Linking Neighborhood Character and Resources to Adolescent Achievement Orientation

人们普遍认为，儿童和青少年发展和学习的环境很重要。对邻里影响的研究表明，邻里对个人的影响是多方面的。然而，根据传统的测量，社区的影响小于家庭特征，如社会经济地位（如贫困）和父母完成的教育年限。一些研究人员认为，对社区的全面影响的理解仍有待确定（Turner等人，1997年，第2页）。本研究认为，要了解影响城市青年能力和福祉发展的因素，需要了解社区和社会背景的影响，以及年轻人的反应或应对策略。这对于我们理解为什么一些城市青年以产生积极结果和能力的方式应对或应对社区风险和困难至关重要；然而，生活在相同环境中的其他年轻人，应对情境挑战的方式却产生了不太理想的成就和人生历程的成功。该项目采用一种特殊的理论驱动方法，即生态系统现象学变体理论（PVEST） （Spencer, 1999,1999），探索青少年环境的七个层面，并将其与他们的应对方法、身份形成和学业成就联系起来。生态或环境相关视角与文化相关，对青少年独特的应对和认同过程敏感，并有助于解释不同的青少年结果。具体来说，该研究将考察学生特征与七个层次的环境之间的关系。大约1500名城市男孩和女孩（西班牙裔美国人、非洲裔美国人、亚裔美国人和欧裔美国人）组成了这个研究样本，他们就读于41所费城公立学校，代表了高成就（a /B成绩）或边缘（C/D成绩）的表现成就组。从9年级、10年级或11年级开始，他们将被跟踪学习整个高中阶段，然后进入高等教育（大学）或工作世界

There is general agreement that the contexts in which children and adolescents develop and learn are important. Studies of neighborhood influences suggest that neighborhoods influence individuals at a variety of levels. However, as traditionally measured, the effects of neighborhoods are smaller than family characteristics such as socioeconomic status (e.g., poverty) and total years of education completed by parents. Some researchers suggest that an understanding of the full impact of neighborhoods is still to be determined (Turner et al, 1997, p.2). The proposed research takes the perspective that to understand the factors affecting the development of competence and well-being in urban youth requires an understanding of the influence of both neighborhood and societal contexts as well as the responses or coping strategies of young people. This is critical to our understanding of why some urban youth respond to or cope with neighborhood risks and difficulties in ways which result in positive outcomes and competence; whereas, other young people, who live in identical contexts, cope with situational challenges in ways which produce less than desirable achievement and life course successes.The project uses a particular theory-driven approach, the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological systems theory (PVEST) (Spencer, 1995, 1999) to explore seven levels of adolescents' environments and relates them to their coping methods, identity formation and school achievement. The ecology or environment-associated perspective is linked to culture, is sensitive to adolescents' unique coping and identity processes, and helps to interpret different youth outcomes.Specifically the study will examine the relationship between student characteristics and seven levels of their environment. The approximate 1500 urban boys and girls (Hispanics, African Americans, Asian American and EuroAmerican), who comprise this study sample, attend 41 Philadelphia public schools and represent either a high achieving (A/B grades) or marginally (C/D grades) performing achievement group. They will be followed throughout their high school years beginning in either the 9th, 10th, or 11th grade and followed into post-secondary schooling (college) options or the world of work