Acculturative stress in the adjustment of immigrant families

This study reviews the issue of acculturative stress in immigrant families. Acculturative stress includes behaviors experienced by immigrants that are a direct consequence of the process of acculturation and adaptation to a new society. A number of stressors impacting on the acculturation of immigrant families is discussed. These stressors include lack of English language skills, employment and economic status, educational background, family life, and sociopolitical and immigration status.     

Solidarity and conflicts in coresidence of three-generational immigrant families from the former Soviet Union

The article presents findings from a qualitative study of three-generational immigrant families from the former Soviet Union living in Israel in shared households, exploring issues of solidarity and conflict. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 30 respondents from 12 families. Seven central themes reflecting different aspects of solidarity and conflict emerged: (1) division of household chores (reflects functional and normative solidarity), (2) money management, (3) economic and housing (reflect functional solidarity), (4) emotional support, (5) involvement with intimate relations of the other generation (reflect affectual solidarity), (6) space and privacy, and (7) education of children and value transmission (reflect normative solidarity). These themes reflect the dynamics of intergenerational family relations and represent the meaning systems that these families have worked out to make sense of their shared living experiences.     

Intergenerational relationships in Chinese transnational families: A typology study

ABSTRACT

Using latent class analysis, this study examined the overall patterns of multifaceted intergenerational relationships of 604 parent-child dyads in 292 transnational families in Beijing, China. Three family relation types emerged: local obligatory (27%, with reciprocal support and ambivalent feelings), distant discordant (27%, with weak associations and high conflict), and distant intimate (46%, with highest filial ratings and emotional quality). Parents’ health and children’s marital status, socioeconomic status, childcare responsibilities, and sibling numbers were associated with different relation types. The findings are helpful for social workers to identify subgroups of older adults in transnational families who are at risk of having inadequate support.     

Intergenerational Contact in Chinese Families: Structural and Cultural Explanations

Although the determinants of intergenerational contact have been well documented in Western countries, we know virtually nothing about the situation in China, a country that has recently experienced unprecedented socioeconomic and demographic change. This study analyzed the frequency of (a) visits and (b) other contact (phone, text message, etc.) in a representative sample of 16,715 adult child–parent dyads, focusing in particular on the role of migration as well as children's gender, marital status, and education level. Adult children generally maintained intensive social relations with parents, although distance was a major barrier to face‐to‐face contact. Sons visited more often than daughters, but daughters were more likely to stay in touch by other means. Moreover, the strength of parent–daughter ties was strongly dependent on education level. These findings suggest that women's empowerment and the spread of mobile technology have created new opportunities for intergenerational solidarity.     

Chinese Families in Transition: Cultural Conflicts and Adjustment Problems

Challenged to cope with two different cultures, Chinese American immigrant families face many stressors and conflicts. Such difficulties faced by these individuals usually stem from language, religious, and value differences. Furthermore, family members are faced with role and status changes due to differing rates and levels of acculturation. As a result, there is a great need for mental health services. However, due to cultural barriers, mental health services are not accessible nor acceptable to many Chinese Americans. Effective intervention strategies which integrate the Chinese cultural values and norms with psychotherapy are recommended.     

Geographic distance and intergenerational relationships in Chinese migrant families

ABSTRACT

This study examines the effect of adult Chinese migrants’ geographic distance from home on their intergenerational relationships with parents who remain behind. We compared monetary and family care support as well as emotional relationships among four parent-child groups: older adults and international migrant children, older adults and internal migrant children (who migrated to other cities in China), older adults and coresiding children, and older adults and local children (living in the same city as their parents). Data were derived from 332 older adults in Beijing, China, with at least one child who migrated to another country or city. Results from chi-square tests, anaylsis of variance (ANOVA) tests, and regression analyses indicate that international and internal migrant children maintain similar intergenerational relationships with their parents, and that both of those groups are less likely than coresiding and local children to have family care exchanges and emotionally close relationships with their parents. The results may help professionals develop supportive services and policies for older adults in migrant families.     

Family structure and housing consumption: A study of Chinese families in Taiwan

This study focuses on variations in types of family structure and patterns of housing consumption in a rapidly developing society. Extended families in Taiwan, in comparison with single-person households and nuclear families, tend to increase aggregate household income, foster homeownership, and consume more housing space.A version of this paper was presented at an annual meeting of Sociology of Housing, Santa Fe, New Mexico, October, 1986. The author wishes to thank the Bureau of Statistics and the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Republic of China, for their permission to use Taiwan's 1984 Household Income and Expenditure Survey data. Computer analyses performed by Ms. Su-jen are gratefully acknowledged.Dr. Chi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Consumer Economics and Housing at the New York State College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4401. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1972. His current interests include housing, health, and changing family structure.     

