Developmental spaces? Developmental Psychology and urban geographies of youth in sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT

While urban geographies play a critical role in shaping youth development, existing literature has focused primarily on the ways in which young people use, navigate and shape cities. This has overlooked the depth and complexity of Africa’s urban youth crisis. This paper introduces a new analytic framework, based on principles of Developmental Psychology, outlining the four critical psychosocial processes of building foundations, building blocks, building support structures and building aspirations that young people must draw upon as they navigate their futures. It then explores the ways in which the city and its economic, social and political landscapes have undermined these across the African continent. Cities shape poverty and hardship, but also transform social norms and practices in ways that constrain, undermine or erode these developmental processes. Where social support and socioeconomic status cannot protect young people in tough economic contexts, city life is detrimental to young people’s psychosocial well-being, development and long-term futures.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth
• youth employment
• Developmental Psychology
• sub-Saharan Africa
• urban poverty
• urbanisation

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the ESRC under grant reference number ES/K009729/1. Nicola sincerely thanks two anonymous reviewers, one of whom in particular has shaped and improved the paper through their supportive, yet thought-provoking and challenging suggestions. She would also like to thank various colleagues for reading and critiquing earlier versions of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 We use the Developmental Psychology definition of ‘human development’ throughout that sees human development as a lifelong process based on the acquisition and growth of the physical, cognitive, social and emotional competencies required to engage fully in family and society (Boyden et al. 2019).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Economic and Social Research Council [grant number ES/K009729/1].