Advances in Positive Youth Development

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Childhood and Youth Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 3494

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
“R.Massa” Department for Human Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
Interests: adolescents well-being; trauma; research methods

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
“R.Massa” Department for Human Science, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
Interests: adolescents well-being; emotion; virtual reality for well-being

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to submit an article for a Special Issue on advances in positive youth development that we are planning to publish in our esteemed journal. As experts in the field, we believe your insights and contributions would be valuable to our readers.

Positive youth development is an important area of research that seeks to promote the well-being and flourishing of young people. This Special Issue aims to bring together the latest research, theories, and practices in the field and present them to a diverse audience of scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and educators.

We are interested in receiving submissions on a broad range of topics related to positive youth development, including but not limited to:

  • The role of family, school, and community in promoting positive youth development.
  • Youth empowerment, participation, and leadership.
  • Interventions and programs that promote positive youth development.
  • Positive youth development and mental health.
  • Positive youth development in diverse cultural and social contexts.

We encourage you to submit an original research paper, review article, or theoretical paper that provides new insights or challenges existing assumptions in the field. All submissions will be peer-reviewed by experts in the field.

Please note that the submission deadline is 29 February 2024, and we encourage you to submit your article as soon as possible to ensure timely review and publication. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to receiving your submission and working with you to make this Special Issue a success.

Dr. Alessandro Pepe
Dr. Farina Eleonora
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • positive youth development
  • youth flourishing
  • youth participation
  • social support
  • prosocial behaviors
  • emotional wellbeing
  • youth mental health
  • education and school
  • care system

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4512 KiB  
Article
Perception and Relocation Intentions of Japanese Youth towards Rural Areas: A Case Study of Visitors in Hanyu-shi, Saitama Prefecture
by Yingming Mao, Lei He, Dibyanti Danniswari and Katsunori Furuya
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040197 - 31 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1572
Abstract
As a highly urbanized country, Japan is facing the phenomenon of a continuous migration of young people from rural areas to cities, leading to an aging and decreasing population in rural communities. Influenced by the pandemic, people began to reconsider the issue of [...] Read more.
As a highly urbanized country, Japan is facing the phenomenon of a continuous migration of young people from rural areas to cities, leading to an aging and decreasing population in rural communities. Influenced by the pandemic, people began to reconsider the issue of population concentration in large cities, causing urban residents to become interested in returning to rural areas. The focus of this study is on the perceptions and relocation intentions of Japanese youth towards rural areas, particularly in Hanyu-shi, Saitama Prefecture. Through semi-structured interviews with 26 urban university students who live in urban areas, this study explores the factors that attract or hinder them from having rural lives. The survey results show that childhood experiences and current lifestyle preferences have influenced their views on rural areas. The main hindering factors include backwards infrastructure, communication difficulties, and limited job prospects. This study reveals a significant cognitive gap in urban youth’s attitudes towards rural life in Japan. The study emphasizes the need to eliminate these hindrances and enhance the attractiveness of rural areas to promote reverse urban migration. This study provides important insights for policymakers and urban planners, highlighting the necessity of formulating development strategies that meet the needs of urban youth residents, which is crucial for the sustainable revitalization of rural Japan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Positive Youth Development)
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14 pages, 582 KiB  
Article
Socio-Demographic Differences in Positive Youth Development in Spanish Undergraduates
by Diego Gomez-Baya, Maria Muñoz-Parralo, Antonio David Martin-Barrado, Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo, Margarida Gaspar de Matos and Nora Wiium
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13010011 - 22 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1442
Abstract
The positive youth development (PYD) model is a strength-based conceptualization of the transition to adulthood, in which the relationships that individuals establish within this context are essential. These adaptive contextual–individual interactions allow youths to acquire better psychological adjustment and greater social participation. The [...] Read more.
The positive youth development (PYD) model is a strength-based conceptualization of the transition to adulthood, in which the relationships that individuals establish within this context are essential. These adaptive contextual–individual interactions allow youths to acquire better psychological adjustment and greater social participation. The PYD model differentiates five areas to be nurtured (the 5Cs) in young people: confidence, competence, connection, caring, and character. The present work aimed to examine differences in overall PYD and its respective 5Cs among Spanish university students based on their socio-demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional study with 1038 students between 18 and 28 years old from 11 Spanish universities was conducted. In order to assess the 5Cs, the Spanish adaptation of the 5Cs of the PYD Short Form was used. When analyzing the variability of the 5Cs according to socio-demographic variables, some relevant differences were found, though with small effect sizes. Students with better scores on the 5Cs included those who were living in the countryside or big cities, studied Social Sciences, were enrolled in small universities, had parents with a high education level, and those who reported high socio-economic status. Women presented higher scores in terms of connection, caring, and character, whereas men reported more perceived competence and confidence, which may be due to gender socialization during adolescence and youth. Families with parents with a higher level of education and of a higher socio-economic level may offer more resources and support greater positive youth development. These social inequalities in PYD may suggest the need for the promotion of equal opportunities in education, health promotion, and social participation, which may allow young people from all backgrounds to develop their individual potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Positive Youth Development)
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