Copyright (c) 2009 University of Nebraska - Lincoln All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub Recent documents in Faculty Publications, Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies en-us Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:29:30 PDT 3600 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/69 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/69 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:04:39 PDT This annotated bibliography of books and other cultural resources is offered to readers interested in developing a broad and inclusive understanding of Australian families and the cultural, social, political, economic, historical, and geographic environment in which they live. The contributions of Indigenous Australians, which date back 40,000 to 60,000 years are especially emphasized here. Judi Geggie http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/68 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/68 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:46:58 PDT The purpose of this study was to better understand providers' perspectives of and experiences with frequent users of medical services. Focus group interviews were con¬ducted with physicians in San Diego, California, and Omaha, Nebraska. Indicators of problematic patient overuse of medical services were identified as well as the common physician experience of overuse that is troublesome and problematic. Qualitative data analysis revealed that physicians did not consider patient overuse, by itself, to be problematic. Overuse became problematic and troublesome when patient behavior violated the physician-patient relationship of trust. All participants described a distinct negative physiological reaction to these patients. Richard Bischoff http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/67 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/67 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:13:00 PST The purpose of this study was to examine gender- and age-related patterns of friendship preferences among Brazilian children. In particular, we examined: (a) children's same-sex friendship preference, and its greater intensity among older children; (b) higher exclusivity among girls and higher inclusiveness among boys; and (c) generally higher exclusivity and inclusiveness among older children. Participants were 210 (110 boys, 100 girls) public school students from Brazil who ranged in age from 3.0 to 10.5 years of age. Children were asked to nominate their best friends and to rate how much they liked and disliked each of their other classmates. Children generally nominated more of same-sex peers as best friends and gave more negative ratings to their cross-sex peers. These same-sex preferences were more intense at the older age groups. Girls and older children gave more negative peer ratings and nominated fewer best friends than boys and younger children. However, the oldest age group gave significantly fewer negative peer ratings than did the younger groups--both in their same-sex and overall negative peer ratings. Results are generally consistent with patterns found in prior studies with children from the United States, but unique gender and age-related patterns also emerged. Maria Rosario de Guzman http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/66 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/66 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:38:10 PST This study explores relationships among moral reasoning (as measured by the Kohlberg scale of moral development), social roles, and cultural context among the elders in a small, traditional Kipsigis community of western Kenya. Six traditional leaders--men who were considered morally outstanding by their neighbors and who were frequently called on to help settle local disputes--were interviewed, using an adapted version of the Kohlberg moral dilemmas; six men who were similar to the leaders in age, education, religion, and wealth but who were not considered moral leaders were also interviewed. The leaders scored slightly but significantly higher than the nonleaders on Kohlberg's scale. All of the men's responses, however, were in the Stages 2-4 range, with no representation of the two highest stages. The cultural values expressed by the men's responses are discussed in relation to their own roles in the community and in relation to the structure of traditional Kipsigis society, and Kohlberg's theory is critically reexamined. Sara Harkness http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/65 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/65 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:03:20 PST This study examines the role of immediate social companions in the prosocial behaviors of children from two cultural communities from the USA and the Philippines. Materials for this study comprised behavioral observations drawn from the Six Cultures Study--with 612 five-minute observations of 23 children (12 girls, 11 boys) from Orchard Town, MA, and 570 observations of 24 children (12 girls, 12 boys) from Tarong, Philippines, ranging in age from 3 to 11 years. Data were coded for instances of prosocial behaviors, as well as characteristics of social companions (age and relationship to actor). Results revealed several interesting findings. First, frequency of children's behaviors varied as a function of the age of their social companions. Children generally directed the highest number of prosocial behaviors towards infants and toddlers, except for younger children's prosocial behaviors towards relatives which were directed mostly towards adults. Second, frequency of prosocial behaviors varied as a function of kinship, but differently for the community groups. Tarong children were generally more prosocial towards relatives, while Orchard Town children showed more prosocial behaviors towards non-relatives. Results highlight the role of immediate contexts in prosocial behaviors of children, and the value of using cross-cultural methodology to examine contextual