Examining Resource and Protective Factors in the Adjustment of Latino Youth in Low Income Families: What Role Does Maternal Acculturation Play?

This longitudinal study examined whether the risk and positive factors contributing to the delinquent behaviors and internalizing problems of 454 Latino adolescents varied across maternal linguistic acculturation and adolescent gender. Although the level of cumulative risk to which the 10-to-14-year old adolescents were exposed did not vary by maternal linguistic acculturation, the factors contributing to their subsequent adjustment 16 months later varied substantially. Multiple regression analyses showed that for boys, maternal monitoring offset cumulative risk effects in the high acculturation group, but was unrelated to adjustment in the low acculturation group. Social competence served a protective function for boys in the high acculturation group, but was detrimental for boys in the low acculturation group and mother-son relationship quality directly predicted more subsequent delinquent behaviors among boys in the low acculturation group. Maternal monitoring was the only positive factor contributing to girls’ adjustment, directly predicting fewer delinquent behaviors for all girls. Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Health Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Michigan State University. Research interests focus on the development of problem behaviors in children and adolescents, with a particular focus on externalizing and internalizing problems and alcohol and tobacco use. Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Received her Ed.D. in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University. Research interests focus on parent-child relationships and how they shape children’s development and learning across cultures and ethnic groups Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Texas. Research interests are ecocultural models of risk and resiliency in minority youth and measurement equivalence of risk and resiliency constructs     

The Influence of Maternal Acculturation,Neighborhood Disadvantage,and Parenting on Chinese American Adolescents’ Conduct Problems: Testing the Segmented Assimilation Hypothesis

Associations among neighborhood disadvantage, maternal acculturation, parenting and conduct problems were investigated in a sample of 444 Chinese American adolescents. Adolescents (54% female, 46% male) ranged from 12 to 15 years of age (mean age = 13.0 years). Multilevel modeling was employed to test the hypothesis that the association between maternal acculturation and adolescents’ conduct problems could be explained by differences in mothers’ reliance on monitoring and harsh discipline. In addition, guided by segmented assimilation theory, measures of neighborhood disadvantage were expected not only to be related to differences in parenting, but also to moderate the effects of maternal acculturation on parenting. Results indicated that increased maternal acculturation was related to higher levels of maternal monitoring and lower levels of harsh discipline, which, in turn, were related to lower levels of adolescents’ conduct problems. Hierarchical linear modeling results revealed that neighborhood disadvantage was related to lower levels of maternal monitoring. However, neighborhood disadvantage did not moderate the link between maternal acculturation and parenting practices.

A Grounded Theory of Korean Immigrants' Experiences of Re-Establishing Everyday Activities in New Zealand

This study explored how immigrants locate themselves in a new culture through analyzing 25 Korean immigrants' everyday activities in New Zealand. The findings suggest that they opted to either behave in Korean ways or to take up behaviors reflective of the receiving society, based on their level of control over activities disrupted by immigration. The findings supplement the concept of acculturation, explaining how 21st-century immigrants who retain transnational status engage in the acculturation process within a globalized context.     

Ethnic Differences in Trajectories of Family Cohesion for Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White Adolescents

This study examined gender, family structure, SES and language usage as predictors of cultural orientation and family cohesion. Ethnic differences in trajectories of family cohesion were tested within a hierarchical linear modeling framework. The sample consisted of 4156 adolescent respondents, measured at three time points during three consecutive years. The three study groups consisted of Mexican Americans oriented to Mexican culture (N = 738), Mexican Americans oriented to majority American culture (N = 867), and Non-Hispanic Whites (N = 2551). Family cohesion was assessed using the cohesion subscale of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES III). Analyses consisted of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) in which a linear trajectory of family cohesion for the three groups was computed followed by a test for the effects of ethnicity with the inclusion of control variables. Thus, ethnic differences in the trajectories of family cohesion over time were examined. Neither group of Mexican Americans was significantly different from Non-Hispanic Whites in initial status. However, Mexican Americans oriented to Mexican culture showed a significant increase in family cohesion at mid adolescence. Judith C. Baer is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University. She received her Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Houston. Her major research interests include the study of adolescent development within the contexts of culture, and family, adolescent sexual risk taking, and the nosology of mental disorders. Mark F. Schmitz is Clinical Assistant Professor at Temple University. He received his Ph.D. in sociology at Iowa State University. His major research interest involves the use of several large epidemiologic datasets for an extensive examination of the empirical basis for the diagnostic criteria of various DSM-IV mental disorders. He also is involved in research on cultural issues in child development and family processes.     

Lessons from Ugandan indigenous knowledge systems regarding the management of HIV and AIDS

Abstract

Health is one of the major challenges facing Africa today. Solutions need to come from within and outside Africa, drawing from Africa's indigenous knowledge systems. This article describes the life cycles of malaria, tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and presents some strategies for the control and prevention of these diseases that are lessons and experiences from African countries.