Intercultural policies and the contradictory views of teachers: the Roma in Catalonian schools

In this article, we examine the contradictions and lack of consistency between various levels of discourse relating to Roma educational policies. Policy-makers have claimed that political interventions would positively impact the progress of Roma. However, the results have been mixed. We argue here that teachers need to re-evaluate their roles as politically aware and culturally informed agents in order to guarantee social justice to a historically disadvantaged ethnic minority. Based on ethnographical fieldwork carried out over a two-year period with Spanish Roma children, both in schools and in their families, this study shows how intercultural policies have failed to impact the educational realities of Roma children.     

Family Stress and Organization Following Parental Divorce or Death

This study examines whether children of separation/divorce experience more associated family disorganization and stress than those from homes broken by parental death or from intact families. Ratings of childrens' levels and types of parental attention, family problems, and economic hardship were obtained on three independent samples. The findings indicate that divorce per se, and not the more general case of family dissolution, is significantly related to increased levels of family stressors for the child. Children with histories of parental separation/divorce were seen to be experiencing significantly lower levels of educational stimulation from parents, as well as greater parental rejection, economic stress, and general family problems than those from homes broken by parental death or from intact families. This relationship was consistent across independent year samples, referred and normal populations, and urban/suburban and rural samples. The implications of these findings for previously demonstrated differences in the school adjustment patterns of children with parental separation/divorce or death histories are elaborated, and the importance of considering stressors for the child which are associated with divorce in the planning of preventive interventions is discussed.     

FAMILY STRUCTURE TRANSITIONS AND CHILD ACHIEVEMENT

This article uses prospective data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 to investigate how children in divorced and never-married-mother families vary in reading and math achievement after parental remarriage. These are compared to children who remain in never-married, divorced, and continuously married families. Results based on growth curve modeling indicate that children remaining in single-parent families resulting from divorce or nonmarital births have lower achievement scores than children from married families. Maternal education and income account for all of the adverse effects of family structure on reading achievement, while maternal education, income, and children's home environment can explain the negative relationship between single parenting and math scores. We conclude that parental remarriage may have more benefits for children than previous studies have suggested.     

Education and Roma Children in the Basque Region of Spain

The European Union and those countries that make up the region of South-eastern Europe are built on the pillars of a multicultural society, with different languages, cultures, religions and ethnic groups. This diversity gives rise to various kinds of conflicts. The way in which we resolve these will determine the kind of future we can create for next generations. In this paper, we look at the situation of Roma and Educational provisions for Roma in the Basque region of Spain. It is clear that improvements are being made, but that much work is still necessary. Too few Roma children succeed at the moment in the Spanish and Basque educational systems. We use the case study of one school, the La Esperanza School, to highlight opportunities and barriers to effectively addressing the issue of Roma education.     

Interrupted aspirations: research and policy on Gitano education in a time of recession,in Spain

During the past decade, Gitano students’ school success and its cultural, social and emotional consequences have been largely unexplored, particularly in a new context: the deep economic crisis in Spain. This study reviews and analyses the evolution of the research production and the changing contexts of policy trends affecting the ‘Roma education issue’ as they have developed in Spain during the past decade (2004–2014). The authors take as a starting point the groundbreaking study published in 2004 that focused on trajectories of educational achievement and continuity among Gitano youth, and go on to reconstruct the approaches undertaken by qualitative, quantitative and evaluation research since then, in relation to their contributions to improve policy recommendations. The role played by Spanish and European social and educational strategies addressed to the Gitano/Roma population is critically explored to challenge the controversial notion of a ‘Spanish model of Roma integration’. Finally, the authors argue that the deterioration of public education and the virtual disappearance of social benefits in recent years, in addition to the worrying actions taken against Roma citizens in the EU, are to account for the interrupted aspirations of a whole generation of Gitano/Roma youth.     