factors in developmental processes. Maria Rosario de Guzman http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/64 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/64 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:03:19 PST We provide an analysis of culturally-specific strength characteristics associated with families in Brazil. The focus is on familism and familial interdependence, the role of the extended family, cooperative and prosocial tendencies, a collective orientation, and the closing gender gap. The article is divided into four sections. First, we provide some background information on the demographics and history of Brazil. Second, the family strength characteristics are discussed. Third, case studies are briefly presented to illustrate the protective role of the characteristics. And fourth, we discuss the implications of the strengths-based approach to studying families for theories, research, and program development. Gustavo Carlo http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/63 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/63 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:03:19 PST Cultural socialization has long interested behavioral and social scientists, but recent advances in theory and methodology have allowed researchers to construct new and more powerful theoretical frameworks for conceptualizing the complex ways in which children interact with their environments during the course of development. Studies of childhood socialization in the classic tradition of cross-cultural research were static in their approach to analyzing underlying processes because of limitations in the theories and methods available at the time they were conducted. Many studies, for example, involved straightforward associations or comparisons of levels of parental socialization pressure (the antecedent condition) with children's social or cognitive behavior (the consequent condition). In contrast, using new theoretical and methodological tools, researchers today can go beyond testing predictions about how differences in childhood environments may predict group differences in some kind of child characteristic and instead consider dynamic and transactional child-environment relations. For instance, current researchers have employed theoretical frameworks from social-cognitive development, Vygotskian psychology, and cultural psychology to characterize the children and their contexts in reframed ways and to highlight such themes as self-socialization and guided participation in cultural socialization. Carolyn P. Edwards http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/62 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/62 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:15:12 PST Results from the 2000 United States census highlighted that the Latino population had exceeded the African American population as the largest U.S. minority group. Furthermore, during the past 20 years, migration patterns for Latino families have spread throughout the West, Midwest, and South and not merely in the border states. To meet the rising educational and human service needs, professionals have sought to develop programs that are effective at helping the Latino populations. This article presents a theoretical model for engaging Latinos in family and consumer science education and outreach programs. The model was designed for family and consumer science educators and draws from both the education and human service literature. A case study is used to outline the application of the model and suggestions for implementation are described. Paul Springer http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/61 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/61 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:31:32 PDT As the number of the world's orphaned and abandoned children continues to increase, worry escalates among those concerned about their rights and welfare. Yet, people are finding some helpful solutions. This paper describes an international foundation called Half the Sky's success in providing infant nurture and preschool enrichment programs, in partnership with Chinese national and provincial governments, through a coherent blend of cultural practices in curriculum and program operation. Both programs foster emotional intelligence and self-esteem, in a way that promotes peace education. Half the Sky opened two pilot programs in 2000 and today operates in 30 institutions in 12 municipalities and provinces across China, serving over 3,500 orphaned children. This presentation focuses on curriculum and the methods of nanny and teacher training. The infant nurture programs demonstrate that infants and toddlers in large institutional nurseries can begin to thrive from nanny care and attention in a stimulating playroom where the babies receive responsive attention that follows their actions, interests, and initiatives. Likewise, the preschool enrichment programs show that children aged 2 to 6 can become curious, eager, competent learners given the chance to participate in education led by teachers trained to provide child-centered play and learning activities based on the Italian Reggio Emilia approach. Carolyn P. Edwards http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/60 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/60 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:26:43 PDT Parental behavior during a child's first five years of life is critical for the development of important social and cognitive outcomes in children that set the stage for life-long adaptation and functioning. This chapter will review some of the key findings about the importance of parent-child relationships in early learning. Three dimensions of parent behavior will be described as "parental engagement": (a) warmth and sensitivity, (b) support for a child's emerging autonomy, and (c) active participation in learning. Cross-cultural variations in which the styles of these behaviors are expressed will also be considered. Carolyn P. Edwards