How does culture influence positive youth development?
Risk reduction and increased resiliency can be fostered by utilizing positive youth development principles and practices with youth and communities of different ethnicities, races, and cultures. It's been shown that common risk factors surface among all youth regardless of their race or ethnicity.
- Within cultures of the United States, Native American youth with a high sense of cultural identity and self-esteem displayed lower levels of alcohol and drug use (Zimmerman & Arunkumar, 1994).
- Vietnamese-American youth exhibited a greater connection to culture and their community when they participated in a youth development program that enhanced their interpersonal skills and self-confidence (Kegler, Young, Marshall, Bu, & Rodine, 2005).
- Positive youth development enhances that sense of belonging, creating, or strengthening stronger relationships with peers, friends, and certainly one's identification of one's culture within a community. The most common theme found, however, was the demonstrated increase in youth-adult communication and more positive perceptions of youth toward adults (Kegler et al., 2005).
From an international perspective, similar studies confirm the effectiveness of positive youth development practices.
- Youth in Panama, Costa Rica, and Guatemala who had positive youth development experiences, such as relationships with peers, teachers, and their families, were better able to make decisions regarding drugs and substance abuse than those with fewer positive experiences and relationships (Kliewer & Murrelle, 2007).
- When agencies and youth development professionals in Hong Kong reached out to high-risk youth through the Understanding Adolescent Program (UAP), which provided life-skill training aimed at personal competency, belonging, and optimism, youth reported having positive behavior changes. These changes included controlling anger, resolving conflict, learning more effective communication with adults, solving problems, and developing stronger value for teamwork. The key was that youth were encouraged to make contributions to their communities through service learning activities, and parents and teachers were empowered to serve in supportive roles (Wong & Lee, 2005).
Positive experiences, positive relationships, and positive environments—regardless of culture or ethnicity—can contribute to positive youth development.
Kegler, M., Young, K., Marshall, L., Bui, D., & Rodine, S. (2005). Positive youth development linked with prevention in a Vietnamese-American community: Successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37, 69-79.
Kliewer, W., & Murrelle, L. (2007). Risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use: Findings from a study in selected Central American countries. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 448-455.
Wong, K., & Lee, T. (2005). Professional discourse of social workers working with at-risk young people in Hong Kong: Risk or resilience. In M. Ungar (Ed.), Handbook for working with children and youth: Pathways to resilience across cultures and contexts (pp. 313-327). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Zimmerman, M., & Arunkumar, R. (1994). Resiliency research: Implications for school and policy. Social Policy Report, 8, Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research on Child Development.
To learn more, check out our youth topic page on positive youth development.
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How does culture influence positive youth development?
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