Abstract
Colombia is amidst a sociocultural transition due to recent political movements towards ending the long-standing internal armed conflict. Development and implementation of youth programs that are responsive to the current societal context can contribute to this transition by investing in younger generations. This study features findings from the exploration phase of a community-based participatory research study to adapt a youth program from the United States for implementation in Colombia. Through focus group interviews, participants representing 4 different microsystems surrounding youth shared perceptions of youth who will be successful in this transitional context. Perceptions coalesced to reveal a process of positive development for use as a framework for responsive and culturally sensitive program adaptations. The emergent process mirrors positive youth development principles and shares similarities with other positive youth development models. The discussion explores considerations for the sociocultural context when designing youth programs for use in Colombia.
Highlights
Despite being one of the most bio-diverse places in the world, Colombia’s global reputation instead is associated with violence
The current study centered on uncovering stakeholder perspectives of positive, or ideal, youth development in the context of Colombia’s sociocultural transition
Recent efforts to end the long-standing internal armed conflict in Colombia signal a sociocultural shift throughout the country
Summary
Despite being one of the most bio-diverse places in the world, Colombia’s global reputation instead is associated with violence. The prospect of ending the violence has spurred a dynamic sociocultural transition in Colombia In this context, it is important consider how Colombian citizens can become transformative agents for new forms of social functioning. The U.S Agency for International Development ([USAID]; n.d.) and the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs ([IWGYP]; 2016) provide broad definitions of PYD that encompass core principles that span across models. These principles emphasize youth engagement with family, community, and other social settings such as peer networks, schools, organizations, and government. Less research exists on the efficacy of PYD programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), yet a systematic review of evaluation reports revealed promising evidence of positive effects (Catalano et al, 2019)
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