Youth Identity Research Articles

The true colors of the chameleon: identities of Bosnian youth in the United States

ABSTRACT Developing a stable adult identity is a key process during youth, which unfolds in ongoing interaction between the individual and their environment. For immigrant youth, this process also includes the formation of an ethnic identity, which is complicated by potential differences between the young person's culture of origin and the dominant culture. But we currently know little about the ethnic and self-identification of White immigrant youth in new immigrant destinations in the United States. The case of Bosnian second-generation youth in St. Louis addresses this gap in the literature on ethnic identity and immigrant incorporation. The analysis shows considerable context-specific variation in how Bosnian youth self-identify. The ability to pass as members of the dominant racial group also indicates that the ethnic boundary between Bosnian youth and native St. Louisians is rooted in a set of shared histories and experiences and a resulting sense of knowing that governs within and between group interactions. The discussion section arrays implications for future research.

THE STRUCTURE OF IDENTITY OF STUDENT YOUTH IN RUSSIA AND TAJIKISTAN

Identification preferences of young people determine the trends of further development of society. In this regard, an important research task is to identify the identification preferences of young people. Identity has various forms, which together form a hierarchical structure, the governing parameters of which are national identity. National identity is a component of constructivism, the formation of which is the focus of youth policy in Russia and Tajikistan. The effectiveness of youth policy largely depends on the extent to which it reflects the hopes and opportunities of the young generation, its growth potential. The article presents models of the identity structure of student youth in Russia and Tajikistan based on the results of empirical research and monitoring of the dynamics of identification preferences. The study of the structure of youth identity and the dynamics of its changes is based on an open associative experiment and sociological surveys among students of the Russian-Tajik (Slavic) University (Dushanbe) and the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin (Yekaterinburg). The conducted research allowed the authors to determine the dominant components in the structure of youth identity and substantiate the significance of the formation of national identity, active civic position among young people as a direction of youth policy.

Required elements for an educational programme for lay exercise instructors in charge of community-based exercise targeting young adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders – A stakeholder focus group study

BackgroundExercise plays a crucial role in addressing the increased cardiometabolic morbidity and premature mortality in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. When delivered in community-based settings, exercise may also reduce loneliness, while promoting overall physical activity behaviours. Skilled instructors are essential to deliver effective community-based exercise; however, knowledge about their roles and required training is lacking. We aim to explore various stakeholders’ perspectives regarding lay exercise instructors’ roles, and the required elements in an educational programme supporting the delivery of community-based exercise for young adults with SSD.MethodsWe used semi-structured homogeneous focus groups with representatives from different stakeholder groups (i.e., including representatives of clinical staff within mental health, physiotherapists, exercise instructors, young adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and relatives of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders) targeted or affected by a community-based exercise intervention. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsWe conducted six focus groups comprising a total of 30 individuals representing five different stakeholder groups The analysis identified three categories: (i) awareness and understanding of mental illness, i.e., providing basic knowledge to dispel common myths and stigma regarding mental illness (ii) protecting youth identity, i.e., supporting the feeling of being more than just a patient, and (iii) promoting exercise as a shared activity, i.e., a communal pursuit, fostering personal growth among participants, their peers and the instructors.ConclusionsAn educational programme for lay exercise instructors delivering community-based exercise targeting young adults with SSD should empower the instructors to assume the role of guardians of an inclusive exercise culture. Educational elements identified were adapted and integrated into an educational programme implemented and evaluated as a part of the Vega trial. Our results may be transferable to the education of lay workers in mental health care where the aim is to facilitate sustainable, recreational, community-based activities.

