Youth Engagement and Participation in Socio-Psychological Research: Suggestions for Research in Pakistan

As review-based research, this study uses Anthony Giddens's agency and structure approach to highlight youth engagement in sociological and psychological research in Pakistan. 22 research papers were sampled through keyword search, while the data were analyzed with the reflexive thematic analysis by Braun and Clark(2019). The researcher's bias has been reduced through reflexivity and independent review by PhD-level reviewers. Findings show that multifaceted barriers, such as lack of funding, lack of interest of stakeholders, lack of culture of engaging youth in research, and ethical dilemmas, work as barriers to youth engagement in sociological and psychological research in Pakistan. The benefits of engaging youth in sociological and psychological research in Pakistan include developing leadership skills, understanding of local social problems, and developing a knowledge-based system for sociological and psychological knowledge. Finally, stakeholders, NGOs, and governmental organizations can play an important role in engaging youth in sociological and psychological research in Pakistan.