Community service or activism as an identity project for youth

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on community service and activism, particularly in youth, using the theoretical approach provided by an identity projects framework. This framework allows for an examination of the contextual and experiential factors that contribute to the emergence and maintenance of an identity project of service or activism. The contributors to project emergence may include: favourable social structures, collective crises, biographical availability, parental modelling, experiencing or witnessing injustice or suffering, inspiring stories, altruistic personality, religious values, and organisational affiliations. For many participants, these projects appear associated with intense experiences of belonging, stimulation, efficacy, and integrity. These experiences may be of great importance in reinforcing and expanding service or activism.