Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Latine families'

This study examined parent engagement, child engagement, and quality of problem solving in a sample of families engaged in a trial of parent management training intervention. Data were collected for treatment and control groups at preintervention and 2, 4, and 6 months after the initial assessment. Variables in this study were measured utilizing a global coding scheme used to categorize parent-child behavioral observations. The coding scheme was developed by Forgatch, Knutson, and Mayne. Preliminary analyses led to scale changes due to lack of variance in observations. Results show that treatment group showed a gain in problem solving skills at T2; however those gains were not retained at T3. There was a gain between T3 and T4. The control group showed an increase at T4 from baseline in problem solving skills. Both parent and child engagement decreased for both groups, with the lowest time point occurring at T3.

There is an abundance of literature examining parent-child relationships, and subsequently, parenting interventions that address these. The purpose of this study was to examine if positive and negative parental behaviors predicted externalizing behaviors in children. The following questions were addressed: (a) What are the types of positive interactions that Latinos parents engage in with their children? (b) Does a ratio of intervals of positive to intervals of negative parent behaviors predict externalizing behaviors in children among Latinos? (c) Do proportions of intervals of positive and/or negative behaviors predict a greater percentage of variance in child outcomes than does a ratio of intervals of behaviors in Latino families? Participants included 49 two-parent families with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 11. All participants were living in Puerto Rico at the time of the study and primarily spoke Spanish. Video recordings of parents interacting with their children in a variety of structured and unstructured tasks were reviewed, and 10 s intervals were coded as either negative (-), negative (+), positive or neutral. Results revealed (a) Latino parents engage in a variety of behaviors with their children, (b) a ratio of intervals of behaviors did not statistically significantly predict externalizing behaviors in Latino children, and (c) proportion of intervals of behaviors also did not statistically significantly predict externalizing behaviors in Latino children. In order to continue to inform culturally appropriate parenting interventions, it is imperative that more observational research be conducted with various cultures. It is important to look at the types of behaviors that parents from various cultures engage in with their children to inform adaptations of parenting interventions. The current study examined exclusively parents, however, future studied might also address extended family member, and teacher behaviors and interactions as well.

