Individual and Ecological Assets and Thriving Among African American Adolescent Male Gang and Community-Based Organization Members

Abstract

The third wave of the Overcoming the Odds longitudinal study involves data about individual and ecological developmental assets and thriving among African American male adolescents in inner-city Detroit gangs (N = 43) or in youth development, communitybased organizations (CBO; N = 50). Both groups had comparable levels of either low or high assets across the three waves. Stability in asset levels was not related to either of two measures of thriving or to a second measure of assets. The CBO youth had higher thriving and asset scores. More so for gang youth than CBO youth, there was evidence that asset and thriving scores were interrelated within this wave. Program and policy implications of these group differences are discussed.

Adolescent Civic Engagement and Adult Outcomes: An Examination Among Urban Racial Minorities

“…In addition to internal competencies, civic engagement may promote external resources such as connection with supportive adults and relationships with prosocial peers. An ethnographic study found differences in acquired developmental assets overtime (e.g., positive connections with adults, ability to overcome adversity and to delay gratification) in two groups of African American youth (Taylor et al, 2005). Youth who participated in a community-based organization reported higher levels of developmental assets than their counterparts by year 3 of the research study.…”

Contextual Influences on the Career Development of Low-Income African American Youth

“…A recent comparison of personal and ecological assets between young men involved in gangs and those involved in youth development activities sponsored by community-based organizations (Taylor et al, 2005) demonstrated that though the organization-involved youth had more developmental assets (including protective factors that reduced net vulnerability and positive social supports) than the gang-involved youth, the gang-involved youth maintained a significant amount of those assets, even after successive years of gang involvement. This suggests that even youth who have been involved in a significant amount of "risky" behavior can be redirected toward positive outcomes in life and careers.…”

“…They may seek to gain these personal resources by adopting maladaptive coping methods. Some may embrace a street culture that encourages them to "prove" themselves through high-risk behaviors, hypermasculinity, drug and alcohol use, risky sexual behavior, and violence or other forms of criminal behavior (Lerman, 1996;Maugeri, 1994;Spencer et al, 2003;Taylor et al 2005;Yancey, Siegel, & McDaniel, 2002). Others may develop no overtly maladaptive responses but fail to develop a future orientation that encourages them to optimism and self-investment (Mello, 2002).…”

The social ecology of resilience: Addressing contextual and cultural ambiguity of a nascent construct.

“…Neurophysiologists are arguing for the better design of neighborhoods to ensure children’s brain plasticity, even after exposure to trauma associated with neglect or violence (Gunnar, 2007; National Research Council & Institute of Medicine, 2000). Asset researchers are identifying the interactional effect and differential amounts of variance accounted for in children’s development dependent on the risks measured (Taylor et al., 2002). Meanwhile, culture‐based studies are arguing for sensitivity to the unique social ecologies of their participants and are employing mixed methods designs to balance emic and etic perspectives of resilience (Ungar, 2008).…”