“We Know Who We Are”: Reflections on Métis Youth Identity, Health and Well-Being

The purpose of this article is to gain insight into the ways in which Métis youth describe, understand, and express their identity and how this relates to their overall health and well-being. There has been a lack of opportunity for Métis to identify and control depictions of themselves. As part of a larger intergenerational digital storytelling research project, this research undertook a community-engaged, arts and strengths-based approach using semi-structured interviews and digital stories with Métis from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta to understand how they have come to understand what it means to be Métis today in Canada. The findings of this study reaffirm an explicit connection between Métis youth identity and their overall health and well-being.

“Bold of them to assume I want to wait until I'm older to do what I love:” One teens' activism and civic engagement online

AbstractThis paper explores the social media literacies of Dakari, a 16‐year‐old Black teen reader, writer, and activist, within a broader 3‐month multi‐case study on diverse teens' online literacies. The focus is on Dakari's multimodal literacy practices related to social justice activism and civic engagement. The study highlights how social media platforms empower youth, exemplified by teens like Dakari who utilize these spaces to influence culture, practice critical literacies, and establish civic identities. Examining Dakari's case, three key themes emerge: (1) addressing systemic racism, (2) driving change as a content creator, and (3) challenging the idea that one must wait until adulthood to make a difference. The study highlights the transformative potential of youth of Color's social media literacies, suggesting a reimagining of educators' roles to recognize and respect teens' online literacies while fostering youth identity and political engagement. It is imperative to reshape teaching methods for justice and social change in the digital age. This involves supporting student literacy development and acknowledging the timely language and literacies of youth in social media contexts.

“In Hopes of Becoming a Phoenix”: Application of Narrative Practices in Exploration of Preferred Identities of Youth Contemplating Suicide in North East India

Narrative practices can provide newer ways to engage with individuals and communities in suicide prevention. This study is a pilot project that examined the applicability of narrative ideas in developing in-depth interview (IDI) and focus group discussion (FGD) probes to explore the preferred identities of young people who have contemplated suicide in Northeast India. Narrative ideas were embedded during the development of IDI and FGD probes and tested on five participants. The data collection utilized an IDI informed by the “absent but implicit” map and an FGD that followed the “definitional ceremony” approach. The narrative therapeutic approach brought out the broader sociocultural contexts of suicide, identifying skills and knowledge that young people use to respond to issues and uncovering intentions, hopes, and values of their lives. The approach also unfolded their collective experiences. The study provides ways to support young people with experiences of suicidality in moving from problem-saturated identities to preferred identities.

Virtual Idol and Youth Identity: The Impact of Mainstream Culture on the Virtual Idol Online Fanbase Community in China

Virtual idols originated in Japan and are mainly composed of singing synthesizers, virtual reality technology, and ACG (anime-comics-games) cultural elements, which is a subcultural phenomenon. In recent years, the growing fanbase of virtual idols has attracted the attention of mainstream media and government in China. The state media in China have used virtual idols as a medium to promote mainstream culture to Chinese young people, and influence fans' youth identity by injecting mainstream culture into virtual idols' musical works, stage performances, and public opinion propaganda. This research will use a virtual ethnographic approach to explore the impact of the mainstreaming of virtual idols and their music on online fanbase communities. The study concludes that under the influence of mainstream culture, virtual idol subculture in China has gradually become mainstream, and its fanbase has also experienced a transformation from post-subcultural group identity to national identity. This study provides new insights into the musical phenomenon of the mainstreaming of virtual idols in China from the perspective of post-subculture theory and identity.

Mediatization of Religion and Its Impact on Youth Identity Formation in Contemporary China