Fathers' involvement and child behavior problems in poor African American single-mother families

The present study examined the effects of nonresident fathers' involvement-measured by the frequency of fathers' contact with their children and the quality of fathers' parenting-on their children's behavior problems. Using data from a subsample of African American single and non-cohabiting mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, results indicate that more frequent contact between fathers and their child and fathers' more adequate parenting were associated indirectly with fewer child behavior problems transmitted through more adequate parenting by mothers. The quality of mothers' parenting was associated positively with the quality of the mother-father relationship and with both the quality and the frequency of the fathers' contacts with their child. Policy and practice implications are discussed.     

Contributors to adjustment problems of adoptees: A review of the longitudinal research

Retrospective studies of adoptive families have identified ways in which members of the adoptive family may be at risk of behavior and adjustment problems, but it is prospective research which can link those difficulties to factors which exist early in the placement. This review of prospective adoption research finds that most studies, but not all, report that adopted children are indeed at increased risk of behavior problems and decreased selfesteem. These studies, taken in sum, caution that unrealistic parental expectations and other parental misconceptions about the child, particularly regarding academic achievement, often lead to these difficulties in adjustment. Implications for practive are discussed.     

Cultural dissonance among generations: a solution-focused approach with East Asian elders and their families

In traditional East Asian cultures, high value is assigned to family harmony and filial piety coupled with the expectation that elders will be honored and obeyed. A lifetime of such expectations shapes how elders perceive their role and status in the family. Problems can arise when younger, less traditional, generations do not share these expectations. This article describes a solution-focused approach that facilitates the family in creating a beneficial harmony in situations of cultural dissonance. Family members are empowered to draw on personal strengths in which multiple worldviews and values of individual members are recognized, incorporated, and negotiated.     

Behavioral adjustment of Chinese adoptees: The role of pre-adoption experiences

PurposeIn the current study we examined associations between children's pre-adoption experiences (type of pre-adoption care and early deprivation) and their adaptive and maladaptive behavioral adjustment. Associations with prosocial behavior, attention problems, internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems were investigated.MethodsParental ratings of pre-adoption experiences and behavioral adjustment of 891 adopted Chinese girls aged between 4 and 12 year were obtained. The children were adopted from institutional care (n = 595), foster care (n = 66) or a combination of institutional and foster care (n = 228). Prosocial behavior was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Attention problems, internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 4–18 (CBCL). In addition to the main effects of pre-adoption experiences, we tested interaction effects between pre-adoption experiences and age at adoption, controlling for several family and child background variables.ResultsHierarchical regression analyses revealed that type of pre-adoption care was not associated with behavioral adjustment. Early deprivation, on the other hand, was negatively associated with prosocial behavior, and positively associated with attention problems, internalizing and externalizing problems. Interaction analyses revealed no significant associations.ConclusionsThe results showed that pre-adoption deprivation increased the risk for less optimal behavioral adjustment. The effects however were small, leaving room for other explaining factors both in the pre- and post-adoption environment of the child.     

Correlates of wife assault in Hong Kong Chinese families

The objective of this study was the risk factors of wife assault in Hong Kong Chinese families. The sample included 107 battered women from a refuge for battered women. Factor analysis revealed risk factors like dominance, stress, poor anger management, aggressive personality, conflict, lack of empathy, masculine gender role stress, sense of insecurity, relationship distress, and violent socialization. Correlation analysis indicated that dominance, spousal conflict, and sense of insecurity increase the likelihood of carrying out minor physical assault and using psychological aggression, while aggressive personality predicts severe physical assault and injury. The risk factors were explained in terms of traditional Chinese concepts of gender role expectations of men and women and face orientations. The present study provides some evidence relating to the risk factors of wife assault in Chinese families.     

Parental reactions to developmental disabilities in Chinese American families

Families of Chinese American children with mental retardation and developmental disabilities were interviewed regarding their attitudes and coping experiences. Chinese American parents, like other American parents, reacted to the crisis with intense feelings and needs. The parents revealed a lack of knowledge and understanding of the diagnosis. Chinese belief systems about health and illness were present in the parents' concepts of causation and treatment.Hunter College School of Social Work.     

中国传统文化元素在上海世博会中的运用及对文化创意产业的启示

2010上海世博会以其独特的理念、新颖的形式成为全世界的视觉盛宴,其中各国传统文化艺术元素的合理运用成为主要特点。本文针对上海世博会展馆对中国文化艺术元素的运用进行梳理,并寻找出规律,进而对其传播效果进行分析,以期对上海城市文化研究、上海国际文化大都市建设,以及中国文化创意产业的发展提供借鉴,并对弘扬世博精神、传播城市文化、发展先进理念起到积极的作用。