In this monograph, student protests and disturbances are viewed within a broad and well-informed framework, which includes: (1) the growing importance of youth and college students in American society; (2) the changing social position of youth and the rise of a generalized youth subculture; and (3) perspectives on cooperative subcultures, deviant subcultures, and rebellious subcultures. The author examines comparative theories of student protest movements from other cultures, as well as discussing the varied theories which have attempted to explain the American student protest movement. Also included is a fairly comprehensive overview of the historical development of the student movement in our country. In a final section, the author discusses "what is to be done?" and points to the complexity of developing social and educational policy. Several approaches are presented as possibilities for working with student protest and their possible impact is explored. (TL)