Roma pupils’ attitudes towards education – a case study

When analysing the reasons behind the academic underachievement of Roma pupils, some teachers suggest that Roma people do not value education and that Roma children have negative attitudes towards school. With increasing frequency, Roma pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds are being researched and the research primarily adopts the perspectives of teachers and schools’ professional staff. The present study analyses attitudes towards education held by Roma pupils whose socio-economic status is comparable to the majority population and considers their perspective. The research was conducted with Roma pupils attending primary school in Maribor, Slovenia. To collect data, interviews were conducted. The study results suggest that the majority of Roma pupils from Maribor like attending school and value formal education; the majority indicated that they want to complete primary school and continue their education. The results also show that Roma pupils can be highly academically motivated if improved life conditions and improved education opportunities are provided to the Roma population.     

HOME-BASED MARITAL THERAPY FOR MULTIPROBLEM FAMILIES*

This paper describes a project designed to reach low-income, multiproblem families, utilizing couples therapy in the home. By targeting a population of young couples under the age of 30 and with children no older than 7 years, the project aimed at prevention of severe family dysfunctioning and child disturbances. The major characteristics noted in the literature on multiproblem families are reviewed here, as are the treatment goals and techniques with such families. Most programs working with multiproblem families have focused primarily on the parental functioning in family therapy, and little has been reported on work with the couple in multiproblem families. The project described here used home visits by a male-female therapist team, including frequent individual and couple sessions. Therapeutic techniques based on modeling, role playing and demonstration were emphasized. In addition, tasks which increased the individual and couple functioning of the spouses were designed and successful completion was reinforced. An attempt was made to integrate the couple into the community and to create a network of support outside of the family, including friends and community services.     

The Impact of Parental Remarriage on Children

Abstract

A meta-analysis of 61 studies was undertaken to determine the impact of parental remarriage on the academic achievement and psychological well-being of children, of which the vast majority were adolescents. Separate analyses were done on studies that did and did not use sophisticated controls in their analyses. Comparisons were made between children from remarried versus intact families as well as children from remarried and divorced or widowed single-parent families. Children from remarried family structures achieved academic levels that were generally more than two-tenths of a standard deviation lower than children from intact families. Children from remarried families also achieved somewhat lower levels than children from corresponding single-parent family structures. The difference between children from remarried families and children from intact families was nearly two- tenths of a standard deviation for measures of psychological well-being, for studies that did not use sophisticated controls and was somewhat less for studies that did use sophisticated controls. The significance of these results is discussed, doi: 10.1300/J002v40n04_05     

Family Structure,Gender, and Adolescent Emotional Well-Being

This article focuses on gender differences in emotional well-being of adolescents in five different family settings. It analyzes two main mediators—economic deprivation and parental socialization—and is based on unusually rich survey data combining parental and child reports as well as information from administrative registers. The results show lower well-being of children in single-mother families and stepfamilies. These associations are mainly mediated through parental socialization rather than economic deprivation, except for girls in their early to midteens living with a single mother. Different patterns of lower well-being levels for boys and girls in different family settings are found.     

Parent-child separation: A comparison of maternally and paternally separated children in military families

In recent times children have adapted to parental separation as parents balance the demands of family and job responsibilities. While job-related separation affect many in today's society, no population is affected more than children of military families. Changes in the Armed Services have resulted in more children being separated from their active-duty mothers. Although studies have documented the relationship between father-absence and a child's psychosocial development, little is known about mother-child separation in military families. This study compares the psychosocial functioning of children who have experienced extended maternal separation with that exhibited by children who have separated from their fathers. Implications for social work practice are addressed.This research met the dissertation requirement for a D.S.W. at Catholic University of America with Dr. Elizabeth Timberlake as chair and Dr. Barbara Early as committee member.Dr. Applewhite is Chief, Social Work Service, Beyne-Jones Army Community Hospital and Dr. Mays is Social Work Consultant to the Army Surgeon General, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.     

