Conceptualizing and Measuring Youth–Adult Partnership in Community Programs: A Cross National Study

Abstract

Youth participation in program and community decision making is framed by scholars as an issue of social justice, a platform for positive youth development and effective citizenry, and a strategy for nation building. Recent literature reviews have consistently identified youth-adult partnership (Y-AP) as an effective type of youth participation across highly diverse contexts. These same reviews, however, note that indicators of Y-AP have not been conceptualized and validated for measurement purposes. The present study addresses this limitation by developing a brief measure of Y-AP that is explicitly grounded in current theory, research, and community practice. The measure was administered to youth in the United States, Malaysia, and Portugal (N = 610). Validation was assessed through factor analysis and tests of factorial, discriminant, and concurrent validity. Results confirmed the two predicted dimensions of the Y-AP measure: youth voice in decision making and supportive adult relationships. These two dimensions were also found to be distinct from other measures of program quality: safety and engagement. As predicted, they also significantly correlated with measures of agency and empowerment. It is concluded that the measure has the potential to support community efforts to maximize the quality of youth programs.

Training Of Social Educator As Organizer Of Social Activity Of Adolescents

“…It represents all age groups of the country's adult population (its young, middle and older generations); different social and national layers of the differentiated society (new classes, groups-strata, national communities); different ideological, mental pivotal aspirations, life values, professions. It is just this group of adults, in alliance with professional educators, which yet retain the interaction of the children and adult societies as the natural basis for interactions between the adult and the adolescent communities (Alieva, 2011;AndersonButcher, Newsome, Ferrari, 2013;Zeldin, Krauss, Collura, Lucchesi, Sulaiman, 2014).…”

“…This allows an adult to realize his own personal potential to translate the children his social, life, vocational experience, his hobbies, and the child may feel like an "adult" and gain self-confidence, demonstrate his "self" and get a 74 real support, protection of an adult comrade and taking into account the child's identity it positively affects the formation of subjective positions and development of a personality as a whole. (Zeldin, Krauss, Collura, Lucchesi, Sulaiman, 2014). …”

“…The practice of the home children movement gives a number of examples of the birth giving new generations of educators-humanists, innovators in our country who became leaders -heads of the innovative educational institutions, education bodies and children associations (Zeldin, et al, 2014).…”

“…The pedagogical position of the social educators is the conceptualizing (Krauss) the base for dialogical relation of "human to human" type (differing from the relations of "pupil -teacher", "mentor -mentee"), which enhances the growth of a personal position of a child in the children association (Zeldin, et al, 2014). Their activities are effected inside the association and during the process of everyday activities of children and adults, through the direct involvement of adults into this lifestyle.…”

“…(Selivanova, & Sokolova, 2005). These are the theses about the upbringing space, the children-adult community as a subject and object of upbringing, about the development of the children-adult community in the modern system of education, about the criteria and methods of diagnosis of the personal growth of the mentees (Alieva, 2003;Alieva, 2011;Zeldin, Christens, Powers, 2013;Zeldin, Krauss, Collura, Lucchesi, 2014). In the conditions of revealing some new aspects of civil society the role and importance of public social education grows.…”