82057 - Theory and Methods for Youth Empowerment

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will know the main methods of interventions with groups of adolescents and young people; - will be able to choose and evaluate the applicability of the different methodologies and techniques of intervention; - will be able to develop and evaluate intervention projects to promote young people's empowerment. The course will promote the acquisition of various assessment and intervention methods with young people.

Course contents

To attend the course it is necessary to have basic knowledge on Community psychology, psychology of groups and psychology of adolescence, to be assessed during the first lectures.

Specific themes:

a) theoretical models of community interventions with youth, aimed to enhance empowerment and psychosocial well being, and prevent risk and deviance;

b) needs analysis, development and evaluation of interventions aimed to enhance young people empowerment and psychosocial well being. Challenges, resources, best practices.

c) methodologies and techniques used to enhance young people empowerment and psychosocial well being.

The programme includes two modules, dealing with the following topics:

Module 1 (40 hr.)

The module focuses on youth empowerment, from a theoretical and empirical perspective. Different examples of contexts and services will be presented as case studies of empowerment promotion for youth. The module will also address the issue of evaluation, project design, and participatory action research with youth.

Module 2 (20 hr.)

The module focuses on the community approaches for promoting health and psychosocial well-being for young people and adults in a state of social marginality, starting from the sociopolitical development model of young people (SPD). Tools (arts-based and techniques based on creativity) that encourage young people's participation in research, intervention and community development processes with adolescents and young people will be presented and discussed.

Several examples of implementation of projects and services to promote the empowerment of young people and adults with mental distress, women, and migrants will be discussed and critically analysed.

Readings/Bibliography

Reference readings on the contents treated in class:

Cicognani, E., Albanesi C. (2013). Giovani fuori dal comune? Metodologie e strumenti per la promozione della cittadinanza attiva nei giovani. ARAS: Fano.

Prati, G. (2019). Empowerment e giovani: dimensioni e modelli teorici (Youth empowerment: dimensions and theoretical models), Psicologia di comunità, 2, 93-109. doi: 10.3280/PSC2019-002007.

Prati, G. Mazzoni, D., Guarino, A., Albanesi, C., & Cicognani, E. (2020). Evaluation of an active citizenship intervention based on youth-led participatory action research. Health Education & Behavior, 47(6):894-904. doi:10.1177/1090198120948788

Mazzoni D., Cicognani E. (2009), Partecipazione sociale e benessere in adolescenza. Una rassegna della letteratura. Psicologia Scolastica, 2.

Cicognani, E., Albanesi C. (2020). La cittadinanza attiva. Strumenti di promozione a scuola. Roma: Carocci.

Christens, B. D. (2012). Targeting empowerment in community development: A community psychology approach to enhancing local power and well-being. Community Development Journal, 47(4), 538-554.

Daykin, N., Orme, J., Evans, D., Salmon, D., McEachran, M., & Brain, S. (2008). The impact of participation in performing arts on adolescent health and behaviour: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of health psychology, 13(2), 251-264.

Albanesi, C, Prati, G., Guarino, A., Cicognani, E., (2021) School Citizenship Education Through YPAR: What Works? A Mixed-Methods Study in Italy [https://cris.unibo.it/handle/11585/829182], Journal of Adolescent Research, 1, 1 – 35.

Cruz, J. P., Malafaia, C., Menezes, I., Eduardo Silva, J., & Piedade, F. (2019). Promoting European active citizenship: A participatory intervention towards the politicisation of youth social concerns. Psicologia di comunità, 69-89.

Watts, R. J., & Guessous, O. (2006). Sociopolitical development: The missing link in research and policy on adolescents. In Ginwright, S., Noguera, P., Cammarota, J.,(eds) Beyond Resistance! Youth Activism and Community Change: New Democratic Possibilities for Practice and Policy for America’s Youth, 59-80.

Zani, B. (a cura di) (2017) A teatro. In compagnia. Storie di tre compagnie dei Teatri della salute mentale, Bologna, Pendragon, pp. 129-156.

Further readings will be provided in class.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Group discussions

Exercises on methods and techniques presented in class.

Assessment methods

The final oral exam aims to evaluate the following didactic objectives:

- to know the main theoretical models for promoting youth empowerment and psychosocial well being;

- to know the main methodologies of intervention for the promotion of empowerment of adolescents and young people ;

- to be able to critically assess interventions.

The final oral exam, that is comprehensive of the two modules, will include (3/6) open ended questions aimed to assess the acquired basic knowledge in the topics of the course (treated in both modules) and the critical thinking in the analysis of the psychosocial phenomena. Grade 18 (essential knowledge) will be obtained when answers show basic knowledge, without critical discussions or reference to specific experiences and research exemplifying concepts/topics. Grade 30 (excellent knowledge) will be obtained when answers show critical knowledge of the topic/concept, and good capacity to discuss relevant projects and research analysed during classes and in the texts.

Active participation in class will contribute to the final grade up to 20%.

Class participation (Module 2) will be evaluated by filling a reflection grid on the connections between theoretical topics and the proposed projects.

In order to be admitted to the exam, students must register on the exam session on Almaesami considering the deadline.

Erasmus students may ask to take the written and oral examination in English.

Non-attending students will take the oral exam in the same manner as attending students.

Teaching tools

PC, Internet, power point presentations, web resources.

Office hours

See the website of Gabriele Prati

See the website of Antonella Guarino