Mark A Brennan
Biographic Data
| ID | 290124 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mark A Brennan |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mark A |
| FAMILY NAME | Brennan |
| SIGNATURE | BRENNAN M A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Pennsylvania State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8434-3948 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 36 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 203 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 35 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1995 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Building Sustainable Futures Through CBET: Examining the Role of Teacher Preparedness and Leadership in the Implementation of Education-Related SDG Policies in Kenyan TVETs
The online portrayal of urban farmers: Professionals’ perspectives on their influence on constructing farming-career paths
How do urban agriculture initiatives communicate on farming across society? An exploration of awareness, responsibility, and pride messages on social media
Generational renewal problems in the farming sector highlight the urgent need to attract new farmers and address misconceptions about agricultural careers. This can be achieved by strengthening the connection between the farming community and society. Emphasizing the alternative food movement’s role in attracting new-generation farmers, we focus on the urban agriculture movement and its communication efforts to better understand the changing rela…
Evaluation of cacao projects in Colombia: The case of the rural Productive Partnerships Project (Paap)
The Community in Rural America
An examination of digital empathy: When farmers speak for the climate through TikTok
Food production contributes to and is affected by climate change. With this dual-sided nature of food production, separate from policymakers, the media, scientists, and activists, how climate dialogue engagement occurs when farmers speak about climate is the interest of this research. Due to the important role of youth in climate activism, we analyze climate dialogue engagement on the youthful platform of TikTok during the most recent United Nati…
Community Development for Times of Crisis: Creating Caring Communities
One more time: Conceptualizing community development in the twenty-first century
The need to conceptualize the field of community development more accurately has increased during recent decades. This is largely the result of a growing field marked by its multidisciplinary nature, but also because of the multifaceted ways in which communities around the world participate in the development process. In this article, we approach the task of conceptualizing community development by providing a conceptual definition that serves bo…
Young Farmers in 'The New World of Work: The Contribution of New Media to the Work Engagement and Professional Identities
This study aims to explore the contribution of 'The New World of Work' to farming, a career often viewed as unattractive among youth, and, as highlighted by the 'young farmer problem' in the literature. This paper draws upon research on the role of 'new ways of working' in work engagement and farmer identity among young farmers. A mixed-method approach is used based on data from two Mediterranean Islands, Crete and Cyprus. Based on the polymedia-…
Culture, Community, and Development
Beyond Participation: A Case Study of Youth As Researchers and Community Development in North Philadelphia
Young people (ages 15-25) are globally the largest and fastest growing segment of the population. While youth increase in number, the challenge and opportunity facing communities around the world is to create meaningful avenues for youth participation in civic, economic and academic life. This article presents a research narrative describing a youth participatory action research program implemented in North Philadelphia in 2017. Through this proc…
Predictors of leadership skills of Pennsylvanian youth
This study was designed to understand the factors contributing to the development of youth leaders. A descriptive correlational study was conducted to reach this goal, and a mixed method approach was used. Four Pennsylvania public high schools with agriculture programs were selected to participate in this study. Data from 421 students were collected (86% response rate) to determine the factors contributing to leadership development. This was coup…
Another look at college student’s ratings of course quality: Data from Penn State student surveys in three settings
This study assessed the relationships of student attributes, course characteristics and course outcomes to college students’ ratings of course quality in three types of settings. The analysis utilised data from online surveys of samples of college students conducted in 2011 and 2012 at the Pennsylvania State University. Included in the analysis were: (1) 1805 students at the main campus; (2) 1453 students at 19 smaller satellite campus locations …
Food access and pro-poor value chains: A community case study in the central highlands of Peru
Making Sense of “Making Sense: A Critical Response
Community as a mechanism for transcending wellbeing at the individual, social, and ecological levels
Community wellbeing, from a field theoretical perspective, derives from the interaction of three core elements reflecting different levels and units of analysis - individual, social, and ecological. These facets of community, and their related concepts, come together in a powerful way to shape relationships, opportunities for agency, and local adaptive capacities that lead to wellbeing. Unfortunately, much of the extant community literature moves…
Understanding youth civic engagement: Debates, Discourses, and Lessons From Practice
While civic engagement provides a rich rationale for intervention, the array of discourses urging a focus on youth engagement or action means that the concept can be confusing, cluttered, and lacking consistent operationalization. From the perspective of policy-makers and program managers, it can be challenging to disentangle the competing messages and assumptions about young people that underpin the rhetoric in relation to youth engagement. Usin…
Rural Transformations and Rural Policies in the US and UK
