Critical Positive Youth Development: A Framework for Centering Critical Consciousness

Abstract

While positive youth development (PYD) has proven beneficial in developing youth’s strengths, fomenting youth–adult partnerships, and cultivating leadership, missing from the framework is a critical understanding of the role and impact of power, privilege, and oppression on young people’s development and lived experiences. To address this absence, we developed a critical positive youth development (CPYD) framework. Bridging positive youth development (PYD) with critical theory, CPYD positions critical consciousness—consisting of critical reflection, political efficacy, and critical action—as the 7th C of PYD and as integral to both the learning process and healthy socioemotional development. This paper introduces the CPYD framework and examines implications and applications for practitioners, including exploring the role of storytelling as an effective method through which to apply CPYD and highlighting one specific example.

Journal of Youth Development’s Stance on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access

“…We encourage you to read and share our articles. For example, in this issue alone I would highlight Recent publications address indigenous identity (Farella et al, 2021), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Rand et al, 2021), critical consciousness (Gonzalez et al, 2020), Black family engagement (Case, 2020), the Thrive model though an equity lens (Fields, 2020), Latinx adolescents' peer ethnic discrimination (Ma et al, 2020) countering fascism (Arbeit et al, 2020), Black families' reactions to socialization interventions (Anderson et al, 2020) and leading with youth of color (Clemons, 2020).…”

Aligning Physical Literacy With Critical Positive Youth Development and Student-Centered Pedagogy: Implications for Today's Youth

“…With the objective of enhancing the development and transfer of physical literacy among all youth, the purpose of this article is to highlight the alignment between three novel youth-centric frameworks. Specifically, the person-based, development-oriented paradigm (PBDO; Kimiecik et al, 2020 ), critical positive youth development (CPYD) approach (Gonzalez et al, 2020 ), and adventure pedagogy (Newman et al, 2018 ) will be discussed as they relate to promoting the healthy development of youth and social justice promotion through physical education and sport.…”

“…Considering how youth sport and physical education have been conceptualized (Lynch and Soukup, 2016 ; Gould, 2019 ), CPYD (Gonzalez et al, 2020 ) may contribute to a debate on how sport and physical education can be strategically used to contribute to the holistic and healthy development of youth. Borrowing from Freire's (Freire, 1972 ) work on critical consciousness, CPYD is a strength-based approach that highlights the need to foster PYD outcomes that aim to help youth become able to critically reflect about the current cultural and social norms.…”

“…In other words, CPYD values “critical perspectives to understanding youths' environments and their interactions within them. Such critical understanding includes examining the role of systems—whether marginalizing or consciousness-raising—on youth development” (Gonzalez et al, 2020 , p. 31). Such an asset-based approach to youth development aims to prepare youth to make a difference in today's society and take ownership for political stances that shift the current systems of oppression (Heberle et al, 2020 ).…”

Personal and Social Responsibility Development in a Volleyball Hybrid Positive Youth Development Program: A Mixed Methods Approach

“…At present, there are different intellectual currents derived from the PYD theoretical frameworks, related to how PYD can contribute to better sports experiences for youth that connect to their daily lives in current society. Some, like critical PYD (Gonzalez et al, 2020 ), are focused on adopting a critical perspective on PYD, recognizing the values of youth and their capacity to challenge inequities, and transforming society and its structures to erase oppression. Others reflect on the long-term implications of SBPYD programs and present solutions to support and promote positive individual behavioral changes in the long term, such as the MINDSPACE (Messenger, Incentives, Norms, Defaults, Salience, Priming, Affect, Commitment, and Ego) model (Whitley, 2021 ).…”