An Exploratory Study of Youth Mentoring in an Urban Context: Adolescents' Perceptions of Relationship Styles

The goal of this study was to empirically distinguish a range of mentor relationships and to evaluate their differential influence on adolescent outcomes. The study makes use of data that were collected as part of a national evaluation of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. The evaluation included 1138 youth, ranging in age from 10 through 16 (M=12.25), who were assigned randomly to either a mentoring relationship or a control group and followed for 18 months. A series of analyses, based on the matched youth's accounts of the relationships, suggested 4 distinct types of relationships (i.e., moderate, unconditionally supportive, active, and low-key). The 4 groups tended to distinguish themselves from one another on the basis of perceived support, structure, and activity. Relative to the controls, youth who characterized their mentor relationships as providing moderate levels of both activity and structure and conditional support derived the largest number of benefits from the relationships. These included improvements in social, psychological, and academic outcomes. Implications of the findings for research and intervention are discussed.     

Ego Strength Development of Adolescents Involved in Adult-Sponsored Structured Activities

A psychosocial conception of ego strengths is presented in relation to adolescent involvement in adult-sponsored structured youth activities. Five-hundred and seventeen high school students completed measures on their involvement in structured activities and on 8 ego strengths. Gender, age, and SES were controlled in a MANCOVA procedure and it was found that extracurricular activities of sports, student government, and belonging to an issues group, as well as engagement in volunteerism were related to several of the ego strengths. Religious attendance was not related to the ego strengths. In longitudinal analysis, it was shown that ego strength at Time 1 predicted involvement in structured activities at Time 2 (8 months later), but structured activities at Time 1 did not predict ego strength at Time 2. The findings are discussed relative to theory and research findings on the topic.Carol A. Markstrom is a Professor in Family and Consumer Sciences, West Virginia University. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology in 1988 from Utah State University. Her research interests include adolescent identity formation, positive youth development, American Indian adolescents, and indigenous models of human development.Xaioming Li is a Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology in 1992 from the University of Minnesota. Research interests (in general) include child development, adolescent health risk prevention and intervention, research methodology, and biostatistics.Shana L. Blackshire is a M. S. Instructor, Child Development and Family Studies, Division of Family and Consumer Sciences, West Virginia University.Juanita J. Wilfong is a graduate student, Elementary Education, West Virginia University.     

试析青年角色过渡问题的认识误区

角色过渡问题是青年理论研究的一大薄弱环节。过去,我们在这方面存在认识上的误区,表现在忽略青年角色过渡的主体性,忽略青年角色过渡的过程性,简单认为青年角色过渡的单线性,片面认为青年角色过渡的和谐性,在社会转型的关键时期应该正确认识这一问题。     

中日韩三国青少年权益保护现状比较

中、日、韩三国都很重视青少年维权和相关立法工作,各自建有相应的工作体系。三个国家有着相似的文化背景和传统观念,在青少年权益保护方面虽因国情不同存在一定的差异,但也有很多共同之处。比较相关维权状况,可以为加强我国青少年维权工作提供可借鉴的有益经验。     

青年文化:青年社会化的新视角

青年文化,作为在青年中流行、并对青年产生重大影响的因子,是青年社会化的主要执行者。同时,随着时代的发展,青年文化又使青年社会化出现了新特点,蕴含着当今青年社会化的二重性。因此,积极加强青年文化建设,对青年社会化的顺利实现乃至社会的发展都有着极大的现实意义。     

Two Systems of Youth Service: Determinants of Voluntary and Required Youth Community Service

Although an increasing number of schools mandate service, this requirement is seen by some as self-contradictory, especially in contrast to voluntary service. Looking closely at the service process, we argue that the categories of required and voluntary, do not in themselves convey the nature of service students might do with implications for the benefits they may derive from service. We report data from students in 2 high schools to support our case. Both schools required service, but one integrated it into the curriculum whereas the other left choice of service to individual students. Students in the former school were more apt to do the kinds of service that engage students cognitively and emotionally and involve them in reflection on politics and morals. Apart from fulfilling their requirement, many of the students also did volunteer service of the kinds that were potentially beneficial. These students were likely to have parents and best friends who also did service and to belong to churches and civic organizations that sponsored or encouraged service as part of an ideological commitment. The data support the idea that required and volunteer service can be usefully viewed as operating according to separate regimens. Nevertheless, both have the potential for yielding benefits when service is viewed as providing youth with opportunities to learn about systems of meaning through participatory action. From the viewpoint of educational policy, schools can help students most when they organize service strategically and integrate service into the academic curriculum.     

论犯罪低龄化与法律正义的冲突

当法律与正义发生冲突时,应当以正义为先。当现实的正义在法律上得不到实现时,应当修改法律以适应人类正义的需求。本文立足于当前犯罪形势的发展,认为刑法应当与时俱进,以彰显法律正义。     

论张闻天的青年理想观

抗日战争时期,张闻天在陕北公学以《论青年的修养》为题的演讲,紧紧围绕青年理想这一核心问题,提出了青年在实现理想的过程中,要树立坚定的高尚的理想;要有克服困难、为理想奋斗到底的精神;要学习实现理想的办法,着眼于最实际的工作;要学会密切联系群众,坚持走群众路线。     

全球化、文化自觉与青少年发展

很多中国民众 (包括青少年 )对 91 1事件的不正常反应和对美国的矛盾心理表明全球化背景下文化自觉的重要性。中国传统文化的局限性仍对现实的社会生活和人们的思维及行为方式有一定的影响 ,这无论对中国融入世界的过程还是对青少年人格的发展都是不利的。我们应引导青少年正确对待中国传统文化和世界主流文化 ,在文化适应的高度上把青少年培养成合格的全球化人才。     

江泽民对毛泽东邓小平青年和青年工作思想的发展

青年是革命和建设的先锋队和生力军。作为党的第三代领导核心,江泽民同志十分关心青年,重视青年,他发表了许多关于青年和青年工作的论述,形成了一个内容丰富、体系完整的青年和青年工作思想体系。这一体系既是对毛泽东、邓小平青年和青年工作思想的继承,更是对毛泽东、邓小平青年和青年工作思想的丰富和发展。时代的变革、青年和青年工作自身特点的变化以及我们党对青年和青年工作问题认识的深入,是江泽民对毛泽东、邓小平青年和青年工作思想发展变化的主要原因。