Immigrant farmer programs and social capital: Evaluating Community and Economic Outcomes Through Social Capital Theory
African immigrants in the USA experience high levels of poverty and underemployment. Many African immigrants are turning to farming to supplement their income and increase their access to healthy, culturally relevant food. Key to the success of many immigrant farmers is participation in new entry farmer programs which operate as social networks connecting participants to technical training, farming resources, and influential individuals in the co…
Adolescents and their networks of social support: Real connections in real lives
Social support is widely seen as an integral component for coping with the stresses of everyday life. While there are various sources and types of support potentially available to young people, it is perhaps less obvious the extent to which young people differentially experience these sources and types. Anecdotal evidence suggests that context, culture and other factors unique to local life shape the many dimensions of social support for youth. I…
Conceptualizing community development in the twenty-first century
The need to more accurately conceptualize the field of community development has increased during recent decades. This is largely the result of a growing field marked by its multidisciplinary nature, but also because of the multifaceted ways in which communities around the world participate in the development process. In this article, we approach the task of conceptualizing community development by providing a conceptual definition that serves bo…
Tradition, cultures and communities: Exploring the potentials of music and the arts for community development in Appalachia
In the face of modernity and a host of social and economic challenges facing our communities, the loss of traditional cultures and ways of life has become an ever increasing concern. This is particularly disturbing in areas characterized by strong oral traditions and unique characteristics largely shaped by their cultural behaviors, such as storytelling, music, and social integration mechanisms. In the current environment of change and cultural l…
The Effects of Gender Role Conflict on Adolescent and Emerging Adult Male Resiliency
This study examines gender role conflict in adolescent and emerging adult males and how it affects their resilience, or their ability to “bounce back” from adverse circumstances. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of the different patterns of gender role conflict on male adolescent/emerging adult resilience. Results suggest a complex relationship between male gender role conflict and resilience in this sample. Multiple regression mo…
The Intersection of Youth and Community Development in Ireland and Florida: Building Stronger Communities through Youth Civic Engagement
Increasingly, researchers and practitioners have begun to explore the intersection between youth and community development, and how these fields of study shape one another. Drawing on data from 607 youth in Ireland and Florida, this article explores the relationships between sociodemographics, social ties, attachment, social supports, quality of life, and interaction on youth civic engagement. These variables continue to surface as indicators of …
Adolescent well‐being and supporting contexts: A comparison of adolescents in Ireland and Florida
The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which social support and wider community perceptions/engagements among adolescents are connected with well‐being. We compared adolescents in two different societal contexts, Florida in the United States and County Offaly, in Ireland, and posed the questions: What are the key predictors of subjective well‐being from the various sources of support, and to what extent does the impact of socia…
Conceptualizing community development in the twenty-first century
The need to more accurately conceptualize the field of community development has increased during recent decades. This is largely the result of a growing field marked by its multidisciplinary nature, but also because of the multifaceted ways in which communities around the world participate in the development process. In this article, we approach the task of conceptualizing community development by providing a conceptual definition that serves bo…
Understanding youth civic engagement: Debates, Discourses, and Lessons From Practice
While civic engagement provides a rich rationale for intervention, the array of discourses urging a focus on youth engagement or action means that the concept can be confusing, cluttered, and lacking consistent operationalization. From the perspective of policy-makers and program managers, it can be challenging to disentangle the competing messages and assumptions about young people that underpin the rhetoric in relation to youth engagement. Usin…
Exploring rural community agency differences in Ireland and Pennsylvania
Bridging Community and Youth Development: Exploring Theory, Research, and Application
Internationally there is a growing recognition of the need for theory, research, and applied programming that contributes to our understanding of both community and youth development (Brennan, 2008
Bringing Together Local Culture and Rural Development: Findings from Ireland, Pennsylvania and Alaska
The developmental trajectories of communities are routinely explained by reference to economic history, human capital deficits, or the structure of local labour markets. The role of local culture in understanding community development or in interpreting empirical research has received less attention. We believe culture plays an important independent role in shaping community debate and action. Framing community as an interactional field emphasise…
Enhancing Local Capacity and Youth Involvement in the Community Development Process
A need exists for program and policymakers to better understand the factors that influence youth involvement in the community development process. Historically, youth input in local decision-making, problem solving, and community action strategies has received only limited attention. However, recent trends suggest that youth are playing an increasingly important role in the development of their communities. As non-profits, volunteer groups, and n…