In response to the trend of information technology development, religions in China are undergoing a process of mediatization. This study takes the popular Chinese animated films Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child (哪吒之魔童降世) (2019) and New Gods: Yang Jian (新神榜: 杨戬) (2022) as research cases of mediatization of religion and conducts a focused study of the respective protagonists Ne Zha (哪吒) and Yang Jian (杨戬), both prominent figures in Chinese religious and folk traditions. Through text analysis and empirical research on the two movies and their fans, this study examines how religion is being mediatized in contemporary China in the transformation to Religion 2.0 or a type of amalgamation of real- and virtual-world practices that enact a relationship with the divine, and how this shapes identity formation for fans, who are mostly young individuals in their teens and twenties. This research argues that to obtain permission for dissemination in mainstream media and thrive in the cultural context of China, religion chooses to assume the form of media products that can bypass scrutiny that forbids “supernatural phenomena” and aligns with the mainstream ideology. It has to be a “contributory religion” that contributes to the “revitalization” of national spirit and inherited Chinese culture, not a potential “superstitious” threat to the Marxist orthodoxy. In the context of official promotion of atheism and the regulation of public discourse, animated films with themes adapted from traditional mythological and religious stories, such as Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child and New Gods: Yang Jian, have become a major cultural form through which people in China engage with religious symbols and narratives. The enormous success of the two movies resulted in a large population of young fans. Influenced by these films, their fans have developed an egoistic religious perspective rather than assimilating the religious or cultural messages contained in the movies. These fans may experience solace and a call to faith to some extent in their consumption of the movies, but they selectively enhance religious literacy that only meets their personal needs. Interest in divine individuals far outweighs interest in or loyalty to the religious doctrine or sect itself. Pilgrimages are undertaken to fulfill personal fantasies, and the promotion of the divine is aimed at vying for influence within fan communities. The second part of this study examines the activities of the fans that I argue are characteristic of the age of Religion 2.0.

Social Theory and Navigating Indeterminacy: A Configurational Analysis of Iranian Youth’s Identity Construction in Contemporary Iran

An emerging disparity within contemporary social science highlights a disconnection between the world in the process of metamorphosing and cosmopolitanization and the knowledge of the social world that is still trapped in the cognitive assumptions of modern episteme, which provided the conditions for the emergence of modern social sciences a century ago. This divide inhibits the efficacy of social analysis in comprehending and elucidating contemporary phenomena. This article advocates for a shift in the ontology of social theory and science towards the cosmopolitanization of the world, characterized by the prioritization of indeterminacy and fluidity in the construction of social phenomena. It investigates the epistemological implications and prerequisites of this ontological transformation, favoring a post-foundationalist approach as the most suitable epistemological framework. In response to the challenges posed by the uncertainty and indeterminacy of cosmopolitanization, after reviewing some of the existing theoretical efforts to address and provide alternatives to this challenge, the article proposes the examination of social configurations as the most fitting subjects for study. This approach necessitates the suspension of conventional, given, regulated categories, and trans-historical theories. It underscores the importance of recognizing configurations as incomplete, contingent units shaped within specific historical contexts and moments. The fluidity, relationality, and indeterminacy of configurations situated between the universal and the singular make them suitable for analysis at the level of particular. After elaborating on the most important features of social configurations, finally, by employing the proposed theoretical framework, this article aims to investigate its effectiveness in analyzing the process of identity construction among Iranian youth in Tehran in the context of the cosmopolitanization of reality, particularly in the face of the Islamist regime of Iran’s official politics of identity. Through a review and revision of selected empirical studies on youth identity construction in the consumer spaces of Tehran, based on the idea of social configurations within the framework of cosmopolitanization, it is argued that the genuine understanding of identity politics in contemporary Iran is not rooted in conventional analytical norms and categories but rather in a comprehensible conceptual apparatus characterized by fluidity and indeterminacy, capable of effectively making sense of the conflict between the politics of determinacy and indeterminacy in Iranian everyday life.

The Relationship Between Ethnic and Religious Factors in the Context of the Formation of Civil Identity in Kyrgyzstan

The article is devoted to the study of an urgent problem — the relationship between ethnic and religious factors in the context of the formation of the civic identity of student youth in Kyrgyzstan. In multi-ethnic and multi-religious states like Kyrgyzstan, where people of different ethnic and religious origins live side by side, the issue of forming civic identity becomes especially relevant. In the context of the transformation of modern Kyrgyz society, characterized, on the one hand, by globalization and the leveling of cultural, traditional, ethnic values, and on the other, by the growth of ethnic and religious consciousness, the role of ethnic and religious identities is being updated. The role of ethnic and religious identities, which are an important factor in the sustainable and harmonious development of modern society, is determined.

