Identity Development Of Youth Research Articles

Youth Identity Development on the Basis of Traditional Kazakh Folk Music

This study strived to determine the most popular music genre among young Kazakhs in the context of personal, social, and national identity development, specify the relationship between musical preferences and personality type, and disclose the level of influence of traditional Kazakh folk music on the identity of the Kazakh youth. The authors conducted a survey and a test by taking advantage of such research methods as sociological survey, statistical analysis, social phenomena cognition (assessment, analogy tracking, comparison), psychological and typological concepts of Jung, as well as Abulkhanova-Slavskaya’s methodology for revealing personality traits. As a result of the investigation, hip-hop and rap were identified as the most popular music genres among the respondents (42.2%). Analysis of the data obtained in accordance with Abulhanova-Slavskaya’s personality typology revealed that 89% of the respondents preferring blues/jazz, classical music, and folk music demonstrated personality traits corresponding to the reflexive personality type; 91% of punk/rock and heavy metal fans showed conformity to the contemplative personality type; 87.5% of pop-music lovers were attributed the harmonious personality type; 93.5% of hip-hop and rap music fans – the productive personality type; 84% of traditional music fans – the performing type; and 96% of fans of pop with folk tunes – the functional type. It was also uncovered that 89% of the respondents who preferred traditional music belonged to the sensitive personality type characterized by impressionability, openness, empathy, alertness, firmness, conscientiousness, and, at the same time, inferiority complexes, and a tendency to psychogenic depressions and phobias.

Śravaṇ Kumār: Rethinking a Cultural Ideal for Indian Youth

Myths and mythological figures serve as cultural symbols that people live by and emulate. Śravaṇ Kumār is one such mythological figure. He carried his blind parents on his shoulders and, with great hardships, tried to fulfil their wish for a pilgrimage. However, before he could complete the journey, he met a tragic end at the hands of Prince Daśrath. Due to his devotion to his parents, he is revered as an ideal youth in the Indian Hindu context. One wonders what values are conveyed about a society that has, for centuries now, idealised the tragic mythical figure of Śravaṇ Kumār? What could be the underlying fascination with the tragic story of Śravaṇ Kumār, his parents, and the guilt-ridden prince responsible for their tragic deaths and the subsequent ordeal the prince’s son Rām had to endure in accordance with a curse? This paper reinterprets this myth and examines its relevance in contemporary times. The reinterpretation of the myth is further discussed in connection with the relevant psychoanalytic identity development theories, keeping in view the adolescents in the urban metropolitan context in India. The paper concludes by discussing the significance of having relevant mythical and cultural ideals for the identity development of youth.

Positive identity development through community engagement among youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Identity development in individuals with disabilities is often negatively impacted by exclusion, marginalisation, and stigma. However, meaningful opportunities for community engagement can serve as one pathway towards establishing positive identity. This pathway is further examined in the present study. Researchers used a tiered, multi-method, qualitative methodology consisting of audio diaries, group interviews, and individual interviews with seven youth (ages 16-20) with intellectual and developmental disabilities, recruited through the Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassador Program. Participants' identities incorporated disability while simultaneously transcending the social limits of disability. Participants viewed disability as one aspect of their broader identity, shaped by leadership and engagement experiences such as those offered by the Youth Ambassador Program. Findings have implications for understanding identity development in youth with disabilities, the importance of community engagement and structured leadership opportunities, and the value of tailoring qualitative methodologies to the subject of the research.

Marginalized Youths Constructing Identities: A Literature Review of STEM Discourses

Colonialism gave rise to cultures of power, positioning non-white traditions and cultures as “inferior,” including knowledge and education practices (Rosa & Mensah, 2021). As such, many children identifying with marginalized ethnic, racial, and/or gender groups, encounter sometimes contradictory and often deconstructive messaging from their educational and social orbits about their personal alignment with STEM (Cian et al., 2022). Consequently, minoritized learners are often faced with a requirement that, in order to persevere, they must adopt characteristics that the cultures of power in STEM embrace, such as girls pursuing physics disassociating themselves from femininity and highlighting masculinity in the way they present themselves (Francis et al., 2016). Furthermore, youths of color find themselves using survival strategies, such as “acting white” (McGee, 2016), in order to join STEM communities, which may result in dissonance with one’s cultural identities. In this literature review, I will unpack empirical research that illustrates how the STEM identity of youths is influenced by interactions with significant persons in the home and the school. The aim of this literature review is to inform future research in STEM identity development of youth who identify with communities marginalized in STEM spaces.

