Description
TitleToward building authentic power and virtue in male youth
Date Created2011
Other Date2011-10 (degree)
Extentxiv, 349 p. : ill., map
DescriptionIf you belong to the male gender, you are at risk for a
range of psychological problems, including serious ones.
If you are female, your male loved ones may have learned
not to seek help for their struggles, as they may have been
ridiculed or pressured toward a stifled masculine
development. Various models of masculinity and related
areas can help us understand the developmental life
trajectories that young men may follow. The Challenge
Program, which is the focus of this dissertation, rests on
a presumption that being balanced is associated with a
virtuous life, as defined by classic philosophers and
writers, and as described in the positive psychology area. If men rise to the challenge to leave their comfort zones,
their lives may be enhanced. Using a particular program
planning and evaluation framework, psychological needs of a
specific target group of males within an embedded context
were determined. A pilot program was designed and
implemented to help male youth ages 18-24 at an educational and vocational training academy develop the three A’s— Accountability, Authenticity, and Affirming relationships.
These three goals guided the development of the Challenge
Program. The intention was to build “Responsible Leaders”,
“Courageous Fighters”, “Honest Men”, and “Compassionate
Team-players”. The program planning and evaluation
framework provided guidelines for formulating goals,
program components and activities, resulting in the
Challenge Program. In essence, a wilderness experience
consisting of an outward-bound type weekend served as an
icebreaker and formal introduction to the program, in a
relaxed, purposeful atmosphere. A time limited group
lasting nine weeks was the forum to help youth build
authentic power and virtue. The program evaluation results suggest this type of program may help build character
strengths in a specific target group, and it can be
rewarding to youth and mentors alike. The potential
problems that may be encountered with future development and implementation of the Challenge Program are presented including how this kind of program may add to the positive psychology area.
NotePsy.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Rafael Martinez Arrue
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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