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From Ivory Tower to State House: How Youth Theory Can Inform Youth Policy Making *

From Ivory Tower to State House: How Youth Theory Can Inform Youth Policy Making * It has been said that nothing is as practical as a good theory. Is this maxim as true for policy makers as it is for professionals? Can theories, which strive to explain “why things are,” be useful to policy makers who strive to design “how things ought to be?” More specifically, can youth development theories conceived in the ivory tower be used in the political arena to inform the design and debate of policies that shape the lives of young people? In particular, how practical are the youth development and problem prevention theories described by Small and Memmo for developing youth policies? Our purpose here is two‐fold: to examine whether theory is useful for policy decisions, and to discuss how to frame theory in ways that are practical and relevant for policy makers. Our comments build upon the work of a number of scholars and our own history of connecting research and theory to policy making, including over a decade of experience conducting Family Impact Seminars in Wisconsin, 4 years of providing technical assistance to 11 other sites conducting seminars in their state capitols, and 7 years directing Wisconsin Youth Futures‐University/community partnerships in 22 Wisconsin communities. These experiences http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Family Relations Wiley

From Ivory Tower to State House: How Youth Theory Can Inform Youth Policy Making *

Bogenschneider, Karen; Gross, Elizabeth
Family Relations , Volume 53 (1) – Jan 1, 2004
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References (35)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0197-6664
eISSN
1741-3729
DOI
10.1111/j.1741-3729.2004.00005.x
Publisher site
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Abstract

It has been said that nothing is as practical as a good theory. Is this maxim as true for policy makers as it is for professionals? Can theories, which strive to explain “why things are,” be useful to policy makers who strive to design “how things ought to be?” More specifically, can youth development theories conceived in the ivory tower be used in the political arena to inform the design and debate of policies that shape the lives of young people? In particular, how practical are the youth development and problem prevention theories described by Small and Memmo for developing youth policies? Our purpose here is two‐fold: to examine whether theory is useful for policy decisions, and to discuss how to frame theory in ways that are practical and relevant for policy makers. Our comments build upon the work of a number of scholars and our own history of connecting research and theory to policy making, including over a decade of experience conducting Family Impact Seminars in Wisconsin, 4 years of providing technical assistance to 11 other sites conducting seminars in their state capitols, and 7 years directing Wisconsin Youth Futures‐University/community partnerships in 22 Wisconsin communities. These experiences

Journal

Family Relations – Wiley

Published: Jan 1, 2004

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