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LEADERSHIP THROUGH A YOUTH LENS: UNDERSTANDING YOUTH CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF LEADERSHIP
Author(s) -
Mortensen Jennifer,
Lichty Lauren,
FosterFishman Pennie,
Harfst Sarah,
Hockin Sara,
Warsinske Kelly,
Abdullah Kareemah
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.21620
Subject(s) - youth studies , perspective (graphical) , context (archaeology) , shared leadership , leadership studies , narrative , positive youth development , formative assessment , leadership , psychology , leadership style , qualitative research , leadership development , educational leadership , public relations , transactional leadership , social psychology , pedagogy , sociology , political science , developmental psychology , social science , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , artificial intelligence , computer science , biology
There is agreement in the literature that we need to develop more youth leaders. Research has focused on the outcomes of youth leadership programs that typically use adult theories to guide program activities. Little formative work has been done to assess whether adult theories actually map onto youth definitions of leadership. Therefore, a critical first step toward developing more youth leaders is understanding how youth define leadership (Dempster & Lizzio, [Dempster, N., 2007]). This study sought to understand leadership from a youth perspective. Using qualitative methods, 5 ideas emerged in the youths’ narratives: leadership is available to anyone in any context and involves creating change, collective action, modeling and mentoring, and strong character. This suggests youth share some views with adults but also have unique perspectives. We describe how youth talk about leadership and compare this to adult theories in an effort to advance our understanding of leadership through a youth lens.