"I like to treat others as others would treat me": the development of prosocial selves in an urban youth organization.
The development of moral identity is linked to a sense of self that is prosocial and connected to others. Youth organizations, if designed appropriately, may provide a setting for social interactions and relationships in which youth can enact and receive validation for moral behaviors and develop prosocial selves. This chapter reports on findings from a four-year study of identity construction within an urban Boys and Girls Club. The author conducted interviews and photography projects with seventeen youth ages twelve to eighteen, all of whom were active club members. Over half described their race or ethnicity as black or African American, while others were Hispanic, Afro-Latino, white, or other. All of them either lived in the housing project near the club or had close ties to it. Both boys and girls describe themselves as rooted in a rich relational milieu that promoted prosocial identities. The importance of respect emerged as a key theme in the teens' narratives about themselves and their activities. The author found that the club served as a site for the development of prosocial traits in an environment characterized by respectful and supportive relationships.
University of Virginia, Curry School of Education, USA.
Nancy L
NL
Deutsch
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D035863:Moral Development; D009939:Organizations, Nonprofit; D010379:Peer Group; D010781:Photography; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent / Q000941:ethics*; D012933:Social Identification; D012944:Social Support; D014505:Urban Population