Abstract:
The current research is concerned with the effects of transfer in youth peacebuilding
initiatives. Through examining one particular ICR effort, this thesis attempts to explore
if transfer occurs and how youth participants transfer what they learn and practice in a
short summer program into their adult lives, and sometimes, into a life-time of
peacebuilding and intercultural work. Additionally, it calls into question the nature of
just what is being transferred. Through the course of the research it became clear that the
tangible outcomes – volunteer work, political activity, etc. – that the researcher was
initially interested in were not what research respondents were interested in talking about.
Instead, their responses frequently dwelt on internal, emotional changes. The research
utilized a mixed methods case study approach, including an online questionnaire and
interviews. Additionally, the researcher has worked for the program being studied, and
so was able to incorporate insider observations and personal communications with
research subjects. The research found that transfer does occur, though primarily in the form of changed views of self and participants relationship to the world. It found six
primary themes that encapsulated the effects of transfer – personal connections and
cultural experiences, self-learning and reflection, the uniqueness of the experience and
inability to explain it, practicing for later, follow-up, and cumulative effects. As transfer
in terms of internal changes is under theorized in youth peacebuilding, the research
identities questions and avenues of exploration for future research.