Latinx sexual minority youth's identity development and experiences with preparation for bias

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined how preparation for ethnic and sexual orientation bias uniquely and collectively contributes to ethnic identity and sexual orientation identity development among Latinx sexual minority youth (SMY).BackgroundTheories indicate that parental socialization strategies are associated with youth's development, yet no studies have examined how multiple forms of socialization are uniquely and collectively associated with youth's identity development.MethodHypotheses were tested using self‐reported data from 385 Latinx SMY (M = 20.26, SD = 2.6).ResultsPreparation for ethnic bias was negatively associated with ethnic identity affirmation but positively associated with ethnic identity exploration and resolution. Preparation for sexual orientation bias was negatively associated with ethnic identity exploration, resolution, and affirmation, as well as sexual orientation identity resolution and affirmation, but not exploration. Several interactions emerged between preparation for ethnic bias and sexual orientation bias predicting ethnic and sexual orientation identity.ConclusionFindings suggest that preparation for bias related to ethnicity and sexual orientation are interconnected, rather than independently shaping ethnic and sexual orientation identities development among SMY.ImplicationsAdditional studies are needed to understand the impacts of family socialization related to ethnicity and sexuality to optimize identity development among Latinx SMY.

A Youth Perspective: The 4-H Teen’s Leadership Identity Development Journey

A current focus of youth-serving organizations is youth leadership development with an objective of helping youth become productive contributors to society. 4-H is a leading organization in the effort to expose youth to leadership opportunities. This study examined the leadership identity development of 4-H youth serving in statewide leadership positions. The Leadership Identity Development (LID) model and mentoring mosaic served as the conceptual framework in this study. The purpose of this qualitative study is to shed light on the question, how do 4-H teens describe their journey to leadership? Youth reflected on the experiences, examples, and influences that impacted their leadership journey. The most common response for experiences that led to a 4-H youth’s choice to pursue a leadership role was a previous leadership experience. Leadership traits, Extension agents, and historical figures were the most frequently identified examples of leadership, and family members and Extension agents were commonly identified as influences. Four themes emerged from the youth perspectives: (1) leaders are characterized by traits, (2) individual-focused leaders, (3) team-oriented individuals, and (4) community contributors. The results corroborated with Stages 2-4 in the LID model. This study is a starting point for exploring leadership identity development of youth.

Ethnic-Racial Socialization, Ethnic-Racial Identity, and Depressive Symptoms in Korean Adolescents in the United States and China.

The United States and China are top two receiving countries of Korean immigrants in modern history. Minority families in ethnically-racially diverse societies, such as the US and China, use various ethnic-racial socialization practices (cultural socialization, promotion of mistrust, preparation for bias) to help their children navigate the world, yet research in non-U.S. contexts is scarce. To examine the specificity versus generalizability of ethnic-racial socialization and its implications, this study compared the prevalence of ethnic-racial socialization reported by Korean American (n = 408; Mage = 14.76, SD = 1.91; 48.30% female) and Korean Chinese (n = 267; Mage = 15.24, SD = 1.66; 58.90% female) youth. Moreover, this study examined how various ethnic-racial socialization practices relate to the youth's ethnic-racial identity, and subsequently, depressive symptoms. Although Korean American youth reported more frequent ethnic-racial socialization compared to their Korean Chinese counterparts, cultural socialization (but not preparation for bias nor promotion of mistrust) had a comparable negative indirect association with depressive symptoms via ethnic-racial identity across both groups. Thus, although the rates of parental ethnic-racial socialization are context-specific, parental cultural socialization may be similarly beneficial for Korean ethnic-racial minority youth's identity development, and in turn, psychological outcomes, whether in a Western individualistic society or an Eastern collectivistic society.

Anti-Racism Education and Training for Adult Mentors Who Work With BIPOC Adolescents

Racism and White supremacy culture shape the experiences of youth and adults in mentoring programs, which is detrimental to the development of BIPOC youth. The aims of this paper are to a) show why anti-racism training and education for adult mentors is necessary for promoting the positive development of BIPOC youth and b) offer a framework for anti-racist education and training for mentors. We review research showing how mentors’ attitudes about race, ethnicity and culture can harm their relationships with BIPOC youth and research on general mentor training, anti-racism training for mentors, and general diversity and anti-bias training in the workplace. Crossing disciplinary boundaries to inform developmental science, we draw upon critical mentoring, culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy, and ethnic/racial identity frameworks, and propose four components for anti-racist education and training for mentors: a) acknowledging, confronting, and interrupting racism, b) facilitating youth critical consciousness, c) supporting positive identity development in youth, and d) mentors and mentees as active agents and partners. At the foundation of these pillars is decentering and interrupting Whiteness and youth as co-constructors of knowledge. We offer suggestions for future research and practice in anti-racism training for mentors, which also have implications for youth-adult relationships across settings.

