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Contextual Influences on the Career Development of Low-Income African American Youth

Considering an Ecological Approach

University of California—Davis

Ella Madsen

University of California—Davis

There is a growing disconnect between the dominant view of the United States as a country of prosperous, middle-class citizens and the more difficult reality for African American youth from low-income backgrounds, who often see few options for attaining their share of prosperity. This article examines the potential of using an ecological model, phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST), to identify the strengths and skills of low-income African American youth that will help them engage with career development activity. PVEST has been used to elaborate the impact of contextual influences on education and decision making of African American youth. The authors conclude that using an assets-based ecological model to explicate the career development process could be helpful in understanding the challenges and the potential positive and strengthening effects that contextual factors provide for low-income African American youth.

Key Words: African American youth • career development • low-income youth • resiliency • urban issues

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