Siblings are the longest lasting relationships most individuals may experience in their life. What makes sibling relationships unique is the overlap of both shared and unshared experiences. While there is limited research on the mechanisms behind sibling relationships in general, research on Latino/a/x sibling relationships is even more limited. The limited research on Latino/a/x siblings from immigrant families has found they have an impact on each other's cultural adaptations. The current study explored the influence of the acculturation cultural adaptation processes to the U.S. and how this adaptation may impact Latino/a/x sibling relationships. Semi-structured dyadic interviews were conducted with eight sibling dyads (N = 8) and dyadic analysis methods from Tkachuk et al. (2019) were used to analyze the qualitative data. The findings suggest that the sibling relationship is influenced by parental and cultural expectations, unique experiences pertaining to growing up (e.g., sibling positionality), and their shared experiences of growing up in the United States (i.e., shared cultural navigation). Findings regarding the importance of family are congruent with current literature on Latino/a/x immigrant families and a new finding that emerged related to the validation of younger siblings on the experiences of the older siblings. Clinical implications suggest clinicians familiarizing themselves with cross-cultural sibling relationships and the benefits of having siblings in therapy. Limitations and recommendations for future study are discussed.
Master of Science
The Latino/a/x population is among the fastest growing immigrant populations in the United States. There is vast research on immigrant families that emphasize the acculturation processes as crucial to understanding how these families blend multiple cultures. Most of the research of acculturation and its influence on familial relationships focus on parent-child relationships and limited research has been done on the influence of this phenomenon on other family relationships, including sibling relationships. Siblings relationships can be the longest lasting relationship an individual can have in their lifetime and what makes this relationship unique is the overlap of both shared and unshared experiences. The limited research on Latino/a/x siblings from immigrant families has found that siblings have an impact on each other's cultural adaptations. The current study explored the influence of the acculturation cultural adaptation processes to the U.S. and how this adaptation may impact Latino/a/x sibling relationships. Semi-structured dyadic interviews were conducted with eight sibling dyads (N = 8) and dyadic analysis methods from Tkachuk et al. (2019) were used to analyze the qualitative data. The study's findings highlight that the sibling relationship is influenced by parental and cultural expectations, unique experiences pertaining to growing up (e.g., sibling positionality), and their shared experiences of growing up in the United States (i.e., shared cultural navigation). Given these findings, clinical implications suggest clinicians familiarizing themselves with cross-cultural sibling relationships and the benefits of having siblings in therapy. Limitations and recommendations for future study are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine Latino cultural values of familismo and respeto and parenting to understand their relationship to child mental health among a community sample of Spanish-speaking Latino families primarily of Mexican origin. Literature suggests that familismo and respeto are unique and important Latino values, they have the most evidence to support their existence, and they are noted to be related to parenting and child outcomes. Research indicates that child behavioral problems can be improved by focusing on cultural values within the context of parenting. Very little attention, however, has been given to Latino cultural values among family processes. While the emergent literature has brought forth useful information, lack of consistency among findings and reliance on self-report methodology lead to many unanswered questions. To address this issue, we conducted a multi-method investigation involving a parent-child behavioral observation of parenting practices that were coded (i.e., warmth, supportive demandingness, nonsupportive demandingness, and autonomy granting) and parental self-report surveys of cultural values and child mental health. Participants included 87 families primarily of Mexican origin with a child between 4 and 9 years. Participants in the study were enrolled in phase 1 of a larger study to culturally adapt a parenting intervention. Overall, research demonstrated that cultural values impact parenting, and parenting impacts child mental health. Cultural values did not predict child mental health. Latino families reported high familismo and medium high levels of respeto and they were positively correlated. Latino families were observed to engage in high supportive demandingness, medium high levels of warmth and autonomy granting, and low levels of nonsupportive demandingness. For Latina mothers, nonsupportive demandingness and familismo demonstrated a statistically significant positive relationship. Results indicated that among Latina mothers autonomy granting evidenced a significant relationship with child externalizing behavioral problems. Implications for preventative methods and clinical interventions for Latino families as well as directions for future research endeavors are discussed.

The number of Latino families in the United States is increasing dramatically. For some of the children in these families, the acquisition of reading skills is hampered by inadequate early language development. Early language development is a key predictor of reading success. Identifying ways in which parents in these families can help children acquire early language skills will better prepare them for acquiring reading skills. This study used a new parenting measure, PICCOLO, to identify parenting behaviors that are related to children's language development. The primary focus of this project was on Spanish-speaking Latino families, but a group of English-speaking European-American families was used as a contrast group. Parenting behaviors, parenting differences between cultures, and relations between PICCOLO data and children's language outcomes were explored. Results indicated that there were fewer correlations between parenting behaviors of Latino parents and children's language than there were between European American parents and children's behavior. Behaviors that were related to children's language for Latino families were combined into a factor that significantly predicted children's language. The behaviors that made up this factor seemed to be from an aspect of parenting that could be described as "hands-off responsiveness."

