A Temporal, Relational, and Contextual Qualitative Analysis on the Perceptions of Youth and Practitioners in Understanding and Practicing Youth Empowerment

A presente pesquisa faz uma análise comparativa sobre as formas as quais os sentimentos antipartidários se manifestam nas juventudes do Brasil, Chile e Colômbia, países que tiveram grandes protestos com participação dos jovens desde 2011. A percepção desses jovens sobre os partidos políticos foi analisada a partir do banco de dados do Projeto de Opinião Pública da América Latina (Lapop), considerando as ondas de 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 20016 e 2018, com ênfase nos anos de 2010, 2014 e 2018 – períodos marcados por ciclos de protestos nos países selecionados. A classificação dos jovens antipartidários foi feita com base nas variáveis simpatia e confiança pelos partidos políticos. Para entender as percepções dos jovens antipartidários, analisamos o quanto eles apoiam a democracia e se interessam por política. Os resultados demonstram que o antipartidarismo na juventude se manifesta a partir do antipartidarismo reativo relacionado também aos aspectos socioculturais e contextuais.

There has been growing concern over the state’s inability to effectively respond to Nigeria's persistent rise in poverty and unemployment. This concern is more among the youth, who feel they have not been empowered enough. This article examines the nature of Yobe State's institutional capacity, its impact on youth empowerment, and its implications on employment and poverty reduction. It is based on a study that adopted a mixed-methods sequential approach combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. In the first phase, 393 randomly selected respondents were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. In the second phase, data were collected on key informants and youth participants' opinions, views, and experiences using key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that most youth are not confident of the state's institutional capacity to implement youth empowerment programs effectively. Most of the youth participants and key informants are not satisfied with the expertise of the state empowerment institutions to manage the implementation of the empowerment programs in the state. The factor analysis shows a 64.4% variation in institutional capacity to implement youth empowerment programs, meaning improvement in state capacity and state competence in implementing youth empowerment programs may lead to 64.4% towards youth empowerment in the state. Therefore, the study recommends that Yobe State Government strengthens its institutions responsible for designing and implementing empowerment programs through adequate funding and recruitment of adequate, relevant, and professional staff to ensure policy sustainability.
 
 Received: 23 March 2023 / Accepted: 29 June 2023 / Published: 5 July 2023

This study was carried out to review agricultural education for youth empowerment in Nigeria. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and existing studies on related studies were sourced online. The major findings of the study disclosed that motivational strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria include: adequate remuneration of trainers, disbursement of long and short term loans, bursary scheme for youth educational empowerment, sharing of sewing machines, among others. Supervisory strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria include, provision of adequate supervision task force for youth empowerment programmes and preparation of guidelines for reporting youth empowerment training activities. Managerial strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria among others include: development of scopes and sequence of the training programmes, provision of a curriculum for youth empowerment programmes and proper adherence to the curriculum contents. The policy strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria include, promulgation of decree for compulsory youth empowerment training programmes and centres, adoption of youth oriented policies in the States and formulation of decrees for formal entrepreneurship training programmes in institutions. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made: youth empowerment programmes should be introduced in the curriculum of institutions of higher learning. Tertiary institutions should put in efforts in teaching vocational education and agricultural skills acquisition programmes to enable every Nigerian to be self-reliant, self-developed and creative.

This paper examines the results of a Pan-Canadian online survey of caregivers of children with disabilities (n=247) that explored the barriers and unmet needs experienced by children with disabilities and their caregivers during the first wave of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. A purposive sample of caregivers of children with disabilities between the ages of 4-21 years were recruited through disability advocacy organisations. A thematic analysis was conducted of caregivers’ responses to 3 open-ended survey questions not previously examined. The themes were analysed using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems framework and revealed attitudinal, structural, and policy barriers to equity and inclusion for children with disabilities and their caregivers at multiple levels of the social ecology. The themes included the microsystem (Multiple and complex roles for caregivers), Mesosystem (Is anyone out there?), Macrosystem (Disability exclusive decisions), Exosystem (Left behind), and Chronosystem (Stress and giving up). Recommendations for policy and practice include strengthening teacher training in inclusive pedagogies, enacting participatory policy co-design that prioritises the needs of children with disabilities and caregivers, increasing regulation of individualised education planning, and providing supports that address the well-being of children with disabilities and caregivers.