Самоидентификация и ценностные установки в молодежной среде (на примере Калининградской области)

The article deals with the issues of self-identification and value attitudes among youth in the Kaliningrad region, which is necessary given the conditions of the exclave position of the region. The basis of the study was the results of a sociological survey of the youth of the region. The sample consisted of 310 people aged 18 to 35 years (147 men and 163 women), with a confidence probability of 95% and an error of ±5%. The information received was processed using the SPSS Statistics program. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was the values measurement system, the authors of which are R. Inglehart and C. Welzel. In particular, the binary opposition they proposed was taken into account: traditional values (religion, family, patriotism, reverence for power, the predominance of public interests over personal ones) and secular-rational values (secularism, independence, a reduced degree of respect for power, political awareness, the dominance of personal interests over public ones). In the course of the study, the author of this paper identified several categories of identity: civil, regional, local, geopolitical, and global. As a result, it was determined that civic identity is of paramount importance among youth. On the contrary, geopolitical identity is extremely poorly expressed. The peculiarities of the religious identity of youth are also revealed when the rarity of participation in religious practices contradicts feelings of religious conviction. The basis of self-identification is values. The most significant values young people call universal values: health, family, security, love, and friendship. Religion, customs, and traditions were the least significant for youth. Individualism is one of the distinctive features inherent in youth. A significant number of respondents stated this. At the same time, attention was paid to the age and gender composition of the survey participants. However, the predominance of the ideas of collectivism in combination with individualistic motives is noted. Based on the above, the author concludes that the youth of the Kaliningrad region is characterized by a combination of traditional and secular-rational values.

Интернет-технологии формирования региональной идентичности молодежи в Краснодарском крае

The article scrutinizes the role of Internet technologies in the formation of youth regional identity in the context of the relevant policy direction of the federal entity. The aim of the study is to hinges primarily on identifying the peculiarities, problems and practices of using Internet technologies in shaping the regional identity of youth, using the Krasnodar Krai as an example. The work presents the results of an analysis of materials from the official websites and accounts of the region’s youth work bodies, illustrating the practices they employ, as well as the results of an expert survey assessing the specifics, role and challenges of using information technolo-gies in the formation of regional youth identity in Krasnodar Krai. Particular attention is paid by the authors to the importance of active involvement of the younger generation in communication with youth work bodies through the Internet and social networks.

Personal and illness identity in youth with type 1 diabetes: Developmental trajectories and associations.

Having Type 1 diabetes (T1D) may complicate the normative developmental task of personal identity formation in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Besides exploring and committing to identity choices in different life domains, youth with T1D need to integrate their illness into their identity, a process labeled as illness identity. The present study examined whether youth with T1D belonging to different personal identity trajectory classes developed differently on four illness identity dimensions (acceptance, enrichment, engulfment, rejection). This four-wave longitudinal study over a 3-year period used self-report questionnaires to examine how personal identity trajectory classes were related to illness identity over time in youth with T1D (baseline: n = 558; 54% female; age range = 14-25 years). Personal identity trajectory classes were identified using latent class growth analysis. Differential development of the four illness identity dimensions among these personal identity trajectory classes was examined using multigroup latent growth curve modeling. Five personal identity trajectory classes were identified: achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, carefree diffusion, and troubled diffusion. Individuals in achievement and foreclosure displayed highest levels of diabetes integration (i.e., high levels of acceptance and enrichment; low levels of engulfment and rejection), whereas individuals in troubled diffusion displayed lowest levels of illness integration (i.e., low levels of acceptance and enrichment; high levels of engulfment and rejection). The present study confirms that personal identity development relates to illness identity development over time in youth with T1D. Understanding the intricate link between personal and illness identity may help clinicians to tailor their interventions to patients' individual needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A study on identification of youth identity through a gender lens in network buzzwords: A critical discourse analysis

