Lecture 6

• Societal Influences

  Social institutions; provide framework for shaping identity
• Society + culture Changes in western societies

  how much society choses roles people will play as an adult
• Positive Youth Development

  social policy fix adolescents by preventing problem behaviours
• Importance of Youth Organization

  focused family, peer group, and school
• Benson's 40 Developmental Assets

  Individual strengths and environmental resources
• Bensons' Internal Assets

  Commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, positive identity
• Benson's External Assets

  Support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time
• Identity and Vocation

  finding meaningful sense disturbs young people. Can be a hard task
• Ginzberg and Vocational Decision Making- 3 stages

  1. Fantasy (up to 11yrs)

  2. Tentative (11-17yrs)

  3. Realistic (17-20s)
• Criticisms of Ginzberg

  no meaningful vocation opportunities, not limited to adolescent period, vary in rate and timing
• Part-Time Work

  teens exercise agency through work experience. Limited positive and long-term impacts. Work is repetitive and boring. Limits study time for school
• Examples of part time work

  Grade 10s work 15hrs per week, grade 12 about 20. Fast food and retail
• Identity Development + Vocational Decision Making

  Identity status a strong predictor of career maturity. Higher identity exploration and commitment showed greater career maturity. Exploring variety of career possibilities made better career choices
• Family and Identity Development

  families that encourage individuality and connectedness are more likely to explore various identity alternatives
• Friendships and Peer Groups

  feedback from friends and peers provide youth support. Provide confidence, experiences, sexual and sex-role identity
• School Structure and Identity Formation

  private schools caused girls to be foreclosed in identity defining situations.
• The Community + Volunteering

  community service involvement provide youth with opportunities to develop ideological commitments and help foster values and who they are