Seeking harmony: The juxtaposition between positive and negative community influences for Kenyan youth

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Abstract

Introduction: Over the past three decades, positive youth development (PYD) has emerged as a theoretical framework to understand development using a strengths-based approach rather than a deficit model (Lerner, 2017). Most PYD literature is centered around a Western perspective, and there is a growing call to understand what constitutes PYD in a global context (Leman et al., 2017). Qualitative analyses from an ongoing international collaborative study in Kenya (Geldhof et al.; manuscript in preparation) explored which attributes, skills, and goals are relevant for fostering PYD in a Kenyan context. This study found that participants described positive youth development as fostering one’s character and personal development to become successful and give back to the community. Given the importance of community as a salient context, the present study uses the same data to investigate how community is defined and the influence it has on the lives of Kenyan youth.

Methods: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 77 Kenyan youth ages 11-22, as well as 15 Kenyan adults (school teachers and social workers). Participants were sampled from three contexts: urban school youth in Nairobi, rural youth (Narok County), and street youth living at a rehabilitation center in Nairobi. Research assistants at Maasai Mara University conducted the interviews in either English or Swahili; with Swahili interviews translated to English for analysis. A team of qualitative researchers from the United States conducted an inductive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Two questions were analyzed for the present study: “What social relationships are important for helping youth succeed in life and become positive role models for others?” and “What attributes, if any, do youth learn in the community?”

Results: Supporting previous literature in non-Western contexts (Schwartz et al., 2017), participants consistently referred to their community when asked to identify which social relationships were important for youth success. Participants used words like neighborhoods, villages, elders, politicians, and youth conferences to describe this context. In response to the question, “What attributes do youth learn in the community?” an overarching theme uncovered a strong juxtaposition between positive and negative community influences on youth character and behavior (see Figure 1). Communities simultaneously nurture positive attributes (e.g., integrity, discipline, and harmony) and negative behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, violence, and theft). Additionally, most positive attributes learned in community (e.g., work ethic, spirituality) ultimately related either directly or indirectly to the concept of harmony, peace, and unity within the community (Figure 1). Key informants explain that while youth understand the value of these positive attributes for achieving success and thriving; contexts such as poverty and community violence may represent stressors that lead youth to exhibit negative behaviors- as echoed in the transcripts.

Discussion: Results revealed that while Kenyan youth may encounter barriers and risks to healthy development in their communities, these same contexts also cultivate the development of positive personal attributes, which in turn are used in service to promote a peaceful community.

Authors

• Alexis E Merculief, Oregon State University - Corvallis
  Presenting Author

• Jey Blodgett, Oregon State University - Corvallis
  Non-Presenting Author

• Candice W Bolding, Clemson University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Asige Mmaitsi Lawrence, Maasai Mara university
  Non-Presenting Author

• Justine Amadi Orucho, Maasai Mara University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Aden Ang'aba Esokomi, Maasai Mara University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Obushe Dennis Omuse, Maasai Mara University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kennedy K Onyiko, Maassai Mara University
  Non-Presenting Author