THE CHALLENGE
KEY QUESTIONS
- How do youth in the Galapagos perceive their relationships with family and intimate partners?
- What is the meaning behind alcohol use in the islands?
- How do youth in the Galapagos perceive their physical, mental, and reproductive health?
- How do youth conceptualize their identity as Galapaganians and their hopes for the future?
People: Cynthia Fraga Rizo, Mimi Chapman, Rain Masa, and Natalia Villegas Rodriguez
Although youth in the Galapagos face many of the same social and health problems that young people face on Ecuador’s mainland and elsewhere in Latin America, the unique environmental and social context of the archipelago creates additional challenges in addressing these issues. In Ecuador addressing intimate partner violence (IPV), alcohol use, and adolescent pregnancy are critical to improve the life chances of young people. These pressing social and health issues are consistent with findings from a 2019 field visit to the Galapagos by researchers from UNC School of Social Work.
Guided by Positive Youth Development, the proposed exploratory study seeks to use Photovoice to understand life in the Galapagos from the youths’ perspective and to use youth’s knowledge of their context to arrive at solutions that are consistent with local realities and culture (N = 20). The objectives of the project are to identify areas of strength as well as opportunities to foster positive outcomes for youth in the Galapagos