Exploring the conceptualization and research of empowerment in the field of youth

Abstract

The concept of empowerment has become increasingly widespread in recent years. Its use is still, however, somewhat controversial and diverse, particularly when referring to young people. This article presents a systematic analysis of how empowerment has been conceptualized over the past 15 years and has been applied to young people. A systematic search of the major databases filtered by relevance provided 297 bibliographical references. The results confirm the ambiguous nature of the concept and the imprecision with which it is used, although they do link its use to three common concepts: power, participation and education. The concept of youth empowerment needs to be defined in order to highlight any nuances that distinguish it from the generic use of the term. The main dimensions associated with youth empowerment have been identified as: (a) that of growth and well-being; (b) relational; (c) educational; (d) political; (e) transformative; and, finally, (d) emancipativ

“Down Woodward”: A Case Study of Empowering Youth to See and Disrupt Segregation Using Photovoice Methods

“…Empowerment is both a process and the outcome of building people’s capabilities to influence their sociopolitical environment. Scholars have conceptualized youth empowerment as developmental growth that involves the acquisition of competencies to participate in society for emancipatory social change (Úcar Martínez et al, 2016). Freire (1970) first described how critical consciousness, or the irritative process of critical analysis and social action, serves as a tool for liberation among marginalized adults.…”

Teenagers and Precision Psychiatry: A Window of Opportunity

“…As scholars have observed, empowerment is a complex, multilevel construct with no consensual definition. Some conceptualize it as an active, continuous process that can occur at the individual, interpersonal, and community levels; others view empowerment as an outcome that displays itself differently across fields (e.g., social contexts and educational settings) and that can be better identified when it is weak or absent rather than when it is present [50, 51]. Moreover, although there is agreement that empowerment includes some aspects of gaining control over a particular life context, there are different views regarding how such power is acquired, who should be entrusted with facilitating this transformation (e.g., parents, educators, and peers), and what the best ways are for doing that (e.g., instructional, experiential learning, and teenager-adult dialog) [37, 50].…”

Evaluación participativa del empoderamiento juvenil con grupos de jóvenes. Análisis de casos

“…"El empoderamiento juvenil puede ser un proceso o un resultado consecuencia de una interacción, más o menos negociada, entre las capacidades de acción de una persona joven y las opciones que le provee el medio físico y sociocultural en el que desenvuelve su vida. El término se refiere, de manera general, al crecimiento eficiente de la persona joven por medio de la superación de determinadas situaciones a través de la adquisición o desarrollo de competencias" (Úcar, Jiménez-Morales, Soler & Trilla, 2016).…”

“…Esta definición, así como todo el trabajo de análisis teórico alrededor del concepto, puede verse enÚcar, Jiménez, Soler & Trilla, 2016. En el primer artículo de este este mismo monográfico puede verse una versión mejorada y ampliada de dicho concepto.…”