Examination of the moral identities and value orientations of youth participating in sports and volunteering activities at youth centers

The aim of this study is to examine the moral identity and value orientations (value types) of young people who participate in sports and volunteering activities at youth centers according to various variables. A total of 355 young people, consisting of 264 females (%74.4) and 91 males (%25.6), who were active members of 8 youth centers affiliated with the Antalya Youth and Sports Provincial Directorate, including the Ozgecan Aslan Youth Center, Alanya Youth Center, Manavgat Youth Center, Serik Youth Center, Aksu Youth Center, Muratpasa Youth Center, Cavide Faruk Kadam Youth Center, and Kas Youth Center, participated in the study. The survey model, one of the descriptive research methods, was used in the study. The Moral Identity Scale developed by Aquino and Reed (2002) and the Portrait Values Questionnaire developed by Schwartz (2001) were used as data collection tools. Whether the moral identity and value orientations of the participants changed depending on demographic factors were examined. These factors included personal information, education level, gender, frequency of youth center usage, exercise habits, participation rates in sports and volunteering activities, and the regions where youth centers are located within the province. Independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analyses, and frequency and descriptives were calculated for summarizing the data. According to the results, the Internalization sub-dimension of participants' Moral Identities and the Power, Hedonism, and Universalism sub-dimensions of value orientations differ according to gender. Power, Stimulation, Self-Direction, and Benevolence dimensions of value orientations show variability according to the frequency of exercise. Significant differences were found in the Power, Benevolence, Tradition, and Security dimensions in terms of frequency of youth center usage. In addition, the Power, Achievement, and Tradition dimensions differ according to the regions where youth centers are located. As a result, it was determined that some demographic factors are effective on the moral identity and value orientations of the participants. This study may shed light on future research on the effect of youth centers and sports activities on the moral development and value orientations of young people.