Richard M. Lerner and Colleagues g Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development Tufts University University of Virginia April 22, 2011 1 Richard M. Lerner
University of Virginia April 22, 2011 2 Richard M. Lerner
THE KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POSITIVE THE KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (PYD) PERSPECTIVE 1. What is positive development? p p 2. What are the key ideas associated with the PYD perspective? 3. Why is it important to study the links between PYD, the ecology of human development, and active and engaged development, and active and engaged citizenship? 4. What does research tell us about these links? 5. What are the implications of research for practice and policy? practice and policy? University of Virginia April 22, 2011 3 Richard M. Lerner
What We THOUGHT We Knew About Adolescence G. Stanley Hall (1904), of Clark � University, founded the study of adolescence. Hall defined adolescence as a period of Hall defined adolescence as a period of � � universal and inevitable, biologically- based “storm and stress.” Therefore, according to Hall, Anna Therefore, according to Hall, Anna � � Freud, and Erik Erikson, adolescence was a period of crisis and disturbance. These ideas resulted in the view that � adolescents were "broken" or in adolescents were "broken" or in danger of becoming "broken." For almost all of the 20th century most � research about adolescence was based research about adolescence was based on this deficit conception of young people . University of Virginia April 22, 2011 4 Richard M. Lerner
What Research TELLS Us About the Presumed “Deficits” of Teens As early as the 1960s, research began to show that the deficit model was not in fact true: th t th d fi it d l t i f t t There are problems that occur during adolescence. � BUT there are problems that occur in infancy, childhood, and adulthood as well. , All age periods have challenges, and the fact that � there are life problems in the teenage years does not in and of itself make it a special period. The adolescent years may have some age-typical � problems, but so too do all other age periods. Adolescents who have an especially stormy decade p y y � also tend to have had a problematic childhood as well. The stereotypes of adolescent problems evaporate � in the light of actual research in the light of actual research. University of Virginia April 22, 2011 5 Richard M. Lerner
Research Contradicts the Stereotypes yp of the Teenage Years � Most young people do NOT have a stormy � Most young people do NOT have a stormy adolescent period. � Although adolescents spend increasingly more time with peers than with parents more time with peers than with parents, most adolescents still value their relationships with parents enormously. � Most adolescents have core values (e.g., about the importance of education in one’s life, about social justice, and about spirituality) that are consistent with those spirituality) that are consistent with those of their parents. � Most adolescents select friends who share these core values. h l University of Virginia April 22, 2011 6 Richard M. Lerner
But the Deficit Models Do Not Die. They don’t even seem to fade aw ay… � Into much of the 1990s most research continued to use Hall’s deficit model to study adolescence. � Literally hundreds of millions of � Literally hundreds of millions of dollars continue to be spent each year in the United States to reduce the problems “caused” by the KLS1 alleged deficits of adolescents. alleged deficits of adolescents � These problems include ◦ Alcohol use and abuse ◦ Unsafe sex and teenage pregnancy Unsafe se and teenage pregnanc ◦ School failure and drop out ◦ Crime and delinquency ◦ Depression and self-harming behaviors. University of Virginia April 22, 2011 7 Richard M. Lerner
Slide 7 KLS1 "and abroad"...? Kristina L Schmid, 2/23/2011
The Birth of a New Phase in the Scientific Study of Adolescence � In the 1990s a new vision of the teen years emerged from biology and developmental science. � This is the Positive Youth Development (PYD) Thi i th P iti Y th D l t (PYD) perspective. University of Virginia April 22, 2011 8 Richard M. Lerner
Defining Features of Developmental Defining Features of Developmental Systems Theories Systems Theories � A A relational metamodel � The integration of levels of organization � Developmental regulation across ontogeny involves mutually influential individual �� context relations � Integrated actions, individual �� context relations, are the basic unit of analysis within human development � Temporality and plasticity in human development University of Virginia April 22, 2011 9 Richard M. Lerner