Youth, place, and educator practices: designing program elements to support relational processes and naturalist identity development

In this paper, we describe an informal science program where specific program elements were designed to support youth development of a 21st century naturalist identity, which we call out as an important subtype of environmental and scientific identity. As part of a research-practice partnership, we conducted a case study of a teen youth program held in an urban park in order to examine how program elements support naturalist identity development. The program drew on naturalist practices to deepen youth interest and skills and provide community with human and more-than-human nature. Through participant observations, interviews, and artifact analysis, we identified three program elements that contributed to youth naturalist identity development: (1) encouraging physical interaction between humans and more-than-human nature; (2) providing meaningful opportunities for youth to be stewards of land and waters; and (3) exposing youth to possible visions of their future selves. Using ecological thinking that draws on Indigenous, post-humanist, and new materialist philosophies, we aimed to shift our gaze from individual youth experiences and towards relational processes between youth, educators, and more-than-human nature, describing how these actors work together iteratively and reciprocally to support the co-construction of naturalist youth identity development.

Holy Problematics Fabman!: how current representations create a missed opportunity for superhero comics to aid in gay youth identity development

ABSTRACT Current representations of gay male superheroes miss an opportunity to adequately provide positive representation to gay youth by following a heteronormative framework that promotes further marginalization. One possible solution would be to have more gay individuals writing the gay character storylines. Studies show that graphic novels and comics are valuable resources in aiding gay youth in navigation of their identities in their formative years. A brief history of both gay superheroes and queerly read superheroes in the mainstream comic publishers (DC and Marvel) shows a current lack of positive representation. In this article, I analyse characters written by queer people to see if representation alone was enough to improve the quality of gay heroes. Ultimately, I argue that representation of Iceman of The X-Men, Wiccan and Hulkling of The Young Avengers, and the multiple gay male heroes of The Pride are too tangled in heteronormativity, homonormativity, and gay hegemony to be considered positive. This result suggests that while representation can increase visibility, a new framework for how gay superheroes are represented is necessary to make progress.

Development and validation of the role identity surveys in engineering (RIS-E) and STEM (RIS-STEM) for elementary students

BackgroundDespite the increasing number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs available, concern continues to grow over the low number of students who choose to study and enter STEM fields. Research suggests that children begin to identify their interests and career aspirations related to STEM as early as elementary school when they begin to shape their personal identities and start making decisions about who they are and could be in the future, their role identities (e.g., scientist, engineer). Existing surveys that assess identity target high school or post-secondary students, with less work on elementary and middle school students. This paper describes the development and validation of survey instruments to assess engineering identity in elementary students and its adaptation to a more general STEM context.ResultsThe role identity survey in engineering (RIS-E) was developed across four phases of pilot testing where it was administered to 634 students in third–sixth grade enrolled in classrooms in the West, Midwest, and Northeastern United States. Exploratory modeling approaches and scale reliability were used to narrow down items, while confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) approaches were used to examine item performance. The final survey contained four scales that assess aspects of one’s identity (competence, interest, self-recognition, and recognition by others), all of which demonstrated strong psychometric properties. The RIS-E was then adapted to assess STEM identity (RIS-STEM), and it was administered to 678 fourth–fifth grade students enrolled in classrooms in the Southwestern United States. CFA and IRT analyses provided support for use of the RIS-STEM in a more general STEM context.ConclusionsThe RIS-E and RIS-STEM appear to produce reliable scores that measure aspects of identity (engineering and STEM) in elementary students. Suggestions are made for future studies to examine how the RIS-E and RIS-STEM function across diverse student populations and the impact on one’s identity as a result of curricula or programs designed to encourage and support identity development in youth, especially in engineering and STEM.

Intersectionality and Youth Identity Development Research in Europe.