Adolescent well‐being and supporting contexts: A comparison of adolescents in Ireland and Florida
The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which social support and wider community perceptions/engagements among adolescents are connected with well‐being. We compared adolescents in two different societal contexts, Florida in the United States and County Offaly, in Ireland, and posed the questions: What are the key predictors of subjective well‐being from the various sources of support, and to what extent does the impact of socia…
Immigrant farmer programs and social capital: Evaluating Community and Economic Outcomes Through Social Capital Theory
African immigrants in the USA experience high levels of poverty and underemployment. Many African immigrants are turning to farming to supplement their income and increase their access to healthy, culturally relevant food. Key to the success of many immigrant farmers is participation in new entry farmer programs which operate as social networks connecting participants to technical training, farming resources, and influential individuals in the co…
The discourse of denial: Cross-examining child victim witnesses
Community as a mechanism for transcending wellbeing at the individual, social, and ecological levels
Community wellbeing, from a field theoretical perspective, derives from the interaction of three core elements reflecting different levels and units of analysis - individual, social, and ecological. These facets of community, and their related concepts, come together in a powerful way to shape relationships, opportunities for agency, and local adaptive capacities that lead to wellbeing. Unfortunately, much of the extant community literature moves…
Adolescents and their networks of social support: Real connections in real lives
Social support is widely seen as an integral component for coping with the stresses of everyday life. While there are various sources and types of support potentially available to young people, it is perhaps less obvious the extent to which young people differentially experience these sources and types. Anecdotal evidence suggests that context, culture and other factors unique to local life shape the many dimensions of social support for youth. I…
The Intersection of Youth and Community Development in Ireland and Florida: Building Stronger Communities through Youth Civic Engagement
Increasingly, researchers and practitioners have begun to explore the intersection between youth and community development, and how these fields of study shape one another. Drawing on data from 607 youth in Ireland and Florida, this article explores the relationships between sociodemographics, social ties, attachment, social supports, quality of life, and interaction on youth civic engagement. These variables continue to surface as indicators of …
Young Farmers in 'The New World of Work: The Contribution of New Media to the Work Engagement and Professional Identities
This study aims to explore the contribution of 'The New World of Work' to farming, a career often viewed as unattractive among youth, and, as highlighted by the 'young farmer problem' in the literature. This paper draws upon research on the role of 'new ways of working' in work engagement and farmer identity among young farmers. A mixed-method approach is used based on data from two Mediterranean Islands, Crete and Cyprus. Based on the polymedia-…
Building Sustainable Communities in Forested Regions
The Northeast's hardwood forests provide myriad resources within a matrix of rural and urban communities. In this region, forest uses such as timber and pulp production compete with demands for recreation, landscapes, and pure water. Forest-based economic development is an enticing approach for preserving the rural character of communities. This study highlights the role and relevance of three factors on forest-based economic development: (1) the…
Beyond Participation: A Case Study of Youth As Researchers and Community Development in North Philadelphia
Young people (ages 15-25) are globally the largest and fastest growing segment of the population. While youth increase in number, the challenge and opportunity facing communities around the world is to create meaningful avenues for youth participation in civic, economic and academic life. This article presents a research narrative describing a youth participatory action research program implemented in North Philadelphia in 2017. Through this proc…
Tradition, cultures and communities: Exploring the potentials of music and the arts for community development in Appalachia
In the face of modernity and a host of social and economic challenges facing our communities, the loss of traditional cultures and ways of life has become an ever increasing concern. This is particularly disturbing in areas characterized by strong oral traditions and unique characteristics largely shaped by their cultural behaviors, such as storytelling, music, and social integration mechanisms. In the current environment of change and cultural l…
An examination of digital empathy: When farmers speak for the climate through TikTok
Food production contributes to and is affected by climate change. With this dual-sided nature of food production, separate from policymakers, the media, scientists, and activists, how climate dialogue engagement occurs when farmers speak about climate is the interest of this research. Due to the important role of youth in climate activism, we analyze climate dialogue engagement on the youthful platform of TikTok during the most recent United Nati…
One more time: Conceptualizing community development in the twenty-first century
The need to conceptualize the field of community development more accurately has increased during recent decades. This is largely the result of a growing field marked by its multidisciplinary nature, but also because of the multifaceted ways in which communities around the world participate in the development process. In this article, we approach the task of conceptualizing community development by providing a conceptual definition that serves bo…
Making Sense of “Making Sense: A Critical Response
The Effects of Gender Role Conflict on Adolescent and Emerging Adult Male Resiliency