Defining Features of Developmental Defining Features of Developmental Systems Theories Systems Theories (Continued) � Plasticity is relative � Plasticity is relative � Intraindividual change, interindividual differences in intraindividual change, and the fundamental substantive i t i di id l h d th f d t l b t ti significance of diversity � Optimism, the application of developmental science, and the promotion of positive human development � Multidisciplinarity and the need for change-sensitive methodologies University of Virginia April 22, 2011 10 Richard M. Lerner
Foundations of the PYD Perspective � Derived from a developmental science approach to description, explanation, and optimization that is informed description, explanation, and optimization that is informed by developmental systems models Derived from evolutionary biological (e.g., Gould, y g ( g , , � Lewontin) and comparative psychological (e.g., Schneirla, Tobach, Gottlieb, Greenberg, Suomi) theory and data about plasticity and adaptive developmental regulations about plasticity and adaptive developmental regulations (mutually beneficial individual �� context relations � Derived from formal (reviews of evaluation research; by ( ; y Blum and by Roth & Brooks-Gunn) ) and informal (practitioner report) assessments of the efficacy of youth development programs development programs University of Virginia April 22, 2011 11 Richard M. Lerner
The PYD Perspective: Six Core Concepts Because of the potential to change, p g , 1. all youth have strengths. All contexts have strengths as well. 2. These strengths are resources that may be used to promote positive youth development. These resources are termed 3. “developmental assets”. They are the “social nutrients” needed for the social nutrients” needed for healthy development. University of Virginia April 22, 2011 12 Richard M. Lerner
The PYD Perspective: Six Core Concepts These assets are found in families, 4. schools faith institutions youth serving schools, faith institutions, youth serving organizations, and the community more generally. If the strengths of youth are combined 5. with ecological developmental assets, then positive, healthy development may occur. We should be optimistic that it is in our 6. power to promote positive development i i d l among ALL youth and to create more asset-rich settings supporting such development among ALL youth development among ALL youth. University of Virginia April 22, 2011 13 Richard M. Lerner
Three Key Hypotheses of the PYD Perspective Hypothesis 1: PYD is constituted by “Five Cs”: yp y The “Five Cs” � Competence Contribution � Confidence � Character � Connection � Caring � Caring University of Virginia April 22, 2011 14 Richard M. Lerner
Three Key Hypotheses of the PYD Perspective Hypothesis 2: Across adolescence, PYD yp , occurs when the strengths of young people are aligned with resources for healthy development development � These resources are called “developmental assets” Families o Schools o Communities o University of Virginia April 22, 2011 15 Richard M. Lerner
Three Key Hypotheses of the PYD Perspective Hypothesis 3: Youth Development (YD) programs constitute key developmental assets promoting PYD . � YD programs are marked by the presence of the “Big 3”: of the Big 3 : 1. Sustained, positive adult- youth relations 2. 2 Skill b ildi Skill building activities ti iti 3. Youth participation and leadership. University of Virginia April 22, 2011 16 Richard M. Lerner
THE 4-H STUDY OF POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT University of Virginia April 22, 2011 17 Richard M. Lerner
WITH GRATITUDE TO: WITH GRATITUDE TO: � Don Floyd, President and CEO of the � Don Floyd, President and CEO of the National 4-H Council � The Altria Corporation THEIR VISION VALUES LEADERSHIP THEIR VISION, VALUES, LEADERSHIP, AND SUPPORT CREATED THE FIELD OF PYD OF PYD University of Virginia April 22, 2011 18 Richard M. Lerner
Jennifer Agans J if A J Jacqueline V. Lerner li V L Miriam R. Arbeit Jarrett Lerner Edmond Bowers Richard M. Lerner Michelle Boyd Alicia Doyle Lynch Paul Chase Christopher Napolitano Kristen Fay Marie Pelletier Bice Sonia Isaac Koshy Dee Pratti Heidi Johnson Kristina Schmid Megan Kiely Mueller Amy E. A. Warren Selva Lewin-Bizan Michelle Weiner University of Virginia April 22, 2011 19 Richard M. Lerner
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