Factors associated with powerlessness: A study to compare disadvantaged and not disadvantaged adolescents

• Main Authors: Mu-En Wang, 王牧恩
• Other Authors: Yu-Wen Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/53821628388318285431

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 社會工作學研究所 === 95 === According to the concept of empowerment, disadvantaged people are those who are powerless in the mainstream society. As a social worker, one has to be aware of the fact that our adolescent clients are oppressed and thus powerless. Based on this perspective, this study attempted to study the powerlessness of adolescents in Taipei, compared to their not disadvantaged counterparts. And to examine factors associated with their sense of powerlessness. Previous studies already found that the lack of resources and opportunities, the extent of negative valuation and stereotype one has received, lack of political participation, and lack of training in critical and abstract thinking were associated with powerlessness. This study proposed three hypotheses: 1) Disadvantaged adolescents had a higher degree of powerlessness than their not disadvantaged counterparts; 2) the disadvantaged adolescents had fewer resources and opportunities, received more negative valuation and stereotype, less political participation and less training in critical and abstract thinking, and therefore, were more likely to have higher levels of powerlessness. The study conducted a survey with 1065 adolescents. The disadvantaged group was consisted of 483 adolescents. They were either clients of social welfare organizations or high school students who met the criteria of disadvantaged conditions. The not disadvantaged group was consisted of 585 high school students. The results of this study indicated that the disadvantaged adolescents did have a higher degree of powerlessness than those who were not disadvantaged. And they indeed had less resources and opportunities, received more negative valuation and stereotype, less political participation and less training in critical and abstract thinking. Poor family financial support, negative valuation and stereotype, lack of political participation and lack of training in critical and abstract thinking were all positively related to powerlessness. This study recommended that efforts should be made on correcting negative valuation and stereotype toward adolescents, lowering the impact of family economic strain, encouraging more political participation and increasing the training of critical and abstract thinking to adolescents, both disadvantaged and their not disadvantaged counterparts.