Effects of Involvement in Religious Organization on Youth Development

Frances Mae Trabajo

Abstract


The collaborative efforts of the church, the school, and the family are a potent force in designing new programs and activities that are appealing, able to sustain interest and youth involvement. This study aimed to describe the personal “growth experiences” gained by youth participants in the Youth Encounter (YE) program of the Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM). The study centered on the apostolate of the Diocesan Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Talibon, Bohol, Philippines. One hundred fifty Roman Catholic youth respondents, aged 15 to 16 years of age were randomly selected from the 43 parishes in the Diocese of Talibon. Percentages and weighted mean were used to analyze and interpret the data. The findings illustrated how the program influenced the emotional, social and spiritual growth of the youth participants. The Fully Evident rating on Affirmation, Discovering one’s true identity and Self-worth signifies personal growth and change in the youth’s character, attitudes, and beliefs. The findings showed positive outcomes in the youth’s personal “growth experiences,” participation in the program ensures learning opportunities and ownership of personal development. A program with supportive adults enables the youth to learn appropriate competencies and skills that will eventually lead to positive development.

Keywords


Social Science; youth development; religious involvement; quantitative method; weighted mean; Philippines; Asia

Full Text: PDF

References


Andolina, M. W., Jenkins, K., Zukin, C., & Keeter, S. (2003). Habits from home, lessons from school: Influences on youth civic engagement. Political Science and Politics, 36(02), 275-280. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/dBvtBN.April, (accessed last 16 April 2015).
Arnett, J. J. (2006). G. Stanley Hall's Adolescence: Brilliance and nonsense. History of psychology, 9(3), 186.Retrieved from http://goo.gl/Qrs4wC, (accessed last 14 April 2015).
Ebstyne King, P., & Furrow, J. L. (2008). Religion as a resource for positive youth development: religion, social capital, and moral outcomes. In Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Apr, 2001, Minneapolis, MN, US; A previous version of this article was presented at the aforementioned conference. (No. 1, p. 34). Educational Publishing Foundation. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/xEL8NS, (accessed last 30 March 2015).
Fagan, P. F. (2006). Why religion matters even more: The impact of religious practice on social stability. Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, (1992). Retrieved from http://goo.gl/FNzE2E, (accessed last 15 April 2015).
Hill, T. D., Burdette, A. M., Ellison, C. G., & Musick, M. A. (2006). Religious attendance and the health behaviors of Texas adults. Preventive medicine, 42(4), 309-312.Retrieved from http://goo.gl/vhH3xh, (accessed last 16 April 2015).
Lerner, J. V., Phelps, E., Forman, Y. E., & Bowers, E. P. (2009). Positive youth development. John Wiley & Sons Inc. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/1sydO8, (accessed last 16 April 2015).
Pope Francis’ Message to Filipino Youth. Meeting with the Youth University of Santo Tomas 18 January 2015. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/117611/message-of-pope-francis-to-filipino-youth-at-ust/ Retrieved from http://goo.gl/uTA8zm, (accessed last 30 March 2015).
Sandoval, G., Mangahas, M., Guerrero, L. L., & Stations, S. W. (1998). The situation of Filipino youth: A national survey. Age, 15(17), 27. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/hluxyB, (accessed last 30 March 2015.
Smith, C. (2003). Religious participation and network closure among American adolescents. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42(2), 259-267.Retrieved from http://goo.gl/OCeWvh, (accessed last 30 March 2015).
Steen, T. A., Kachorek, L. V., & Peterson, C. (2003). Character strengths among youth. Journal of youth and adolescence, 32(1), 5-16. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/N0u578, (accessed last 16 April 2015).
Wallace, J. M., & Forman, T. A. (1998). Religion's role in promoting health and reducing risk among American youth. Health Education & Behavior, 25(6), 721-741. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/hZCX7W), (accessed last 30 March 2015).



DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15631/aubgsps.v8i1.88

Article Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Metrics powered by PLOS ALM

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2016 ACADEME University of Bohol, Graduate School and Professional Studies

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.