children in this country will have been affected by the death of their parents (Keenan 32). Five years later, at age 16, this figure rises to over 5% (Elliot and Shepherd 836-43). Conclusion Depression can be caused by many different factors, but divorce and the death of a parent can be directly linked to worsening levels of depression. More research is needed on gender, class, and race/ethnicity. Girls tended to have higher levels of depression in the given situations.