Page 9 - Ana Kozina and Nora Wiium, eds. ▪︎ Positive Youth Development in Contexts. Ljubljana: Educational Research Institute, 2021. Digital Library, Dissertationes (Scientific Monographs), 42.
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https://w w w.doi.org/10.32320/978-961-270-341-7.9-13
The Significance of Contexts
in Positive Youth Development
Foreword
Ana Kozina1 and Nora Wiium2
1Educational Research Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2University of Bergen, Norway
Positive Youth Development (PYD; Lerner et al., 2021) has gained the at-
tention of researchers and practitioners not only in the USA, from where
the perspective originated, but in recent decades across Europe as well.
PYD, based on relational developmental systems theory, focuses on young
people’s strengths and the importance of the contexts in which they in-
teract. The relational developmental systems theory states that all aspects
of human development are a function of the two-way interaction between
the individual and their contexts (e.g., school, family, community, socie-
ty; Overton, 2015). Accordingly, young people hold potencials that can sup-
port their optimal development when provided with suitable environmen-
tal opportunities (Porter, 2010). The principal assumption is that young
people will develop positively when their strengths (internal assets) are
aligned with the resources in their contexts (external assets). This align-
ment, if optimal, can lead to adaptive developmental regulations where-
by thriving or positive youth outcomes (i.e., the 5Cs: competence, confi-
dence, character, caring, connectedness) become more probable, and risky
or problem behaviours (e.g., early school leaving, aggression, anxiety) less
frequent. Moreover, youth who are thriving will engage in prosocial be-
haviours and contribute to their own development and the development of
others in their contexts. The support mechanisms for positive development
(internal assets, external assets) may vary across individuals and subgroups
(e.g., youth with a migrant status, youth in transition, youth from differ-
ent language backgrounds). This monograph investigates the mechanisms
9
The Significance of Contexts
in Positive Youth Development
Foreword
Ana Kozina1 and Nora Wiium2
1Educational Research Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2University of Bergen, Norway
Positive Youth Development (PYD; Lerner et al., 2021) has gained the at-
tention of researchers and practitioners not only in the USA, from where
the perspective originated, but in recent decades across Europe as well.
PYD, based on relational developmental systems theory, focuses on young
people’s strengths and the importance of the contexts in which they in-
teract. The relational developmental systems theory states that all aspects
of human development are a function of the two-way interaction between
the individual and their contexts (e.g., school, family, community, socie-
ty; Overton, 2015). Accordingly, young people hold potencials that can sup-
port their optimal development when provided with suitable environmen-
tal opportunities (Porter, 2010). The principal assumption is that young
people will develop positively when their strengths (internal assets) are
aligned with the resources in their contexts (external assets). This align-
ment, if optimal, can lead to adaptive developmental regulations where-
by thriving or positive youth outcomes (i.e., the 5Cs: competence, confi-
dence, character, caring, connectedness) become more probable, and risky
or problem behaviours (e.g., early school leaving, aggression, anxiety) less
frequent. Moreover, youth who are thriving will engage in prosocial be-
haviours and contribute to their own development and the development of
others in their contexts. The support mechanisms for positive development
(internal assets, external assets) may vary across individuals and subgroups
(e.g., youth with a migrant status, youth in transition, youth from differ-
ent language backgrounds). This monograph investigates the mechanisms
9
