Radosveta Dimitrova

Docent of Psychology
Department of Psychology
Stockholm University
Stockholm
Sweden


Positive Youth Development (PYD) Across Cultures Study

This project examines developmental assets (internal and external) and positive youth development (PYD) among young people in a global cross-cultural perspective. The internal assets reflect individual and psychological characteristics such as young people’s commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies and positive identity. External assets on the other hand reflect contextual and relational features of socializing system such as support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, and constructive use of time. Both internal and external assets are essential for positive development. The PYD perspective assumes that young people are active participants that can determine their own development. When both the individual and the contexts are benefitting from the individual-context alignment, young people thrive and exhibit the 5Cs - Competence (in academic, social, vocational skills), Confidence (having a sense of mastery and future, positive identity, self-worth and self-efficacy), Character (having integrity, moral commitment, personal values, interpersonal values and skills, respect for societal and cultural rules), Connection (having healthy relation to community, friends, family and school) and Caring (showing empathy and sympathy). Contribution (the sixth C of PYD) in the form of helping behaviour, school and community involvement, civic and political participation is also considered.

Participants

8000 youth and emerging adults (ages 16 to 29) in Europe (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey), Africa (Ghana, Kenya, South Africa), Asia (China) and Latin America (Mexico).

Topics of study

Internal assets (commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies and positive identity), external assets (support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time), the 6Cs (Competence, Confidence Character, Connection, Caring Contribution), mental health and developmental outcomes.

 

Collaborators

Nora Wiium (University of Bergen, Norway)-PI
Oriola Hamzallari (Aleksander Moisiu University, Albania)
Amina Abubakar (Lancaster University, UK & KEMRI, Kenya)
Ana Kozina (The Educational Research Institute, Slovenia)
Anisa Hasani (University of Tirana, Albania)
Bin-Bin Chen (Fudan University, China)
Byron Adams (Tilburg University, the Netherlands & University of Johannesburg, South Africa)
Delia Stefenel (University of Sibiu, Romania)
Domínguez Espinosa Alejandra del Carmen (Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, Mexico)
Fitim Uka (European Center for Vocational Education, Kosovo)
Marianna Kosic (University of Trieste, Italy)
Pasquale Musso (University of Palermo, Italy)