GUATEMALANYOUTHINADVERSECONTEXTS:

Resilience processes underlyingeducational opportunities

Advisors:DonnaMertens,PhD.SergioCristancho,PhD.

TanniadeCastañeda,M.A.AppliedPsychologyPhD.Candidate

tanniacas@gmail.comtalopez@uvg.edu.gt

Guatemala’soverview

Population:16,703,000people(CEPAL,2016)

66.5%under30yearsofage(INE,2014)

Multiethnic:60%ladinos,40%mayas,xincasygarífunas(ENCOVI,2012;INE,2014)

Multilingual:25nationallanguages(INE,2014)

CentralAmerica’sbiggesteconomy(BM,2015)

Geographicallyprivileged

PhotocourtesyofErlinAyala

The“eternalspringcountry”

Contrast

Guatemala’sadversecontext

Guatemalaranks133rdoutof187countriesinDevelopmentIndex(0.581)health– education– income

(PNUD,2013)

59.29%povertyincidencerate(BM,2014)

5.6averageyearsofschooling(INE,2014)

Itisoneofthe13countrieswiththehighestcrimerateintheworld(Perspectiva,2016)

Lackofopportunities,insecurity,migrationphenomenon,gangs,drugtraffic,naturaldisasters,postcivilwareffects

(BM,2013)

PhotocourtesyofErlinAyala

Potential

Youngcountry

Opportunityfortransformation

Educationandculturallyrelevantprograms

Prevention

Keymomentforinnovation- education- entrepreneurship

Well-beingandmentalhealthawareness

PhotocourtesyofErlinAyala

Researchpurpose

Tounderstand,fromatransformativeparadigm,theexperienceof

Guatemalanat-riskyouthwhochosetoparticipateinaneducationalprogramthatsoughttopreventviolencethrough

atechnicalscholarship.

PhotocourtesyofErlinAyala

Researchobjectives

Follow-uptheyouthwhoparticipatedintheViolencePreventionProgram(VPP)

UnderstandtheresilienceprocessesofyouthwhograduatedandalsoofthosewhodroppedoutVPP

Deepenourunderstandingoftheyouth’scomplexcontext

Researchquestion

Whataretherisks,protectiveandpromotivefactorsthatinfluencetheresilienceprocessesoftheyoungpeoplewhoparticipatedintheViolencePreventionProgramtechnicaleducationproject?

Sub-questionsWhatarethesocial,psychological,economicandhealthrisksfacedbyVPPyouth?

Whataretheindividual,family,communityandeducationalprotectiveandpromotivefactorsofthisyouth?

Whatistheyouthlifecoursebefore,duringandafterVPP?

Whatarethepersonal,familyandworkchangesthatVPPyouthexperiencedfromtheirparticipationintheprogram?

Sub-questions

WhatistheresiliencelevelofVPPyouth?

WhatistheinfluenceoftheViolencePreventionProgramonyouth?

Howcanthisresearchbeusedtoinfluencepolicyandsupportpositivechangesinthecommunitytoincreaseyouthresilience?

Participants151youthstartedVPP(94menand57women)

102youthgraduates(64menand38women)

49dropouts(30menand19women)

23yearsoldaverageage

Livinginconditionsofeconomicdisadvantages,comingfromidentifiedredzones

Redzones

IRBapproval

Contextanalysis/previousstudies

LocalAdvisoryCommittee(LAC)

Focusgroups/visualmethods(graduatesanddropouts)

RRC-ARM-28pilot

Dataanalysis

LACconsultation

Indepthinterviews

OnlineRRC-ARM-28(includingcontextualquestions)

LACconsultation

Dataanalysis

Returnresultsworkshopwithparticipantstoexplorewaysofdissemination

LACconsultation

Findingsdissemination

Followup

LACconsultation

Cycle1:Qualitative

Cycle2:Concurrent

Cycle3:Sequential

Cycle4:Concurrent

Cycle5:Qualitative

Transformativeparadigm:Cyclicalmixedmethodsdesign(Mertens,2012)