As an emerging form of discourse in the Internet era, network buzzwords serve as an indicator of the mentality of the youth, reflecting their identity. However, research on the implementation of network buzzwords in the context of gender formations has been limited. This study fills this research gap by using critical discourse analysis to analyse the use of 11 gender-specific buzzwords listed in the annual list of top-ten network buzzwords published by the magazine Yaowen Jiaozi from 2012 to 2021 on the social media platform, Weibo. It discusses how the gender network buzzwords shape the identity of young groups, what kind of identities were formed, and how young people use gender buzzwords to construct both gender-conforming and patriarchal discourse, as well as gender-nonconforming discourse, from the perspectives of conformity and nonconformity. Additionally, it discusses the cultural significance of network buzzwords and their potential impact on contemporary society.

What My Music Says About Me: Re-evaluating the ‘Badge’ Function of Music in the Context of Streaming

This article re-evaluates Simon Frith’s hypothesis that music serves as a badge for youth identity, based on 15 qualitative interviews with young people aged 17–19 conducted in the fall of 2021. Our findings point to changes in the representation of self through music, as musical preferences are too closely tied to unique identity pathways to provide quick and reliable information about the self to others. Behind this shift, we identify an interplay between the increased accessibility and mobility of music, facilitated by new technological means and a context of increased concern among young people for the construction of their identity. This article highlights the changing nature of musical preferences and their role in self-presentation through music and aims to open up further research on this topic.

Implementing Youth Worker Networks to Achieve Social Impact in the Eradication of LGBTQIA-Phobia

IntroductionThe problem of LGBQIA-phobia has been extendedly reported as a problem that threatens the quality of life and well-being, particularly for trans and intersex individuals. Scientific evidence points at the high presence of this form of violence and discrimination during adolescence and youth, negatively affecting the prospects of the victims. At the same time, there is a lack of evidence on the role and potential impact of Youth Worker Networks involved in analysing gender-based violence and finding strategies to improve the situation of LGBTQIA+ youth.MethodsThis study has focussed on the reality of a network of youth workers through a mixed method approach belonging to a transnational project funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Program (REC) of the European Commission. The implementation of 160 questionnaires and 5 semi-structured interviews in 2022 with the training participants provides evidence on the social impact that networking and evidence-based training may have in tackling LGBTQIA-phobia in youth environments.ResultsThe findings of the current study show how the implementation of Youth Worker Networks can provide relevant results to achieve more respectful youth spaces toward diversity. The presence of traditional dominant masculinities together with the lack of quality training seem to be an important barrier for youth workers to fight against gender and sexual discrimination. In contrast, the professionals’ motivation and the group potential and support of the network appear to be a significant strength in overcoming forms of violence and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression in youth contexts.ConclusionsThe results indicate that the role of youth workers, the quality of the training and environments are crucial in the work to identifying, preventing, and acting against any form of violence on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.Policy ImplicationsOur findings point to the significant power of networks to overcome violence and discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community. Our recommendation for achieving social impact is to provide evidence-based data and empower participants to become active upstanders against any form of violence or discrimination.