The increasing application of intersectionality to the psychological study of identity development raises questions regarding how we as researchers construct and operationalize social identity categories, as well as how we best capture and address systems of oppression and privilege within our work. In the continental European context, the use of the intersectionality paradigm raises additional issues, since “race” was officially removed from the vernacular following the atrocities of WWII, yet racialized oppression continues to occur at every level of society. Within psychological research, participants are often divided into those with and without “migration background,” which can reiterate inequitable norms of national belonging while washing over salient lived experiences in relation to generation status, citizenship, religion, gender, and the intersection between these and other social locations. Although discrimination is increasingly examined in identity development research, rarely are the history and impact of colonialism and related socio-historical elements acknowledged. In the current paper, we aim to address these issues by reviewing previous research and discussing theoretical and practical possibilities for the future. In doing so, we delve into the problems of trading in one static social identity category (e.g., “race”) for another (e.g., “migration background/migrant”) without examining the power structures inherent in the creation of these top-down categories, or the lived experiences of those navigating what it means to be marked as a racialized Other. Focusing primarily on contextualized ethno-cultural identity development, we discuss relevant examples from the continental European context, highlighting research gaps, points for improvement, and best practices.

“Let Me Do What I Please With It . . . Don’t Decide My Identity For Me”: LGBTQ+ Youth Experiences of Social Media in Narrative Identity Development

Social media provides Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Plus (LGBTQ+) youth with daily access to a broader sociocultural dialogue that may shape narrative identity development. Through in-depth narrative interviews, this study sought to understand the lived experiences of 11 LGBTQ+ undergraduates ( age range = 19-23) building narrative identities in the cultural context of social media and the role of social media within this process. Interviews were analyzed using an interpretative, individual analysis of personal stories. These experiences were then compared and contrasted through thematic analysis to identify four shared narrative themes. Narratives of merging safe spaces highlight how LGBTQ+ youth now have regular access to safe environments online/offline which facilitate more secure identity development. Narratives of external identity alignment describe social media as a tool for LGBTQ+ youth to seek out identities that match their preexisting sense of self. Narratives of multiple context-based identities encapsulate how adolescents’ identity markers are multiple and invoked in a context-dependent manner. Finally, narratives of individuality and autonomy characterize how LGBTQ+ youth perceive themselves as highly individualized members of a wider community. These findings highlight the complex role social media plays within LGBTQ+ youth identity development. The implications are discussed within.

Expanding youth participatory action research: a Foucauldian take on youth identities

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the identity construction of multilingual and multidialectal middle school students in a semester-long youth participatory action research (YPAR) project. In particular, it moves beyond an emancipatory discourse that views youth identity development from a point of marginalization by drawing on Foucauldian notions of discourse, power, and the subject to examine the complex discursive formations that enable and constrain the continual remaking of the self. Emergent understandings show how, regardless of whether youth took up or resisted positioning as social change agents, they deftly and creatively maneuvered across networks of power/discourse to constitute themselves in ways that were useful, even if not in line with the goals of the project. Implications include the need to reframe identity work in youth participatory action research in an effort to understand the nuances and complexities that inform the constant construction and negotiation of the self in ever-shifting networks of power/discourse.

Family and the Sexual Identity Development of Youth: A Comparative Sociological Study of the Semi-urban and Rural Youth in Ratnapura District of Sri Lanka

The study captures the impact of structured relationships within the family on sexual identity development of youth. Research problem stems from the quarry whether the semi-urban and rural families exposed to the social dynamics of globalization, differ in their role constructing the sexual identities of youth. Parent-youth communication, social class and style of parenting, family role in the resolution of sexual identity crisis, and inter sibling relations are considered pertaining to the sexual identity development. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted. Multi staged simple random sampling technique is employed representing semi-urban and rural youth (n=225) in the postal survey. Informal interviews and ten in-depth case studies of youth with unresolved sexual identities were carried out. The study substantiates that although, semi-urban and rural families do not drastically contrast with each other, and they constitute two different contexts of sexual identity development. Although, social class is not correlated, gender role socialization, style of parenting cause the semi-urban and rural difference pertaining to family role in sexual identity development. Qualitative analysis revealed the precursors of negative sexual identity development within the family. Sri Lankan families leave little margin and are emotionally less supportive in case of negative sexual identities.

English

The objective of this review is to examine factors influencing African adolescents’ identity development. The review begins with defining identity and discuses major theories of identity development. Moreover, this review focuses on colonialism, globalization, media and other factors which are considered to influence youth identity development. The author has used the terms ‘adolescence’ and ‘youth’ interchangeably though they are not exactly synonymous. Identity development is the major developmental task during the time of adolescence including social identity formation. Africans are characterized by collective identity and they have indigenous cultural values and traditions. Despite this, African youth have been losing their cultural identity as a result of the influence of Western value. The old generation in Africa also seems to have ignored to socialize the young ones in line with African values and norms. This ignorance has paved way for young people to be attracted to western value systems and ignoring their own. Meanwhile, absence of contextualized school curricula and migration are also additional negative factors that lead African adolescents to be ignorant of their own culture and adhere to western values.   Key words: Adolescence, Africa, globalization, identity crisis, media, parenting style. &nbsp

