Abstract
These studies are framed within Social Identity Theory and the Positive Youth Development approach. The aim is: (1) to analyze the relationship between group identification at school and key positive development variables (such as self-esteem, self-efficacy, assertiveness, empathy, alexithymia, satisfaction with life, and academic performance); and (2) examine the moderator role of context (rural or urban areas of residence) and sex in these relationships. The samples were composed of 246 adolescents from a rural context (Study 1) and 156 students from rural and urban contexts (Study 2). As proposed in our hypotheses, the results show statistically significant relationships between group identification and all the variables considered, higher group identification with the class in the rural context, and a moderator role of the context in the relationships between group identification and satisfaction with life, assertiveness, and empathy. These results are relevant for designing and implementing psychoeducational programs to promote positive youth development in both rural and urban contexts.
Highlights
Despite the importance of the development of social identity during adolescence (Erikson, 1968), a time when interactions with peer groups play an important role in identity formation and adolescent development (Eccles et al, 2003), little attention has been paid to the relationship between social identity and positive youth development (PYD)
The purpose of this study is to examine the association between group identification (GI) and PYD variables and whether these relationships differ depending on the sex and the context; that is, sex and context were tested as moderator variables in Study 1 and Study 2, respectively
With regard to the relationship between GI and the rest of the variables considered, statistically significant positive correlations were found with self-esteem (r = 0.169; p = 0.008), self-efficacy (r = 0.128; p = 0.05), assertiveness (r = 0.196; p = 0.002), empathy (r = 0.144; p < 0.024), and academic performance (r = 0.162; p = 0.011)
Summary
Despite the importance of the development of social identity during adolescence (Erikson, 1968), a time when interactions with peer groups play an important role in identity formation and adolescent development (Eccles et al, 2003), little attention has been paid to the relationship between social identity and positive youth development (PYD). A central aspect of the PYD approach is that it occurs through the interaction between individuals and their social context (Lerner, 2002), most of the research has focused on interpersonal factors, with little attention paid to analyzing the role that groups in general, and social identity in particular, can play in PYD (Bruner et al, 2017). This contribution may be important if we consider that relevant PYD models include constructs that highlight the role of the individual-social context interaction. In the model proposed by Oliva et al (2010), one of the competencies in the area of personal development is the sense of belonging, that is, the degree to which adolescents experience a sense of belonging and satisfaction with their school, as well as the value of the perceived support from teachers as a fundamental part of the link with the school’s teachers
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