This study examines gender role conflict in adolescent and emerging adult males and how it affects their resilience, or their ability to “bounce back” from adverse circumstances. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of the different patterns of gender role conflict on male adolescent/emerging adult resilience. Results suggest a complex relationship between male gender role conflict and resilience in this sample. Multiple regression mo…
Community Theory: Current Perspectives and Future Directions
Recently, a variety of debates and discussions (particularly occurring during and after the Community Development Society and Rural Sociological Society meetings in 2006) concerning the current state of community theory have pointed to the need to explore the issue more systematically. In response, this special issue of Community Development. Journal of the Community Development Society brings together a wide range of theoretical and empirical ar…
How do urban agriculture initiatives communicate on farming across society? An exploration of awareness, responsibility, and pride messages on social media
Generational renewal problems in the farming sector highlight the urgent need to attract new farmers and address misconceptions about agricultural careers. This can be achieved by strengthening the connection between the farming community and society. Emphasizing the alternative food movement’s role in attracting new-generation farmers, we focus on the urban agriculture movement and its communication efforts to better understand the changing rela…
Predictors of leadership skills of Pennsylvanian youth
This study was designed to understand the factors contributing to the development of youth leaders. A descriptive correlational study was conducted to reach this goal, and a mixed method approach was used. Four Pennsylvania public high schools with agriculture programs were selected to participate in this study. Data from 421 students were collected (86% response rate) to determine the factors contributing to leadership development. This was coup…
Exploring Citizen Involvement in the Restoration of the Florida Everglades
Through a mixed methods research framework, this article examines the role and relevance of conceptual areas believed to shape citizen involvement in environmental restoration, with a particular focus on the Florida Everglades. Included are personal characteristics, individual attitudes, information sources, levels of social interaction, and resource management options. Using input from key informants and south Florida residents, qualitative data…
The discourse of denial: Cross-examining child victim witnesses
Three Iron Mining Towns: A Study in Cultural Change , by Paul H. Landis
A Cooperative Approach to Rural Development in Ireland: Cultural Artifacts and the Irish Diaspora as an Example
There is a need for rural development and policy interests to explore alternative methods of rural economic development. In rural Ireland, where diverse economic conditions exist, this is particularly true. Here, a rural development framework which focuses on the use of cooperatives manufacturing culturally significant items as a primary or supplemental economic development tool is described. Such cooperatives could provide steady jobs and income…
Building Sustainable Communities in Forested Regions
The Northeast's hardwood forests provide myriad resources within a matrix of rural and urban communities. In this region, forest uses such as timber and pulp production compete with demands for recreation, landscapes, and pure water. Forest-based economic development is an enticing approach for preserving the rural character of communities. This study highlights the role and relevance of three factors on forest-based economic development: (1) the…
Exploring rural community agency differences in Ireland and Pennsylvania
Environmental Protest in Western Europe
Enhancing Local Capacity and Youth Involvement in the Community Development Process
A need exists for program and policymakers to better understand the factors that influence youth involvement in the community development process. Historically, youth input in local decision-making, problem solving, and community action strategies has received only limited attention. However, recent trends suggest that youth are playing an increasingly important role in the development of their communities. As non-profits, volunteer groups, and n…
Community Theory: Current Perspectives and Future Directions
Recently, a variety of debates and discussions (particularly occurring during and after the Community Development Society and Rural Sociological Society meetings in 2006) concerning the current state of community theory have pointed to the need to explore the issue more systematically. In response, this special issue of Community Development. Journal of the Community Development Society brings together a wide range of theoretical and empirical ar…
The Intersection of Youth and Community Development in Ireland and Florida: Building Stronger Communities through Youth Civic Engagement
Increasingly, researchers and practitioners have begun to explore the intersection between youth and community development, and how these fields of study shape one another. Drawing on data from 607 youth in Ireland and Florida, this article explores the relationships between sociodemographics, social ties, attachment, social supports, quality of life, and interaction on youth civic engagement. These variables continue to surface as indicators of …
Adolescent well‐being and supporting contexts: A comparison of adolescents in Ireland and Florida
The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which social support and wider community perceptions/engagements among adolescents are connected with well‐being. We compared adolescents in two different societal contexts, Florida in the United States and County Offaly, in Ireland, and posed the questions: What are the key predictors of subjective well‐being from the various sources of support, and to what extent does the impact of socia…
Exploring Citizen Involvement in the Restoration of the Florida Everglades
Through a mixed methods research framework, this article examines the role and relevance of conceptual areas believed to shape citizen involvement in environmental restoration, with a particular focus on the Florida Everglades. Included are personal characteristics, individual attitudes, information sources, levels of social interaction, and resource management options. Using input from key informants and south Florida residents, qualitative data…
