The American population is constantly evolving, as are its needs for family life education. We discuss how family life educators can address issues of diversity in developing and conducting programs for families. Domains for change are suggested in which educators can incorporate cultural competence in their daily work. Four general strategies are presented for extending programming to more audiences. Interwoven throughout are specific examples and recommendations for use by family life educators. We end with a diversity agenda for the future.
Responding to the needs of growing immigrant populations, many US social service sectors have recruited bilingual and bicultural practitioners, including immigrants. However, little is known about the immigrant social workers. This article explores the practice context of immigrant child welfare social workers in the United States. First, acculturation theory is applied to frame the experiences of US immigrants. Second, we explore professional development of practitioners working with immigrant families. Third, we discuss the intersectionality connecting immigration and social work professionalization. We conclude that the immigration and acculturation experiences of immigrant social workers are unique strengths for working with immigrant populations.
Brokering, or the work immigrant youth do to help their families adapt to a new society, is a common phenomenon in immigrant families, but has only recently been explored in research studies. Most researchers focus on language brokering (translating and interpreting) rather than non-linguistic types of brokering (e.g., helping parents study for the citizenship exam), and studies have mainly involved Latino adolescents. The current study simultaneously examines different types of, and feelings about, brokering work among first-generation immigrant young adults (Mage = 22.92, SD = 2.89; 63.5% female) from Eastern Europe (N = 197). Both existing and newly developed brokering measures were administered to the participants. Findings indicate that immigrant youth engage in non-linguistic brokering for their parents more often than in language brokering, and feel more positive about non-linguistic brokering than language-focused brokering. Further, findings point to the diversity of immigrant experiences, and the implications of these findings are discussed in detail.
AbstractObjectiveWith increasing obesity prevalence among Latino families, it is imperative to understand mealtime dynamics and how to support families in healthier mealtime routines.BackgroundFamily mealtimes are an important context for negotiating and making decisions about what and how much to eat and learning dietary behaviors. Yet little research exists on how Latino parents make those decisions.MethodsAddressing current gaps in the literature, we conducted three focus groups with 19 low‐income Latina mothers of children who ranged from elementary to high school age. We explored mothers' family mealtime experiences in their home country and in the United States, barriers to shared mealtimes, and knowledge of appropriate portion sizes.ResultsSeveral key findings emerged: (a) Latina mothers recollect sharing family mealtimes more in their home countries than in the United States, (b) work schedules make it difficult to engage in family mealtimes, (c) uncertainty about correct portion sizes and child influence lead mothers to give in to their children's preferences.Conclusion and ImplicationsThese findings add to the substantive discussion concerning changes in family mealtimes across borders, continued barriers that families encounter to shared mealtimes, and how knowledge of portion sizes influences mother's beliefs and food choices, ultimately impacting the type of foods children consume.
Seventy-seven ethnic Serbian refugee young adults (mean age = 23) from Bosnia and Croatia (in the former Yugoslavia) presently living in the United States completed an online survey. Young adults reported their own and their parents' level of acculturation to both Serbian and U.S. cultures. In contrast to most prior studies, acculturation gap was operationalized taking into account the direction of youth-parent discrepancy rather than as absolute value of the difference. Serbian refugee young adults perceive themselves to be more Americanized than their parents. The more acculturated young adults are to the U.S. than their parents, the lower young adults' reports of family and individual well-being. Unlike immigrant youth in most prior studies, Serbian refugee young adults report acculturation to their native culture at the same level as their parents. As a result, as many young adults exhibit higher Serbian acculturation than their parents as show lower Serbian acculturation than their parents. Young adult/parent Serbian acculturation discrepancy is associated with diminished family well-being when young adults have lower Serbian acculturation than their parents, but with increased family well-being when young adults' Serbian acculturation is higher than their parents'. The finding that acculturation gap concerning native culture is differentially linked to family well-being depending on the direction of the youth-parent discrepancy contrasts with prior research, and shows the importance of operationalizing youth-parent acculturation discrepancies as a directional rather than absolute value difference.
