Program theory, that is, the specific idea about how a program causes the intended or observed outcomes, should be the central aspect of any realist evaluation or synthesis. The methods used for explicating or building initial rough program theories (IRPTs) in realist research are varied and arguably often underreported. In addition, preexisting psychological and sociological theories, at a higher level of abstraction, could be used to a greater extent to inform their development. This article illustrates a method for building IRPTs for use in realist research evaluation and synthesis. This illustration involves showing how the IRPTs were developed in a realist evaluation concerning sexual health services for young people. In this evaluation, a broad framework of abstract theories was constructed early in the process to support IRPT building and frame more specific program theories as they were developed. These abstract theories were selected to support theorizing at macro-, meso-, and microlevels of social structure. This article discusses the benefits of using this method to build initial theories for particular types of interventions that are large, complex, and messy. It also addresses challenges relating to the selection of suitable theories.Keywords realist, program theory, sexual health, young people, middle-range theory, adolescents, organizational change, conceptual framework What Is Already Known?Methods for developing initial theories in realist research are varied and underreported. Additionally, existing abstract theories are often used to substantiate rather than inform program theory development. What This Paper Adds?This paper provides an account of program theory development in a realist evaluation of positive comprehensive youth sexual health services. It offers a rationale for early development of a framework of abstract theories to improve coherence, quality, and transparency in realist research and a set of criteria for selecting abstract theories.

This document is the author deposited version. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it. HIRST, J. (2004). Researching young people's sexuality and learning about sex: experience, need, and sex and relationship education. Culture, health and sexuality, 6 (2), 115-129. This paper describes findings from an in-depth case study of young people's sexuality and learning about sex. Focus groups and unstructured interviews were conducted with young women and young men aged 15-16 years in a school in the north of England. Analysis focused on disjunctions between reported sexual behaviour in a park and in a bedsitting room, and the content of school sex and relationship education. Tensions between the accounts are considered for their impact on learning about sex, sexual negotiation, subjectivity and inter-generational understanding. Despite some negative experiences in sex education, the young people interviewed desired the affirmation and support of adults, and recommend sex and relationship education as the most appropriate vehicle for providing this. The value added outcomes of participation in the study, including consciousness and awareness raising, and the opportunity for reflection and debate and selves as 'experts', enhanced young people's view that non-judgemental and meaningful advice and guidance are possible in formal learning contexts. Implications for future forms of sex and relationship education are discussed. Published version Copyright and re-use policy

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Pleasure as a component of sexualities and relationships education has been much rehearsed recently. Arguably, theoretical debate and critique been more prominent than practitioner perspectives on how to persuade stakeholders of the value of implementing pleasure into learning about sexualities and relationships. This paper offers a rationale for positive SRE that includes pleasure. A series of theoretically and empirically supported suggestions are offered to encourage curriculum gatekeepers that SRE premised on a right to pleasure is warranted because of its potential to achieve safer sexual health outcomes and contribute to gender equality. Challenges faced by some sex educators are acknowledged by historicising the often uneasy associations between sexuality, education and youth in relation to some political and academic dimensions of debate, before offering a rationale on ways forward. Analysis focuses on young women. Policy developments relate to the UK but issues raised have relevance for SRE in other contexts.

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