This article contributes to the development of a critical social theory of youth empowerment which emphasizes collective efforts to create sociopolitical change. It draws upon analysis of four youth empowerment models, and upon findings from a participatory research study which identified key dimensions of critical youth empowerment: (1) a welcoming, safe environment, (2) meaningful participation and engagement, (3) equitable power-sharing between youth and adults, (4) engagement in critical reflection on interpersonal and sociopolitical processes, (5) participation in sociopolitical processes to affect change, and (6) integrated individual- and community-level empowerment. It concludes with discussion of the measurement of outcomes, and the challenges and opportunities for empowerment in youth organization. © 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
CITATION STYLE
Jennings, L. B., Parra-Medina, D. M., Messias, D. A. K. H., & McLoughlin, K. (2012). Toward a critical social theory of youth empowerment. In Youth Participation and Community Change (pp. 31–56). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.1300/J125v14n01_03
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