From Marginalized to Contributor: Reclaiming Youth Agency for the Common Good In a Majority World Context

Background and Purpose: This study explores how socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescents in Taiwan develop a sense of purpose, transforming from recipients of help to active community contributors. Grounded in the Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework, this research positions youth as agents of social change, specifically focusing on Contribution as the ultimate indicator of thriving. While PYD is a global model, its application predominantly centers on Western, middle-class contexts. To address this gap, this study situates PYD within a Majority World setting to examine how marginalized youth leverage culturally embedded values—such as reciprocity and interdependence—to develop contributor identities. The guiding research questions are: How do socioeconomically disadvantaged youth in Taiwan transition from recipients of support to contributors? What sociocultural and relational factors facilitate this transformation?

Methods: This qualitative study utilized thematic analysis to explore the lived experiences of ten youth (ages 17–25) from long-term socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds in Northern Taiwan. Participants, identified through community-based organizations, had experienced significant adversity but actively engaged in volunteerism or peer mentoring roles. Data were collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in Mandarin or Taiwanese, focusing on turning points, supportive relationships, and personal meaning-making. Transcripts were analyzed following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase inductive coding process to identify patterns in identity transformation.

Results: Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes characterizing youths' trajectories from being helped to becoming helpers. First, micro-affirmations—consistent expressions of recognition from teachers, social workers, or peers—acted as catalysts for reframing internalized deficit narratives. Second, moments of recognition and responsibility, such as being entrusted with leadership roles, marked critical turning points that transformed youths' self-concept and fostered a sense of purpose. Third, contribution emerged as a central identity, with participants embedding helping behaviors into their sense of self. This identity development was iterative and heavily informed by culturally resonant values, indicating that opportunities to help others affirmed competence and fostered belonging.

Conclusions and Implications: This study demonstrates that contribution is a dynamic, relational process. Findings challenge the assumption that disadvantaged youth must overcome hardship before contributing; instead, contribution itself was often the vehicle for transformation. By expanding the ecological validity of the PYD framework to a Majority World setting, this research underscores the necessity of moving beyond individualistic approaches. For social work practice and policy, these findings advocate for interventions that actively integrate marginalized youth into meaningful community roles, utilizing relational trust and structural inclusion to foster resilience, reclaim dignity, and advance social justice.