Los niños de origen Latino en Estados Unidos representan el grupo étnico con mayor crecimiento. Estudios recientes muestran como están en desventaja a nivel académico desde edades tempranas. Sin embargo, sus habilidades socio-emocionales en edad prescolar son robustas, estando al mismo nivel que sus compañeros de origen caucásico. Existe un interés creciente para desentrañar qué aspectos de la crianza de los hijos en las familias Latinas están asociados con el desarrollo socio-emocional, especialmente en familias en desventaja socioeconómica. El presente estudio utiliza un enfoque de métodos mixtos para examinar varios factores contextuales pasados y presentes potencialmente relacionados con la calidad de la relación madre-hijo en una muestra de familias latinas de bajos ingresos e identificar la asociación entre los diferentes aspectos de la calidad de la relación madre-hijo y las competencias socio-emocional de los niños. La investigación cuantitativa examina la relación entre el riesgo acumulativo, la calidad de la relación madre-hijo, y la competencia socio-emocional en el hogar y la escuela en una muestra de familias Latinas que participa en Head Start (un programa federal para familias de bajos recursos). Además, se examina si la duración de tiempo que los niños han asistido al programa de Head Start modera la relación entre el soporte materno y la competencia socio-emocional. La investigación cualitativa, que compone el 30% de la muestra total, utiliza focus groups para explorar las experiencias que un grupo de madres latinas tuvo durante su infancia y examinar cómo las participantes construyen la asociación entre sus experiencias durante su infancia y su relación actual madre e hijo. Los resultados del estudio cuantitativo indican que el riesgo acumulado se asocia con una disminución en el apoyo materno (observado) y la percepción de cercanía, y un aumento del conflicto entre madre e hijo. En los path analysis, el riesgo acumulado muestra un efecto indirecto sobre la competencia socio-emocional (disminuyendo la competencia social y aumentando los comportamientos internalizantes y externalizantes) a través de su impacto en la calidad de la relación madre-hijo informada por las participantes. El riesgo acumulado no muestra un efecto negativo en la competencia socio-emocional informada por los maestros. Se encontró una interacción entre el apoyo materno observado y la duración de tiempo que los niños habían participado en Head Start; el apoyo materno observado se asoció con una mayor competencia social sólo para los niños que, en el momento de la evaluación, habían pasado menos tiempo en el programa Head Start. Los resultados de los focus groups destacan la importancia de explorar las experiencias de las madres latinas inmigrantes durante su infancia, dentro del contexto socioeconómicos y cultural en el que las ellas crecieron, con el fin de entender las fortalezas y desafíos que enfrentan en la crianza actual. Los resultados sugieren la transmisión intergeneracional de la crianza de los hijos y destacan como las participantes mantienen algunos valores y prácticas arraigadas en la cultura latina, a la vez que experimentan un proceso de transformación en el que incorporan nuevas prácticas. Estos resultados contribuyen a la literatura mediante la identificación de posibles factores (la exposición a la cultura estadounidense, experiencias educativas en la edad adulta, y características) que podrían explicar los cambios en los valores y las prácticas de crianza de las madres inmigrantes Latinas. Se discuten los hallazgos en el contexto de las teorías ecológicas del desarrollo destacando futuras líneas de investigación e implicaciones clínicas.
Latino children in United States, who are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group, lag behind their white peers in academic achievement yet they show robust social competence outcomes even when raised in low-income households There is a growing interest to disentangle what aspects of parenting in Latino families are associated with Latino children’s social-emotional competence, especially among those living in socio-economic disadvantage. The present study used a mixed methods approach to examine diverse past and present contextual factors potentially related with the quality of mother-child relationship within a sample of Latino low-income families and identify the association between different aspects of the quality of mother-child relationship and children’s social-emotional outcomes. The quantitative investigation examined the relationship between cumulative risk, the quality of mother-child relationship, and social-emotional competence of Head Start Latino children across diverse ecological contexts (i.e. home, school) and within economic contexts. In addition, we examined whether the length of time children had attended the Head Start program moderated the relationship between supportive parenting and child social-emotional outcomes to explore a compensatory model. The qualitative investigation, that comprised 30% of the sample overall sample, used focus groups to explore the childhood experiences of low-income Latino mothers of preschoolers and examine how participants constructed the association between their childhood experiences and their current mother-child relationship that has the potential to influence child socio-emotional development. Primary findings from the quantitative study indicate that cumulative risk is associated with decreased maternal supportiveness and maternal closeness, and increased maternal conflict. In path analysis maternal cumulative risk showed an indirect effect on child social-emotional outcomes rated by parents (decreasing social competence and increasing internalizing and externalizing behavior) through perceived quality of the mother-child relationship. Cumulative risk did not shown an effect on teachers’ ratings of child outcomes. We found no direct association between observed maternal supportiveness and child social competence or problem behaviors. Instead, maternal supportiveness interacted with time spent at Head Start; maternal supportiveness was associated with higher social competence only for children that had spent less time in Head Start at the time of assessment. Focus group results highlight the importance of exploring Latino mothers’ childhood experiences in light of both the socioeconomic and cultural contexts in which mothers grew up in order to understand strengths and challenges they face in current parenting. Findings were consistent with previous research suggesting the intergenerational transmission of both insensitive-harsh and supportive parenting. Results highlight that while participants maintain some values and practices rooted in traditional Latino culture, they also experience a process of transformation in which they incorporate new parenting practices that find beneficial for their growing children. Findings further extend the literature by identifying possible factors (e.g. exposure to American culture, adult educational experiences, and personal assets like being flexible and open to new experiences) that may explain shifts in cultural values and parenting practices in low-income Latino immigrant mothers These results are discussing the context of Ecological theories of development highlighting future research and clinical implications.