Bridging Community and Youth Development: Exploring Theory, Research, and Application
Internationally there is a growing recognition of the need for theory, research, and applied programming that contributes to our understanding of both community and youth development (Brennan, 2008
Bringing Together Local Culture and Rural Development: Findings from Ireland, Pennsylvania and Alaska
The developmental trajectories of communities are routinely explained by reference to economic history, human capital deficits, or the structure of local labour markets. The role of local culture in understanding community development or in interpreting empirical research has received less attention. We believe culture plays an important independent role in shaping community debate and action. Framing community as an interactional field emphasise…
The Effects of Gender Role Conflict on Adolescent and Emerging Adult Male Resiliency
This study examines gender role conflict in adolescent and emerging adult males and how it affects their resilience, or their ability to “bounce back” from adverse circumstances. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of the different patterns of gender role conflict on male adolescent/emerging adult resilience. Results suggest a complex relationship between male gender role conflict and resilience in this sample. Multiple regression mo…
Tradition, cultures and communities: Exploring the potentials of music and the arts for community development in Appalachia
In the face of modernity and a host of social and economic challenges facing our communities, the loss of traditional cultures and ways of life has become an ever increasing concern. This is particularly disturbing in areas characterized by strong oral traditions and unique characteristics largely shaped by their cultural behaviors, such as storytelling, music, and social integration mechanisms. In the current environment of change and cultural l…
Adolescents and their networks of social support: Real connections in real lives
Social support is widely seen as an integral component for coping with the stresses of everyday life. While there are various sources and types of support potentially available to young people, it is perhaps less obvious the extent to which young people differentially experience these sources and types. Anecdotal evidence suggests that context, culture and other factors unique to local life shape the many dimensions of social support for youth. I…
Conceptualizing community development in the twenty-first century
The need to more accurately conceptualize the field of community development has increased during recent decades. This is largely the result of a growing field marked by its multidisciplinary nature, but also because of the multifaceted ways in which communities around the world participate in the development process. In this article, we approach the task of conceptualizing community development by providing a conceptual definition that serves bo…
Immigrant farmer programs and social capital: Evaluating Community and Economic Outcomes Through Social Capital Theory
African immigrants in the USA experience high levels of poverty and underemployment. Many African immigrants are turning to farming to supplement their income and increase their access to healthy, culturally relevant food. Key to the success of many immigrant farmers is participation in new entry farmer programs which operate as social networks connecting participants to technical training, farming resources, and influential individuals in the co…
Understanding youth civic engagement: Debates, Discourses, and Lessons From Practice
While civic engagement provides a rich rationale for intervention, the array of discourses urging a focus on youth engagement or action means that the concept can be confusing, cluttered, and lacking consistent operationalization. From the perspective of policy-makers and program managers, it can be challenging to disentangle the competing messages and assumptions about young people that underpin the rhetoric in relation to youth engagement. Usin…
Rural Transformations and Rural Policies in the US and UK
Food access and pro-poor value chains: A community case study in the central highlands of Peru
Making Sense of “Making Sense: A Critical Response
Community as a mechanism for transcending wellbeing at the individual, social, and ecological levels
Community wellbeing, from a field theoretical perspective, derives from the interaction of three core elements reflecting different levels and units of analysis - individual, social, and ecological. These facets of community, and their related concepts, come together in a powerful way to shape relationships, opportunities for agency, and local adaptive capacities that lead to wellbeing. Unfortunately, much of the extant community literature moves…
Another look at college student’s ratings of course quality: Data from Penn State student surveys in three settings
This study assessed the relationships of student attributes, course characteristics and course outcomes to college students’ ratings of course quality in three types of settings. The analysis utilised data from online surveys of samples of college students conducted in 2011 and 2012 at the Pennsylvania State University. Included in the analysis were: (1) 1805 students at the main campus; (2) 1453 students at 19 smaller satellite campus locations …
Predictors of leadership skills of Pennsylvanian youth
This study was designed to understand the factors contributing to the development of youth leaders. A descriptive correlational study was conducted to reach this goal, and a mixed method approach was used. Four Pennsylvania public high schools with agriculture programs were selected to participate in this study. Data from 421 students were collected (86% response rate) to determine the factors contributing to leadership development. This was coup…
Political science (27 works) · Sociology (25 works) · Public relations (15 works) · Geography (14 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Social science (11 works) · Community development (10 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Economic growth (8 works) · Rural development and sustainability (8 works)