Applied Developmental Science, Social Justice, and Socio-Political Well-Being

Abstract

In this article we present a vision of applied developmental science (ADS) as a means of promoting social justice and socio-political well-being. This vision draws upon the field's significant accomplishments in identifying and strengthening developmental assets in marginalized youth communities, understanding the effects of poverty and racial discrimination on individual and family well-being and promoting positive development through youth civic engagement programs. It also highlights potential linkages between ADS and other social science fields working to identify and eliminate societal barriers to human development.

Acknowledgments

The material in this article is based on Fisher, C B., Busch-Rossnagel, N. A., Jopp, D S., & Brown, J. L. (in press). Applied Developmental Science: Contributions and Challenges for the 21st Century. In I. B. Weiner (Series Ed.), R. M. Lerner, M. A. Easterbrooks, & J. Mistry (Vol. Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Vol. 6. Developmental psychology (2nd ed). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. We thank John Wiley & Sons for their permission to derive the present article from this prior work.