Abstract: Family life practitioners are increasingly being called upon to help families meet work‐life challenges. This article describes the grassroots beginnings, program development, and formative evaluation findings for 1 module of a Cooperative Extension work‐life management program. Although the curriculum module is based on theory and research, it emphasizes practical strategies. A total of 101 employed parents participated. An intervention group received the curriculum and materials, whereas a comparison group did not. Pretest and posttest comparisons provide initial support for the success of the curriculum in encouraging effective work‐life management practices among employed parents. Directions for further program revision and evaluation are discussed.
AbstractThis study used a mixed methodology to investigate reliability, validity, and analysis level with Chinese immigrant observational data. European‐American and Chinese coders quantitatively rated 755 minutes of Chinese immigrant parent–toddler dinner interactions on parental sensitivity, intrusiveness, detachment, negative affect, positive affect, and parents' confidence. They also gave qualitative coding rationales for their quantitative ratings. Analysis of quantitative ratings indicated systematic differences associated with coder ethnicity. Such differences could threaten the reliability between coders with different ethnicities. Analysis of qualitative rationales revealed different cultural links between concepts and behavior cues, which could challenge the cross‐cultural validity of a macro‐level coding system. When a coding system is incongruous with coders' cultural schemata, even after intensive training, the effect of culture cannot be eliminated. Implications of these findings for observational cultural research are discussed.
Mealtimes are a component of family life imbued with meanings and functions. This volume brings together the significance of family mealtimes, drawing on research from the diverse relevant disciplines. An historian examines how the practice and meaning of family mealtimes have evolved over the last several centuries. Leading scholars from the fields of nutrition, linguistics, anthropology/cultural studies, family studies, and human development evaluate the state of knowledge on the significance of family mealtimes from the perspectives of their fields
This study focuses on strengths and challenges of poor rural African American parents. Ninety‐two participants responded to semistructured interview questions about parenting, religiosity, and stress. Parents who are more religious reported using fewer coercive parenting strategies and experiencing fewer stressful life events. These findings are discussed in terms of practical implications for professionals who support rural African American families.
For older adults, social integration and the strength of social ties are profoundly important predictors of well-being and longevity. Can the physical environment be designed to promote older adults' social integration with their neighbors? We examined this possibility by testing the relationships between varying amount of exposure to green outdoor common spaces and the strength of ties among neighbors. Results of interviews with 91 older adults (between the ages of 64 and 91 years) from one inner-city neighborhood show that the use of green outdoor common spaces predicted both the strength of neighborhood social ties and sense of community. Although the strength of these relationships were modest, the findings suggest that the characteristics of outdoor common spaces can play a role in the formation and maintenance of social ties among older adult residents of inner-city neighborhoods. The results have implications for designers, managers, and residents of housing developments.
Children growing up in the inner city are at risk for a range of negative developmental outcomes. Do barren, inner-city neighborhood spaces compromise the everyday activities and experiences necessary for healthy development? Sixty-four urban public housing outdoor spaces (27 low vegetation, 37 high vegetation) were observed on four separate occasions. Overall, inner-city children's everyday activities and access to adults appeared remarkably healthy; of the 262 children observed, most (73%) were involved in some type of play, and most groups of children (87%) were supervised to some degree. In relatively barren spaces, however, the picture was considerably less optimistic: Levels of play and access to adults were approximately half as much as those found in spaces with more trees and grass, and the incidence of creative play was significantly lower in barren spaces than in relatively green spaces.
Immigrants from Latin America are increasingly settling in rural U.S. communities that welcome them as workers but are often unprepared to address their needs and promote their well‐being. Building on recent descriptive studies, we examined factors associated with individual and family well‐being in a sample of 112 immigrant Latina mothers (mean age 34.5 years, 93% Mexican) who completed in‐person interviews. Mothers who reported a more negative community climate reported lower levels of individual and family well‐being (life satisfaction, financial well‐being, and food security). Composite measures of economic and social capital were positively related to family well‐being; unexpectedly, mothers with higher levels of human capital reported lower levels of life satisfaction. Discussion focuses on implications of results for future research, theory‐building, and practice.