While research on undocumented students and access to higher education is of growing concern, it is equally important to examine mixed citizenship status families. Mixed citizenship status families are families that consist of both documented and undocumented members. Passel and Cohn explain that the number of U.S.-born children in mixed citizenship status families has shown significant growth in recent years, from 2.7 million children in 2004 to 4 million in 2008.

This study utilizes Bronfenbrenner' s Ecological Systems Theory as a lens to examine the different experiences that members in these families experience through their schooling and in accessing higher education.

This qualitative comparative case study examined the experiences of three Southern Californian families, consisting of one undocumented student in higher education, undocumented parents, and at least one documented student currently attending high school. This study examined, compared, and contrasted the experiences of 14 different participants and their schooling experiences.

Major findings in this study revealed that being in a mixed citizenship status family affects different relationship factors and experiences that ultimately impact the documented and undocumented individuals psychologically and academically. Such experiences have the potential of impacting their schooling experience and access to higher education. In this study, changes in policy have had ripple effects that are experienced by youth in very personal ways that have impacted their development and access to higher education. The study revealed that, whether documented or undocumented, all members experienced psychological effects that have affected their access to higher education.

Findings in this study discovered the impact of changes in policy, how mixed citizenship status families affect the educational trajectories for all members of the family, parental involvement in school, the psychological stressors that affect documented siblings, as well as undocumented, and the ways in which documented siblings may defer their own college experiences in order to keep a pace with their siblings among other findings.

This study concludes with recommendations for policy and practitioners in the educational field, including suggestions for a more comprehensive immigration policy to include citizenship access for undocumented students and their parents, improvements in the enforcement of labor laws, and professional development for teaching educators about the mixed citizenship status family, promoting home to school relationships, and supplying these families with resources to navigate and widen the pipeline into higher education.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a secondary analysis to examine the association between the change from baseline to follow-up in Latino mothers’ self-reported nutrition knowledge, self-efficacy, intentions, food label use, and role modeling from baseline to follow-up with their reports of children’s dietary intake measured at follow-up. Data were obtained from from Sanos y Fuertes, a culturally-tailored community-based nutrition education intervention. The participants were Latino mothers and their children ages 2 to 8 years old. A dietary quality scoring system was created using food frequency data. To account for reported frequencies, five set points were created to define criteria for high dietary quality. Logistic regression tests were conducted for the five set points. The change in nutrition knowledge (p = .019) and role modeling (p = .034) of the mothers significantly predicted probability of higher child dietary quality at follow-up. Findings suggest the need for interventions that focus on increasing parental dietary knowledge while emphasizing the importance of role modeling. Further research is needed to explore cultural-related dietary differences between Latinos and non-Latinos.

The purpose of this project was to locate a potential funding source and write a grant that will provide peer led education to immigrant Latino families regarding mental health services. This project goal is to increase the utilization of services within their community. A search was conducted to locate an appropriate funder for the proposed program. Various areas needed to be addressed to identify an appropriate funder which included correlation of goals and visions between the purposed program and the funding source. In funding this program, The California Endowment was chosen as the outcomes align with the goals of the program which include but are not limited to "health-home," decreasing youth violence and improving youth development. The goals for this program are to provide education to immigrant Latino families about mental health in an environment that is comfortable and non-threatening. This program will also provide various resources that will facilitate the services that are needed within this population.