Supplemental Material for Personal and Illness Identity in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: Developmental Trajectories and Associations

Supplemental Material for Personal and Illness Identity in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: Developmental Trajectories and Associations

ПАТРИОТИЗМ КАК ОСНОВА ГРАЖДАНСКОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ СТУДЕНЧЕСКОЙ МОЛОДЕЖИ

The purpose of the work is to conduct an empirical sociological analysis of patriotism as the basis of the civic identity of modern student youth. Patriotism illustrates the emotional connection of a person with his homeland and a sense of social and cultural connection with his fellow citizens. It is based on universal human values, including openness to other people, care and responsibility for society, respect for history and national culture. The ongoing political, social and cultural changes open up new facets of love for the Motherland, which actualizes the need for patriotic education of new generations. This concept is a socio-cultural factor in the integration of people, ensuring their unification on the basis of common values and love for the Motherland. Patriotism finds its manifestation in citizenship, spiritual unity and conscious activity of the individual in society, confirming the inseparability of man with the state. The empirical basis of the study is based on the results of a sociological survey of students of universities and colleges in Orel (652 respondents were interviewed), conducted by the questionnaire method on the stated issues in October 2022 using the Yandex.Forms platform. The representativeness of the sample is ensured according to the gender and the form of education (student youth). Due to the nature of the sample, the authors were able to summarize the results of the study with a reliability level of 97%. The obtained research material allows us to formulate the following conclusions and generalizations: with a certain reservation, patriotism for modern youth is meaningfully associated with a special historical and cultural heritage, deeply connected with love for the Motherland, readiness to defend it with arms in hand and even give one's life for the freedom of the nation (romantic perception of the fatherland) and attachment to the state (from a positivist point of view).

Социокультурные аспекты идентификации студенческой молодежи современного Казахстана

The article is devoted to the problem of studying identity as an interdisciplinary category. The analysis of theoretical and methodological approaches to the phenomenon of identity allowed to substantiate it as a key concept of many interdisciplinary concepts, to reveal the structure of identity and the spheres of its manifestation. The relevance of youth themes in terms of studying the process of identification of young people in various aspects (educational, professional, ethnic, social, etc.) is substantiated. The authors focus on the fact that in modern conditions the problem of youth adaptation to the new social reality is one of the key aspects of the state policy of the society. The empirical research carried out within the framework of the study has made it possible to explain the mechanisms of formation of Kazakhstani student youth and determine their value categories. The authors present the results of questionnaire survey among students of Kazakhstani universities, based on the tested methodology of M. Kuhn and T. McPartland, T. Rumyantseva with the application of their own adjustments. The answers received during the study have been analyzed from several points of view: available life experience, from the point of view of manifestation of reflection in the answers, concerning the relation of social roles and individual characteristics in identity, concerning the representation in identity of different spheres of life, in the psychological aspect, etc. The typical definitions of the identity of the student youth of Kazakhstan, which allowed to determine the dominant characteristics due to the life activities of young people.

Growing up in transit. Personal development and resistance of migrant adolescents travelling through Mexico unaccompanied

Mexico is a major global migration corridor. The last decade has seen an increase in adolescents travelling unaccompanied from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, mainly due to violence and natural disasters. This group of migrants is exposed to migration risks such as trafficking and exploitation, as well as multiple deportations and long waiting times without appropriate access to health and education services. These conditions have significant documented adverse impacts on health and mental health, but the impact on personal development has been less explored. Thus, this article aims to explore the impact of migration transit on identity and resilience of unaccompanied migrant youth, psychosocial mental health constructs that are important for wellbeing and personal development. Through 47 semi-structured interviews conducted with migrant youth and different migration workers in summer 2021 in two migrant shelters in Mexico City and Guadalajara, we found that possibilities for identity building for migrant youth were restricted in a context of curbed freedom. Violence and poverty led to loss of crucial formative years, pushing many to aspire only to work – regardless of the type of work. Resilience overlapped with resistance but was generally maintained with cultural narratives of goal achievement, faith and hope. Strong responsibility towards sending remittances to family made family one of the main goals of the migration journey. Workers highlighted how regional migration management, underlined by discriminatory policies which place profit and national security ideology before a recognition of common humanity, is a considerable barrier to funding services and advancing access to rights for youth. However, youth showed recognition of their own agency and humanity, which represents an important basis on which to build a counter-discriminatory vision and management of this migration. Results are reported according to COREQ guidelines.