Suchergebnisse

In this study, we investigated whether and how familism was linked to Korean emerging adults' psychological adjustment (i.e., depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) through multiple mediators. Our mediators were two aspects of parent-child relationships—conformity to parental expectations and parent-child affection—and differentiation of self, a key concept in Bowen's family systems theory. The data came from 420 South Korean university students who were 18 to 25 years old and had at least one living parent. Structural equation modeling showed that familism had both positive and negative indirect relationships with psychological adjustment depending upon the mediators. Through a greater willingness to conform to parental expectations and through less differentiation of self, familism had a negative indirect relationship with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. However, through greater parent-child affection, familism had a positive indirect association with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Our findings suggest that familism plays complicated roles in Korean emerging adults' psychological adjustment and that differentiation of self is a useful concept in explaining the underlying mechanism that connects familism with emerging adults' psychological adjustment.

AbstractThis theoretical review explores the usefulness of the ambiguous loss framework for understanding the unique and complex realities of boundary‐spanning relationships in transnational families. Transnational family processes and interactions are those carried out in both the country of origin and the destination country. We first discuss the distinctive characteristics of ambiguous loss that can impact transnational family experiences in today's globalized world and propose a conceptual model of ambiguous loss in these families. We then describe the factors that affect boundary ambiguity in transnational families and challenges to family reunification, often the long‐term goal of families separated by voluntary migration. We conclude by suggesting ways that an ambiguous loss theoretical lens is useful for research and practice with transnational families.

Globalization has increased the occurrence of "international marriages" due to expanded marriage markets resulting from increased travel and communication avenues. Although Eastern Europe is one of the top three regions of origin for marriage migrants, little is known about who chooses this type of marriage arrangement. This study describes demographic characteristics of Eastern European‐U.S. international marriages using a nationally representative sample (N = 442) from the American Community Survey, 2008–2009. Paired t test, chi‐square, and ANOVA analyses were used to assess within‐couple and between‐couple differences. Spouses in Eastern‐European‐U.S. couples were found to differ significantly by age, income, education, and number of previous marriages. Results showed that marriages between Eastern European wives and U.S. husbands differed in important ways from marriages between U.S. citizens. Findings support both status homogamy and status exchange theories of international mate selection.

AbstractEmployment stability has been the experience for many wage‐labor participants in the United States, characterized by wage adequacy, scheduling certainty, and work autonomy. However, employment contracts increasingly include precarious work factors such as short‐term work arrangements, nonstandard hours, and decreased access to healthcare and family supportive benefits. Prior family stress research theorized economic hardship as an emergent crisis or a one‐time event that affects dyadic relationships between parents and children or intimate partners. In this paper, we define employment precarity as a chronic condition caused by multiple precarious work factors shaped by social stratification in the labor market. We propose a new theoretical model, the employment precarity family stress model, to understand how diverse families experience precarious work factors, use resources to cope, make meaning of their work situations, and practice resilience amid cyclical or chronic economic hardships.

AbstractBecause of systemic changes in mental health treatment since deinstitutionalization, parents have taken on more involved roles for their children with serious mental illness (SMI), even when their children have reached young adulthood. However, the changes in parental roles and relationships with their adult children with SMI, and the grief that stems from those changes, have not been adequately reflected in research or treatment interventions. Studies primarily focus on individual perspectives and neglect the relational nature of grief within a family. The absence of a family perspective in treatment systems leave parents to navigate grief and loss on their own. In this article, we systematically review 12 papers on the grief experiences of parents of an adult child with SMI. Through a thematic analysis of the findings it becomes clear that there is a need for employing a family theoretical perspective to address the inherent relational nature of grief. Ambiguous loss theory provides a relationally grounded model which expands our understanding of parents' grief and gives direction for more effective interventions for families.

This study explored how Mexican transnational families maintain intergenerational relationships, using five of the dimensions of the intergenerational solidarity framework. Interview data from 13 adult migrant children who lived in the U.S. and their parents who lived in Mexico were analyzed. Structural solidarity was challenged by great distance between families. Families maintained associational solidarity by making contact frequently, though visiting was often restricted by lack of documentation. Functional solidarity was expressed through financial support to parents. This involved remittances sent to parents. However, it should be noted that it was often migrants' siblings in Mexico who managed these remittances. Affectual solidarity was expressed through statements of love and concern for one another. Normative solidarity and consensual solidarity reflected the value of familismo through financial support and the desire to live together. Several dimensions of intergenerational solidarity are interconnected. This study provides evidence for the relevance of the intergenerational solidarity framework in transnational families and suggests that geographic context is relevant when studying intergenerational relationships.

International migration to seek work and remit money home is an increasingly common family strategy to overcome financial hardship. However, little is understood about family involvement in the decision to leave or how family circumstances influence migration. This qualitative study analyzed narratives of 17 agricultural workers in Minnesota and 17 of their family members in Mexico to describe their migration experiences. Results show how goals, remittances, and families shape or are shaped by the migration experience. We identified three family situations that influenced immigrants' goals, remittance use, and their length of stay. "Target earners" (n=5) left their spouses and children in Mexico. They earned money in Minnesota and remitted as much as possible to improve their lives in Mexico. "Settlers" (n=10) lived with spouses and children in Minnesota. Their earnings were spent primarily on basic living expenses; little was left to remit more than occasionally or invest in longer-term goals. Over time, U.S. settlement emerged as a goal for this group of immigrants. "Singles" (n=2) who were not married, primarily supported parents in Mexico. They were unsure of their future goals. The decision by families to use international migration to achieve goals and improve their lives results in economic activities and social relationships that span two countries. As globalization increases this phenomenon, it is important to expand our understanding of the realities of these complex family systems.