Social media social comparison and identity distress at the college transition: A dual-path model

IntroductionSocial media provide a convenient platform for social comparison, an activity that should play an important role in youth's identity development at the transition to college. Yet, the identity implications of online social comparison have not been thoroughly explored. Drawing on the theories of social comparison, introspective processes, and identity distress, we examined a dual-path model. The paths from two types of social media social comparison (i.e., comparison of ability and comparison of opinion) to two introspective processes (i.e., rumination and reflection) and finally to identity distress were tested. MethodsShort-term longitudinal survey data were collected from 219 college freshmen at a state university in the United States of America (Mage = 18.29, S.D. = 0.75; 74% female; 41% White, 38% Black). ResultsSocial comparison of ability on social media had a positive association with concurrent rumination, which predicted higher identity distress. In contrast, social comparison of opinion on social media had a positive relationship with concurrent reflection, which, however, did not predict identity distress. ConclusionResults indicate that different types of online social comparison yield distinct implications for young people's identity development. Largely, the study reaffirms the recently rising call for distinguishing the competition-based social comparison of ability from the information-based social comparison of opinion. At the same time, the study expands current knowledge of why these forms of social comparison may lead to differential outcomes, namely through the type of introspection they induce.

Social Media Social Comparison of Ability (but not Opinion) Predicts Lower Identity Clarity: Identity Processing Style as a Mediator.

Social comparison on social media has received increasing attention, but most research has focused on one type of social comparison and its psycho-emotional implications. Little is known about how different types of social comparison influence youth's identity development. Drawing on the theories of identity processing styles and social comparison, we examined how two different forms of social comparison on social media related to three identity processing styles, which in turn predicted youth's global self-esteem and identity clarity. We surveyed 219 college freshmen (Mage = 18.29; 74% female) once in the Fall and once in the Spring. Social comparison of ability on social media was related to concurrent diffuse-avoidant identity processing style, which predicted lower identity clarity months later. In contrast, social comparison of opinion on social media did not influence college freshmen's global self-esteem and identity clarity through identity processing styles. The findings clarified the implications of online social comparison for youth's identity development.

Sámi Identity and Visions of Preferred Futures: Experiences among Youth in Finnmark and Trøndelag, Norway

The Northern Review 45 (2017): 113–139 https://doi.org/10.22584/nr45.2017.007 Depopulation is a growing concern in core Sami areas in Norway, and the loss of productive young people is a particular concern for rural regions. Yet new industrial developments are debated due to the impact on traditional identity-developing practices such as reindeer herding. The objective of this article is to gain knowledge about how Sami youth identity shape their decisions to stay or return to their home place and how they envision their opportunities for employment. This qualitative study investigated how Sami youth experience Sami identity as a determinant of educational, occupational, and housing preferences. Data was collected through interviews with fourteen Sami youth from three different types of Sami communities in Norway—Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino), located in the core Sami area in Inner Finnmark, with a strong reindeer based economy and Sami as the first language; Matta-Varjjat (Sor-Varanger) and Porsaŋgu (Porsanger) in coastal Finnmark; and the southern Sami areas based around Snaase (Snasa) in North Trondelag. The informants from the three communities were university and college students, high school pupils, and apprentices. The study’s theoretical framework and analysis is inspired by the theories and applications of the life mode perspective, combined with perspectives of cultural identity, locale, landscape, and global “sense of place.” The findings suggests that life modes that signify or enable salient Sami values influence how Sami youth reflect on their Sami identity and envision opportunities. Furthermore, the findings show that different life modes influence Sami youth identity development through providing opportunities for new expressions of a Sami identity.

Intersectionality in the Lives of LGBTQ Youth: Identifying as LGBTQ and Finding Community in Small Cities and Rural Towns

ABSTRACTThis article presents an analysis of the views of younger bisexual and lesbian women and transgender youth living in a western Canadian small city on their sexual and gender identities. Data were collected through focus groups and interviews and analyzed thematically through an intersectional lens. The purposive sample was composed of 13 youth who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) and whose average age was 19.8 years. The analytical themes of (1) living in a small town, (2) identifying and being identified, and (3) talking intersectionality indicate that the sexual identities and gender identities and expressions of LGBTQ youth change across time and context and are impacted by often overlooked factors including faith, Indigenous ancestry, disability, and class. Further, the size and character of the community significantly impacts LGBTQ youth identity development and expression. This research demonstrates the uniqueness of individual youth’s experiences—opposing notions of milestone events as singularly important in queer youth identity development.