Publication year
2014
Citation Title
Features of positive developmental leisure settings for LGBTQ youth.
Journal Name
Journal of Park and Recreation Administration
Journal Volume
32
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
83-97
Summary
There are several features of youth programs that support positive youth development. In this study, researchers utilized a participant-observer approach to examine those features in a program specifically targeted toward LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) youth. Thematic analysis of observational notes, interviews, and program documents revealed that support for efficacy and mattering and opportunities to belong were the most salient features in the program.
Key Findings
Adults and youth conveyed that components of support for efficacy and mattering and providing opportunities to belong were the most salient characteristics of the program.
The adult staff members often identified safety as an important feature of the program, while the youth were much less likely to mention safety.
Structure that allowed youth to self-select into activities and engage in the program at multiple levels provided support for efficacy and mattering.
Implications for Military Professionals
Intentionally cultivate respect for all youth, including an openness to learning from the youth
Encourage youth to engage in activities that support empowerment while affirming their identities (e.g., leadership, activism)
Implications for Program Leaders
Consider how program expectations might support or demean LGBTQ youth
Develop opportunities for multiple levels of youth engagement in order to provide appropriate structure for a wide range of youth
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage collaboration between programs for youth and community members in the effort to create inclusive environments
Promote education for professionals who work with military-affiliated youth regarding the unique experiences of LGBTQ youth
Methods
Researchers collected data at a program serving LGBTQ youth ages 12-19 years in the southern United States.
Data came from three sources: the observational notes of a researcher who became a volunteer in the program; semi-structured interviews with youth, volunteers, and staff members; and program documents such as the volunteer manual.
Themes throughout the three sources were identified in order to determine the features of the program most salient for LGBTQ youth engagement.
Participants
Interviews were conducted with 13 individuals: 5 youth and 8 adults.
Volunteers, staff members, board members, and the program director were the adult interviewees.
No other information about the interviewed or observed participants was included.
Limitations
The researchers did not evaluate the effect of support for efficacy and mattering and providing opportunities to belong on youth outcomes, so while these were identified by staff and participants as being important, it is unclear what role they actually play for LGBTQ youth with regard to outcomes.
Program attendance was voluntary and thus youth often attended sporadically. The youth who chose to attend may differ from those who did not in ways that could affect results.
Only five youth were explicitly interviewed for this study which may not be a large enough sample to capture the experience of all the youth involved in the program.
Avenues for Future Research
Evaluate the effect of characteristics of youth programs on the outcomes of LGBTQ youth
Investigate similarities and differences between programs targeted to sexual minority youth and programs targeted to the mainstream population of youth
Explore components or characteristics that can be augmented in mainstream youth programs in order to better support LGBTQ youth within those programs
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth face a disproportionate risk of a range of problem issues such as depression and drug use (Saewyc, 2011). However, little is known about factors that might promote positive developmental experiences among young people who identify as a non-dominant sexuality. The National Research Council’s (2002) features of positive developmental settings framework provides strong theoretical rationale for factors likely to promote positive development experiences, but the usefulness of its propositions for LGBTQ youth has yet to be explored. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the National Research Council’s (2002) features of positive developmental settings framework in the context of an organized leisure program designed to serve LGBTQ youth. Ethnographic techniques were employed to explore program structure and features at an organized leisure program designed to serve LGBTQ
youth. Data collection techniques included (a) interviews (n = 13); (b) notes from four months spent as a participant observer, (c) a researcher journal, and (d) collecting program documents such as the volunteer training manual. Thematic analysis indicated that although all of the National Research Council’s features appeared relevant, two emerged as particularly significant contributors to positive development: support for efficacy and mattering and opportunities to belong. Staffers endeavored to support a range of levels of engagement by enforcing social norms that reinforced the capabilities of youth as well as providing a range of structured and unstructured activity options. However, this approach to youth engagement also resulted in challenges related to documenting program outcomes and pursuing funding for program operations. Most youth participants reported a sense of belonging to Pulse that was fostered through both day-to-day activities and larger scale one-time events. Belongingness may have been facilitated by the abilities of staff to make others feel welcome as well as the opportunities for free identity expression provided by Pulse. The commonalities between features of positive youth programs for LGBTQ and heterosexual youth suggest that leisure may serve as a site of connection among diverse groups. Practitioners would be well served by exploring the possibility of offering activities at multiple levels of engagement simultaneously within their programs in order to meet the needs of a broader range of young people. Further exploration of features of positive developmental settings is vital to advancing leisure service provision for non-dominant sexualities.
youth. Data collection techniques included (a) interviews (n = 13); (b) notes from four months spent as a participant observer, (c) a researcher journal, and (d) collecting program documents such as the volunteer training manual. Thematic analysis indicated that although all of the National Research Council’s features appeared relevant, two emerged as particularly significant contributors to positive development: support for efficacy and mattering and opportunities to belong. Staffers endeavored to support a range of levels of engagement by enforcing social norms that reinforced the capabilities of youth as well as providing a range of structured and unstructured activity options. However, this approach to youth engagement also resulted in challenges related to documenting program outcomes and pursuing funding for program operations. Most youth participants reported a sense of belonging to Pulse that was fostered through both day-to-day activities and larger scale one-time events. Belongingness may have been facilitated by the abilities of staff to make others feel welcome as well as the opportunities for free identity expression provided by Pulse. The commonalities between features of positive youth programs for LGBTQ and heterosexual youth suggest that leisure may serve as a site of connection among diverse groups. Practitioners would be well served by exploring the possibility of offering activities at multiple levels of engagement simultaneously within their programs in order to meet the needs of a broader range of young people. Further exploration of features of positive developmental settings is vital to advancing leisure service provision for non-dominant sexualities.
Abstract Document
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