Infinite Hope: Reframing Disconnection in Emerging Adulthood Through Purpose, Agency, and Identity

Abstract

Infinite Hope (IH) is a conceptual framework designed to restore identity, direction, and resilience among disconnected emerging adults. Integrating Snyder's Hope Theory with Sinek's Infinite Mindset, this paper examines how cultivating an infinite mindset strengthens agency and pathways, how alignment with a just cause mediates sustained goal pursuit, and under what conditions re-engagement flourishes. The model draws on an interdisciplinary review of seventy peer-reviewed sources and grounds its propositions in established sociological perspectives on agency, purpose, collective capacity, and human capabilities. As a conceptual and theoretical paper, it contributes a novel integration of psychological and sociological insights, addressing gaps in existing models that often overlook the interaction of hope, purpose, and collective environments. IH combines the hope triad with existential flexibility, courageous leadership, and values-based alignment, offering a testable framework that links psychological growth with social context. Visual models clarify their developmental sequence, and a research agenda outlines strategies for empirical validation. IH provides a practical blueprint for embedding meaning, reinforcing identity, and cultivating environments that sustain purposeful growth for youth-serving organizations.

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