The Contribution of the Capability Approach to the Understanding of Young People’s Sustainability Engagement as a Positive Developmental Outcome

Young people’s engagement with sustainability includes both civic and pro environmental behaviors (e.g. environmental activism) that contribute to the development of sustainable communities. It reflects a holistic idea of sustainability, where civic democracy and ecological integrity are strictly interconnected. The lack of empirical studies exploring this kind of engagement among young people may well be a consequence of the lack in the literature of a shared theoretical model that provides a framework for both types of behaviors. By integrating Positive Youth Development with the Capability Approach, the aim of this paper is to provide new theoretical input as a way of filling this gap. The proposed model is based on the idea that both positive individual and sustainable development are a question of social justice that takes place within specific domains and is related to understanding experience within life courses. Key words: Positive Youth Development; Capability Approach; Young people; Engagement; Sustainability
Visions for Sustainability, No 10 (2018)