As I continue to research youth development, one of the major institutions that has an influence is religion. In this post, I am going to discuss some of the areas and effects religion plays in the realm of youth development especially as it relates to volunteerism and civic engagement.
Many studies surrounding youth civic engagement and volunteering show a high correlation with religion, suggesting that religious youth are more likely to volunteer and be engaged. It is a natural progression to hypothesize that religion has a positive impact on youth development.
There has not been a large amount of research specifically into the area of youth psychosocial development and religion in recent years. The focus has been on religion as it relates to negative actions such as smoking, sexual behavior, drug use, and suicide among teens. However the research that has been done shows a positive correlation between religious involvement and physical and emotional health among adolescents.
More extensive research has occurred surrounding the relationship between religion and education. It is important to note that religious affiliation and involvement has a positive influence on educational outcomes among adolescents. It is also important to note there are identifiable differences between girls and boys, especially depending on the type of religious affiliation. Another important finding of a study by Regnerus and Elder (2003) using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health found that regular church attendance among high-risk youth had a much higher positive impact on academic achievement than youth in a middle class neighborhood.
The next important finding that directly affects my questions of how do we relate religious involvement with service attitudes is shown in a study conducted by Muller and Ellison (2001) used data from the National Education Longitudinal Study. The authors found that “religious involvement-measured as a summed score of religious service attendance, participation in religious activities, and conceiving oneself as a religious person is associated with social capital in the community and in the family.”
Religion has an influence on youth development and especially the affecting their involvement in positive social and community activities. The healthy development of youth will result in a healthy family, community, and nation. (Well at least that’s my argument!)
Information used in this post is listed below. I am currently using the references from this review to identify the relevant empirical studies that can be used as support in our Background Paper.
Religion and Positive Adolescent Outcomes: A Review of Research and Theory Mark D. RegnerusReview of Religious Research, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Jun., 2003), pp. 394-413
Monday, November 26, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Youth Development Programs and Youth Attitudes
This post will continue to explore the idea that youth actually want to be engaged in positive after school activities. It comes as no surprise that parents want their adolescent children involved in positive after school programs, but what may surprise many adults is that fact that many students want the opportunity to participate in those programs as well. According to an article by Jane Quinn, (citation listed at the end of the post)
"Young people themselves report similar views…they want very much to engage in constructive activities to engage their bodies, hearts, and minds during the time they are not in school. They want very much to prepare for their futures. They want safe places to go, grow, learn, work, and “just hang out.” They want structure balanced with choice. They want to learn and practice new skills. They want to spend more quality time with caring adults and with other young people. They want to contribute to the work of the larger society. And –yes-they want to have fun. "
The challenge continues to be for program and policy creators and practitioners to listen to the needs and wants of adolescents in order to create successful, positive programs and opportunities for service. I briefly discussed some of those needs expressed by students in my last post; however I would like to dig a litter deeper into the psychological roots of those needs.
During adolescence, an individual is trying to answer the question, “Who am I?” This process is a time of experimentation and searching. According to Erikson, a successful adolescent anticipates achievement, seeks leadership and someone to inspire them, and gradually develops a set of ideals. A continuation of Erikson’s studies and further developments in social science theory and research identifies the process an individual must go through in order to have a smooth transition into adulthood. This includes the need for “physical activity, development of competence and achievement, self-definition, creative expression, positive social interaction with peers and adults, a sense of structure and clear limits, and meaningful participation in authentic work.”
As we continue to better understand the process of the moving from childhood into adulthood, we can continue to improve the quality of programs and service opportunities so that all children have the opportunity to develop in a positive manner and participate in their communities outside of school. Now we must develop a standard by which to measure the current programs and how they are meeting the needs of those students they are targeting and how or if we need to adjust, change, or continue the programs.
Interested in more information? Check out this article:
Quinn, Jane. "Where Need Meets Opportunity: Youth Development Programs for Early Teens" The Future of Children, Vol. 9, No. 2, When School Is out (Autumn, 1999), pp. 96-116
"Young people themselves report similar views…they want very much to engage in constructive activities to engage their bodies, hearts, and minds during the time they are not in school. They want very much to prepare for their futures. They want safe places to go, grow, learn, work, and “just hang out.” They want structure balanced with choice. They want to learn and practice new skills. They want to spend more quality time with caring adults and with other young people. They want to contribute to the work of the larger society. And –yes-they want to have fun. "
The challenge continues to be for program and policy creators and practitioners to listen to the needs and wants of adolescents in order to create successful, positive programs and opportunities for service. I briefly discussed some of those needs expressed by students in my last post; however I would like to dig a litter deeper into the psychological roots of those needs.
During adolescence, an individual is trying to answer the question, “Who am I?” This process is a time of experimentation and searching. According to Erikson, a successful adolescent anticipates achievement, seeks leadership and someone to inspire them, and gradually develops a set of ideals. A continuation of Erikson’s studies and further developments in social science theory and research identifies the process an individual must go through in order to have a smooth transition into adulthood. This includes the need for “physical activity, development of competence and achievement, self-definition, creative expression, positive social interaction with peers and adults, a sense of structure and clear limits, and meaningful participation in authentic work.”
As we continue to better understand the process of the moving from childhood into adulthood, we can continue to improve the quality of programs and service opportunities so that all children have the opportunity to develop in a positive manner and participate in their communities outside of school. Now we must develop a standard by which to measure the current programs and how they are meeting the needs of those students they are targeting and how or if we need to adjust, change, or continue the programs.
Interested in more information? Check out this article:
Quinn, Jane. "Where Need Meets Opportunity: Youth Development Programs for Early Teens" The Future of Children, Vol. 9, No. 2, When School Is out (Autumn, 1999), pp. 96-116
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