Explaining heterogeneity in the child poverty rate among immigrant families: Differences by parental citizenship

Much of the debate about child poverty among immigrant families has centered on factors that place immigrant children at a high risk for poverty. What is missing in this debate and the literature is that children in immigrant families are economically heterogeneous and that children in naturalized families are doing as well as or better than children in native families in terms of economic status. To examine the heterogeneous economic status of children in immigrant families, this study compared children's poverty rates by parental nativity and citizenship status, decomposing demographic risk factors of child poverty. The results indicate that whereas lower parental education and employment status largely explain the relatively higher poverty rate among children in noncitizen families, higher parental education and employment rates and a lower rate of single parenthood explain why children in naturalized families have a lower rate of poverty than those in noncitizen families. Implications of these findings are discussed in detail.     

A PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL MODEL FOR WORKING WITH FAMILIES OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN*

Because of the well-documented effectiveness of paradigms which emphasize parental or family pathology in understanding and intervening with dysfunctional children, the temptation exists for applying them to other dysfunctional populations. Autism is a pervasive developmental dysfunction with life-long adverse sequelae for the child and family. This paper reviews evidence on the biological etiology of autism and other pervasive developmental deviations, and stresses the necessity for providing an early and accurate diagnosis for the family. The adverse implications of downplaying individual pathology and concentrating on parental or family dysfunction are then discussed. The natural evolution and specific components of a psychoeducational model for diagnosing autistic children and working with them and their families are then presented. Finally, some of the advantages of this multimodal, multidiscipline model in long-term work with these pervasively dysfunctional individuals and their families are considered.     

Romani culture and academic success: arguments against the belief in a contradiction

Roma, today perceived as the most numerous European minority, face marginalisation and exclusion. Education is considered to be one of the focal points for improvement, and numerous studies have analysed and reported on the educational situation of Roma. Several studies have argued that Romani cultural values are not compatible with institutional schooling and that Romani families perceive schools as an alien institution. Other studies have drawn upon cultural–ecological theory (CE theory), developed by Ogbu and colleagues, and argue that the Romani cultural frame of reference is oppositional to academic success and thus suggest that successful Romani students distance themselves from Romani culture. The paper discusses the application of CE theory in the context of the academic discourse about the educational achievement of Romani students. Drawing on interviews with Spanish Romani university students, the paper argues that Romani students themselves challenge the assumption that educational success leads to cultural alienation.     

Discovering parental drug dependence: silence and disclosure1

Children of drug dependent parents form a large and growing population at elevated risk of adverse developmental and social outcomes. In this study 36 children and young people described growing up in such families. Parents tried to shield children from exposure, however the majority of young people demonstrated a detailed awareness of their parents' problem with drugs whilst living with the parentally imposed fiction that drugs were not at the heart of their family dynamic. Children and young people are locked into a silence they find difficult to unburden to anyone. The policy imperative is recognition of the impact on children of living daily with parental drug dependence and means of ameliorating their living circumstances in ways that do not label them further.     

Family Structure and Child Well‐Being: The Significance of Parental Cohabitation

Data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families (N = 35,938) were used to examine the relationship between family structure and child well‐being. I extended prior research by including children in two‐biological‐parent cohabiting families, as well as cohabiting stepfamilies, in an investigation of the roles of economic and parental resources on behavioral and emotional problems and school engagement. Children living in two‐biological‐parent cohabiting families experience worse outcomes, on average, than those residing with two biological married parents, although among children ages 6–11, economic and parental resources attenuate these differences. Among adolescents ages 12–17, parental cohabitation is negatively associated with well‐being, regardless of the levels of these resources. Child well‐being does not significantly differ among those in cohabiting versus married stepfamilies, two‐biological‐parent cohabiting families versus cohabiting stepfamilies, or either type of cohabiting family versus single‐mother families.     

