Abstract
Empowerment has become an influential concept and theoretical framework for social policy and practice. Still, relatively
little is known about the roles that empowerment plays in the ecology of human development, particularly among young people.
This article reports results of a study of psychological empowerment among young people, using data from 629 high school students
(65.8% female; 96.5% non-white). Using a path analysis, we examined the role of perceived sociopolitical control—an indicator
of the intrapersonal component of psychological empowerment—as a mediator between ecological support systems and developmental
outcomes. Findings confirmed that social support in family, peer, and school settings, and family cohesion positively predict
self-esteem and perceived school importance, which, in turn, have protective effects on psychological symptoms, violent behaviors
and substance use. Sociopolitical control was found to mediate the relationships between ecological supports and risk factors
and developmental outcomes, leading to the conclusion that perceived efficacy in the sociopolitical domain, and youth empowerment,
more generally, should be considered as core elements of the ecology of human development. Policy and practice aimed at promoting
positive developmental outcomes and preventing risk behaviors should take their relationship to sociopolitical control into
account.
little is known about the roles that empowerment plays in the ecology of human development, particularly among young people.
This article reports results of a study of psychological empowerment among young people, using data from 629 high school students
(65.8% female; 96.5% non-white). Using a path analysis, we examined the role of perceived sociopolitical control—an indicator
of the intrapersonal component of psychological empowerment—as a mediator between ecological support systems and developmental
outcomes. Findings confirmed that social support in family, peer, and school settings, and family cohesion positively predict
self-esteem and perceived school importance, which, in turn, have protective effects on psychological symptoms, violent behaviors
and substance use. Sociopolitical control was found to mediate the relationships between ecological supports and risk factors
and developmental outcomes, leading to the conclusion that perceived efficacy in the sociopolitical domain, and youth empowerment,
more generally, should be considered as core elements of the ecology of human development. Policy and practice aimed at promoting
positive developmental outcomes and preventing risk behaviors should take their relationship to sociopolitical control into
account.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Empirical Research
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.1007/s10964-011-9724-9
- Authors
- Brian D. Christens, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1300 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- N. Andrew Peterson, School of Social Work, Rutgers University, 536 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Journal Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Online ISSN 1573-6601
- Print ISSN 0047-2891