The purpose of the study is to examine the potential role of Waqf institutions in the provision of Waqf-based youth empowerment programs in order to achieve one of the pillars of positive peace which is a Sound Business Environment and to establish a peaceful society in Kano state. Waqf is a perpetual charity that is donated by wealthy individuals to the needy. A Waqf institution has played a vital role in the development of socio-economic activities in the past and presently serves as a mechanism for the social and economic wellbeing of the society. Sound Business Environment is an essential pillar in creating a peaceful society as it provides job opportunities, wealth creation and youth empowerment. The study will examine the potentialities of Waqf institutions in actualising the indicators of the Sound business environment in Kano state. The Qualitative Method of research will be adopted for this study, whereas, previous documents and relevant pieces of literature will be studied, and structured interviews will be conducted to ascertain the role of Waqf in the Youth empowerment for a Sound Business Environment and peace in the state. The data gathered from the structured interview has been analysed using thematic data analysis. The study found that Waqf as a perpetual charity and philanthropic activities in Kano have played a vital role in the youth empowerment in education, vocational skills, job opportunities and entrepreneurship towards achieving a peaceful society and attaining a sound business environment as a pillar of positive peace. The study concluded that Waqf-based youth empowerment programs have a potential role in empowering many youths in the state, many youths were empowered in education, training, and skills and secured a starting capital for various businesses thereby establishing a peaceful and prosperous Kano Society towards achieving one of the pillars of Positive Peace which is a sound environment for business.

Eat Smart in Parks: Impacts of a Youth Photovoice Project

ABSTRACTGlobally, overweight and obesity (OW/OB) levels are high among children, with rates surpassing the adult population. With such high pediatric OW/OB rates, it is imperative that risk factors are identified and explored. Thus, Davison and Birch developed an adapted framework, based on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which identifies and categorizes the factors in a child’s life that put them at risk for OW/OB. While a socioecological perspective has been a useful tool for examining risk factors in typically developing pediatric populations, this holistic approach has not yet been applied to populations of children with disabilities, who are at an even higher risk of OW/OB than their typically developing peers. This commentary, therefore, explores Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Framework as applied to OW/OB by Davison and Birch, and critically examines its application to children with disabilities.

The main purpose of the study is to examine the role of open and distance learning educational system in empowerment of youth in Pakistan. For the present study, 120 respondents both male and female students of post-graduate programs were recruited through purposive sampling technique. Survey method was used as a technique for data collection. A wellstructured questionnaire was administered to collect information from respondents attending workshops at AllamaIqbal Open University main campus Islamabad. The study showed that ODL is playing very important role in providing education and enhancing youth’ empowerment in especially this three areas, individual autonomy, socio-cultural and economic spheres. It is recommended that curriculum may also be competent enough to meet the futuristic and modern day educational and professional needs of the youth.

African American communities are at risk of negative psychological and physical health problems associated with structural and community violence. Street outreach, a community-based social service violence intervention, can build resilience and coping to buffer against these negative effects. Using qualitative case study, the authors explored the effects of street outreach on the resilience and coping of ten outreach workers in two Southside communities in Chicago. Findings from the thematic analysis indicated individual level factors (such as internal state, perceptions, experiences, and future goals) and system level factors (such as family, work, community, culture, and the broader society) related to the workers’ experiences of community violence, street outreach utilization, and resilience. The authors presented these factors using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems framework. Additionally, the workers’ scores on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 corroborated the individual level factors but lacked the system factors. The authors concluded that outreach programs could help to build the resilience and coping capacity of workers by implementing workplace policies and procedures that promote mental health, trauma healing, and career advancement. Future studies should include quantitative outcome data to analyze the effects of street outreach programming on workers’ resilience.

BackgroundChina is experiencing a sizeable rural-urban flow, which may influence the health of internal migrant youth deeply. Disadvantages in the city are highly likely to contribute to health issues among the young internal migrant population. The current qualitative study is to explore how internal migrant young people view the health issues they face, and the services and opportunities they could seek in their host community.MethodsData were collected from 90 internal migrant youth aged between 15 and 19 years old and 20 adult service providers who worked with them in a community of Shanghai, where the population of internal migrants was relatively large. Four types of qualitative research methods were used, including key informant interviews with adults, in-depth interviews with adolescents, a photovoice activity with adolescents and community mapping & focus group discussions with adolescents. Guided by the ecological systems framework and the acculturation theory, thematic analysis was conducted using ATLAS.Ti 7.0 software.ResultsWhile younger migrants had a limited understanding of health, elder migrant youths were more sensitive to societal and political factors related to their health. Mental health and health risk behaviors such as smoking, violence and premarital unsafe sex were thought as major health issues. Internal migrant youths rarely seek health information and services initiatively from formal sources. They believed their health concerns weren’t as pressing as the pressure coming from the high cost of living, the experience of being unfairly treated and the lack of opportunities. Participants also cited lack of family and social support, lack of awareness and supportive policies to get access to community and public services as impacting health factors.ConclusionsThe study’s findings provide the insight to the social contexts which influence the health experience, health seeking behaviors, and city adaptation of young internal migrants in their host community. This research stresses the importance of understanding social networks and structural barriers faced by migrant youth in vulnerable environments. A multidimensional social support is essential for internal migrant youth facing present and potential health risks.

The current exploratory qualitative study describes how environmental factors, social interactions, personal experiences, and stigma affect mental health and help-seeking. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine university faculty members who self-identified as having mental illness-related concerns. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems framework and thematic analysis, four domains were determined: (1) macrosystem (i.e., influences of academic culture); (2) mesosystem (i.e., influences of faculty leadership and interpersonal dynamics); (3) microsystem (i.e., influences of individual mental health experiences); and (4) exosystem (i.e., influences of stigma across structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels). These domains included barriers to and facilitators of mental health and help-seeking. Findings suggest that competitiveness and individualism may perpetuate stereotypes that mental illnesses are inherent weaknesses, and that seeking help is a barrier to academic success. Recommendations for future research are provided. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60(11), 17-25.].