Basedon:SocialEcologyofResiliencetheory(Ungar,2012)

Preliminaryresults:Promotiveandprotective

factors

Familysupport- motherskeyrole

Significantadults– teachers–spiritualleaders

Peers– friendssupport

Educationalopportunities-sports

Socioemotionalsupport

Communityserviceactivities

Jobopportunities

Personalstrengths

üPositive- curious- creative- lovetolearn-

capacitytodream- entrepreneurial

characteristics

üSetgoals- selfdetermination

üFinanceawareness- savingconcept-

consciousnessofgivingbacktotheirfamilies

üSeizeeveryopportunityhoweversmallitis

üListenandlookforadviceüSocialawareness- givebacktotheircommunitiesandcountry

PhotocourtesyofErlinAyala

Challenges

Unemployment- lowpaidjobs-exclusion

Violence- fear

Poverty- needtoworkatyoungagetopaytheschoolorsupporttheirfamilies

Stigma– discrimination–judgement(physicalappearance/ethnicity/neighborhood)

Drugs– alcoholism

Lackofservices- marginalization

Scholarshipmeaning

• Anexitofcommunitychallenges• Hopefornextgenerationschange• Possibilitytohelptheircommunities• Experienceandjobstability• Increasedincome(tobuyacarandownhomeinasaferneighborhood)• Independence• Newgoals

Visualmethodsto

elicitnarratives

Relationalmap

Timeline

Lessonslearned

• LACkeyrole

• Researcherlongtermengagementtogaintrust

• Followup- newopportunities

• Networking- jobs

PhotocourtesyofErlinAyala

Gracias!!!

References• Ayala,Erlin (2017).FotografíasdeGuatemala.UniversidaddelValledeGuatemala.• ComisiónEconómicaparaAméricaLatinayElCaribe[CEPAL],(2016).Guatemala:PerfilNacionalSocio-Demográfico. Recuperadode:http://interwp.cepal.org/cepalstat/Perfil_Nacional_Social.html?pais=GTM&idioma=spanish

• BancoMundial(2013).Gastopúblicoeneducación. Recuperadodehttp://datos.bancomundial.org/indicador/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS

• BancoMundial(2015).GuatemalaPanoramaGeneral. Recuperadode:http://www.bancomundial.org/es/country/guatemala/overview

• Grupo BancoMundial(2017).Índice deGiniGuatemala.Disponible enhttp://datos.bancomundial.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=GT

• InstitutoNacionaldeEstadística(2011).EncuestaNacionaldeCondicionesdeVidayPoblación JovenENCOVI-2011. 1ª.Ed.UniónEuropea.Recuperadodehttp://www.ine.gob.gt/np/encovi/documentos/ENCOVI%20JUVENIL%202011%20FINAL.pdf

• InstitutoNacionaldeEstadísticadeGuatemala(INE),(2014).Encuestanacionalde condicionesdevida2014.Disponibleenhttps://www.ine.gob.gt/sistema/uploads/2015/12/11/vjNVdb4IZswOj0ZtuivPIcaAXet8LZqZ.pdf

References• Mertens,D.M.(2007).Transformativeparadigm:Mixedmethodsandsocialjustice.Journalofmixedmethodsresearch,1(3),212-225.SagePublications.

• ProgramadelasNacionesUnidasparaelDesarrollo(2012).Guatemala:¿Unpaísde oportunidadesparalajuventud? InformeNacionaldeDesarrolloHumano(2011-2012). Recuperadode:http://desarrollohumano.org.gt/sites/default/files/INDH%202011_2012.pdf

• Ungar,M.(2012).TheSocialEcologyofResilience:AHandbookofTheoryandPractice.MichaelUngarEd.Springer.

SpecialthankstoErlinAyalaforfacilitatingGuatemala’sbeautifulpictures!!!