The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children: An Emerging Need for Effective Interventions

The increasing number of children with incarcerated parents constitutes perhaps one of the largest at-risk populations in the United States. Short- and long-term effects of parental incarceration are difficult to quantify; however, the current literature indicates that this population is negatively responding to major shifts in family structure, and is vulnerable to economic stress and adverse interpersonal issues. Service providers are seeking appropriate intervention strategies to address the resultant issues of parental incarceration. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of research on effective practice methods. This paper reviews the literature on the potential implications parental incarceration has on children, and discusses service providers’ concerted efforts to allay the consequences. Recommendations for appropriate data collection and identification of relevant gender, developmental, and cultural interventions are provided.     

Multi-family psychoeducation groups in the treatment of children with mood disorders

This study examined the impact of adjunctive multi-family psychoeducation groups (MFPG) on mood-disordered children aged 8 to 11 and their families. Participants were 35 children and 47 parents from families randomly assigned to either immediate MFPG plus treatment as usual (n = 18) or a 6-month wait-list condition plus treatment as usual (n = 17). At the 6 month follow up, immediate treatment families reported: Increased parental knowledge about childhood mood symptoms; increased positive family interactions as reported by the parent; increased perceptions of parental support as reported by children; and increased utilization of appropriate services by families. Expected impact on decreasing negative family interactions was not found. Results are largely consistent with hypothesized findings and support the need to further investigate the adjunctive role of psychoeducation in the treatment of childhood mood disorders.     

After coming out: Parental acceptance of young lesbian and gay people

This study examines extant scholarly knowledge on parental acceptance of young lesbian and gay people in traditional heteronormative families. Recent literature shows that parents generally accept their lesbian and gay children. However, parents do not always accept them immediately after they come out. Acceptance takes time, and transitioning to acceptance is often a complex process that depends on parents' access to the necessary resources for coping with the stresses of knowing that their child identifies as lesbian or gay. These resources include counseling or therapy, supportive friends and extended family, and a network of other parents with lesbian and gay children. This study also highlights the need for further research on parental acceptance in nontraditional families and of children with other nonheterosexual identities, such as asexuality, gray ace, bisexuality, or pansexuality. It also calls for an exploration of the complexities of parental acceptance as an ongoing process rather than as a singular event.     

Intercultural education and Roma in Croatia

Since the beginning of their settlement in the 14th century, the Roma have formed an indigenous minority in Croatia, and also in the region as a whole. A specific tribal system (family, vitcha-extended family, big vitcha-family association, tribal group) and economic organization have caused dispersion, specialization and the partial loss of their national identity. The research project Genealogy and the Transfer Model of Interculturalism, through its empirical research on a stratified sample of secondary school students, focused on existing stereotypes towards the Roma. The results indicate a limited acceptance of the Roma culture (language, art, history, customs), as well as a considerable need to distance oneself from the Roma themselves (using a modified Bogardus scale). This points to the need for intercultural education for all pupils in Croatia. The implementation of an experimental Summer School for Roma children in Croatia and the Romany Educational Community represent innovative forms of education for Roma children. Together with the publication of the Roma newsletter Romano Akharipe, The Roma Voice and Nevo Drom (The New Way), these constitute the first steps towards the development of a Croatian educational model for the Roma. The creation of a specific educational system for the Roma plays an important role in the formation and structuralization of the Roma national community within the intercultural environment that exists in Croatia.     

Predictors of early care and education type among preschool-aged children in immigrant families: The role of region of origin and characteristics of the immigrant experience

Children of immigrants have lower rates of participation in early care and education (ECE) settings in the year before they enter kindergarten than do children of native parents. There is a dearth of research examining factors associated with the ECE type that immigrant families select for their children. Using data on immigrant families from the ECLS-B (N ≈ 2500) this study aims to fill gaps in the literature by examining associations between immigrant, family, child, and contextual characteristics and patterns of ECE type at age 4. The results show significant differences in ECE type related to parental region of origin that were reduced when characteristics of families and contexts were taken into account. Findings highlight the importance of considering factors that may be especially salient for immigrant families, including household English proficiency, parental citizenship status, parental preferences, and availability of non-English speaking care providers.