This study addresses the underexplored integration of cultural heritage education within vocational tourism programs in Indonesia, focusing on its role in cultural preservation and youth empowerment. It investigates the development dynamics, internal readiness, and stakeholder perceptions of the Pottery Class at the Teaching Factory of SMKN 2 Sukawati as a model of culturally embedded educational tourism. Employing a qualitative design, the research sampled 50 participants, including students, teachers, tourists, and local artisans selected via purposive sampling. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, participant observation, questionnaires, and document analysis, followed by thematic analysis. Findings indicate that cultural learning motivates 78% of tourists, while the program enhances students’ cultural confidence and entrepreneurial interest. However, challenges persist in marketing, language barriers, and public awareness. These outcomes support experiential learning and cultural tourism theories. The study concludes that the Pottery Class effectively bridges vocational education and cultural tourism, advancing both heritage preservation and economic development objectives. Theoretically, it contributes to understanding school-based tourism models, while practically, it offers recommendations for policymakers, educators, and tourism stakeholders to improve program packaging, forge strategic partnerships, and incorporate digital cultural storytelling. Future research directions include comparative analyses of similar programs in diverse cultural contexts and evaluation of long-term tourist learning outcomes.

Community violence (CV) is associated with negative psychosocial outcomes, such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and anger; however, many individuals also exhibit resilience. Considering the multifinality of outcomes following CV and guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems framework, the current study sought to examine individual, microsystem, and exosystem level factors in relation to PTSS, anger, and resilience. Participants were 536 emerging adults (Mage = 20.13; SD = 1.81, range = 18-25) recruited from two universities. Three hierarchical linear regression models were conducted, one for each dependent variable (i.e., PTSS, anger, resilience). Block 1 included the covariates of recruitment site and age. Block 2 added individual-level factors (i.e., gender, race, income, CV exposure, other trauma exposure, code of the streets [COS] beliefs, religiosity), Block 3 added microsystem-level factors (i.e., parental monitoring, social support), and Block 4 added exosystem-level factors (i.e., community cohesion, community disorder). Identifying as female, higher levels of CV and other trauma exposure, and lower levels of social support were associated with greater PTSS. Recruitment site, more cumulative trauma, stronger endorsement of COS beliefs, lower levels of social support, and higher levels of community disorder were associated with higher levels of problematic anger. Higher income, identifying as a racial minority, higher levels of CV, more religiosity, higher levels of social support, and greater community cohesion were associated with more resilience. These findings highlight the importance of examining ecological systems concurrently. Individual- and microsystem-level variables may be key targets and should be considered in intervention and prevention services for emerging adults exposed to violence.

Only a minority of adolescent/adult survivors seek formal assistance following sexual victimization, and as such may not receive adequate care. The current paper is a systematic review of the published literature on barriers to formal help-seeking from within an ecological systems framework. Results supported that survivors often face significant help-seeking barriers at multiple levels of the ecological system. At the individual level, barriers include being a member of an oppressed or minoritized group, lack of acknowledgment of the sexual victimization, and self-stigma related to one’s victimization. At the microsystem level, barriers include negative reactions to assault disclosure as well as fear of reprisal from the perpetrator. At the mesosystem and exosystem levels, barriers include a lack of resource access and availability, laws that can impede help-seeking, rigid societal gender roles, and cultural norms that emphasize secrecy and maintenance of family honor. Implications for research, practice, and policy include a need for research focused on barriers to help-seeking at multiple ecological levels, policies to increase resource availability and access, and training of providers to ensure competence to address survivors’ needs.

This study is justified by the ever-rising poverty, unemployment, and inequality that South African youth experience, particularly not in education or employment and training (NEET) youth. It explored and evaluated the functions of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the National Development Plan (NDP) with a focus on the requirements of NEET youth in a province of South Africa using theories of human capital and empowerment. The methods and mitigating measures that TVET are implementing to address the needs of NEET youths were captured using a phenomenological and explorative research technique to achieve this purpose. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to choose participants for the semi-structured interviews with TVET managers (N = 2) and focus groups for educators (N = 20). Following thematic data analysis, these four themes were identified: (i) Unlocking Youth Potential through TVET, (ii) Relationship between TVET curriculum and economic development, (iii) TVET’s Contribution to National Development and Youth Empowerment, (iv) Constraints faced by the youth in implementing the national development plan. The themes illustrated the government’s obligation to eradicate youth inactivity by providing them with a variety of skills through TVET frameworks. Young people are therefore advised to actively participate in TVET initiatives designed to end poverty and youth unemployment. Additionally, it is recommended that the South African government, TVET colleges, and industry work together to ensure that national development programs, particularly those that focus on the economic empowerment and development of youths, may be accomplished to attain the NDP 2030 target on schedule.