RUcore Resource Object
RUcore Resource Object
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TitleThe role of ethnic identity in participatory processes that facilitate psychological empowerment among urban youth
NameTamanas, Elena (author), Peterson, N. Andrew (chair), Cherniss, Cary (internal member), Rutgers University, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology,
Degree Date2010-10
Date Created2010
SubjectOrganizational Psychology,
Urban youth--United States--Psychology,
Power (Social sciences)--United States,
Youth development--United States,
Ethnicity--United States
DescriptionThe current study involved the development and testing of a path model to predict psychological empowerment for urban youth ages 13-17. Data from a survey of urban youth in a city in the northeast United States were analyzed to test the model. The variables included in the model were: perceived neighborhood problems, neighborhood sense of community, social support, participation in community and school activities, and ethnic identity. Utilizing structural equation modeling, survey data were analyzed to determine whether the hypothesized model fit the data and to examine how the five predictor factors influenced an individual’s level of psychological empowerment, as measured by the revised sociopolitical control scale. Path models were developed for the full sample and for gender-specific subgroups. Results showed that the hypothesized model provided a good fit to the data from the full sample of participants and crucial differences existed in the models for females and males. A key finding of this study was the critical role of ethnic identity in the psychological empowerment process; it was empowerment’s strongest predictor variable for all three models. Key gender-related differences included the direct effect of perceived neighborhood problems on empowerment and the negative effect of perceived neighborhood problems on social support being mediated by neighborhood sense of community for females but not males. Strategies to promote ethnic identity development and implications for practice based on full sample and gender-specific differences are presented. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.
NotePsy.D
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Elena Tamanas
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttp://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.1/rucore10001800001.ETD.000055955
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.