The purpose of this study was to examine the behavioral aspects and socialization of the cultural value of respeto in a community sample of Mexican immigrant mothers and fathers and their Mexican and Mexican American children. Cultural values are socialized in children from a very young age through parenting practices so that children learn and engage in behaviors that are culturally relevant within their culture. Respeto is a cultural value that the literature suggests is one of the most important values in Latina/o communities, especially of Mexican origin individuals. Recommendations have been set forth from many fields including education, mental health, and health to take into account this cultural value in order to optimally engage Latinas/os in treatments. Cultural values have been successfully incorporated in evidenced-based treatments, such as cultural adaptations, but further examination and understanding of cultural values at a deeper level is needed in order to engage in culturally competent treatments and interventions. To understand and examine respeto, two scales were developed from the literature, community experts, and psychologist experts to capture children’s behavioral aspects of respeto and how parents socialize this value in them. Behavioral observations were coded to capture children’s display of respeto behaviors when they were interacting with their mothers and fathers. In addition, the socialization of respeto behaviors were coded for both mothers and fathers. Children displayed more respeto behaviors to their fathers than to their mothers. There were no gender differences in displays of respeto behaviors or socialization of respeto by mothers or fathers. Respeto and socialization were not related to child outcomes. The only significant finding from the primary analyses was a significant correlation between parent sex and child display of respeto, with fathers experiencing more respeto than mothers, t(52) = 2.714, p = .009, d = 0.753. One of the limitations was that this was a prevention sample and future research should examine children with a broader range of behavioral problems.

The purpose of this project was to develop an acculturation stress support group program for newly immigrated Latino families. This program was developed to mediate the negative effects of the acculturation process on Latino families. A search for potential funders via the Internet identified The Annenberg Foundation as the potential funding source for this project. A grant was written to support an acculturation stress support group program through the agency Clinicas Del Camino Real, Inc., in Ventura County. Actual Submission and/or funding of the grant was not required for the successful completion of this project.

Low-income parents value excellent schools, yet often enroll their children in low-performing schools. The literature is inconclusive when examining how low-income families go through school choice decisions. It is important to understand the school decision-making process among different racial groups because choosing a good school improves later academic outcomes. Choosing a good elementary school is especially important because this is a critical period in a child's development and can affect performance in subsequent educational institutions. I am interested in understanding how race/ethnicity shapes how low-income parents make decisions about schools. Using interview data from an extensive qualitative study, I examine differences and similarities among white, Latino, and Polynesian parents' values of school quality and how they use those values to make school decisions for their children. By keeping social class constant, I delve into racial differences not previously discussed in the literature. I find racial distinctions among values and priorities in school decision-making. Ignoring these differences will create obstacles for policymakers and school administrators attempting to make a quality education available to children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This dissertation generates a broader qualitative and quantitative profile of Peru's middle class. It examines an unstudied group of Peruvian immigrants living in the greater New York City area, who are largely of middle-class origins, as are their families who remain behind in Peru. It analyzes immigrants and non-immigrants' lifestyles, changes in family dynamics that occur as a consequence of emigration of one family member, and the effect of remittances on middle-class lifestyles, identity, and experience at home. A close analysis of participants' life-styles and interactions provides conclusions about what defines Peruvian middle class status, and the factors that shape an immigrant's decision to migrate and pursue remittances. By closely examining immigrants from Lima now living in the greater New York area, and their economic, social, and cultural ties to their households back in Peru, I examine remittances as the nexus linking immigrants to their families that are now redefined by a more distant relationship. As social ties are commodified, the relationships between immigrants and non-immigrants prioritize decisions about money, including its production, transmission, reception, and distribution. Consequently, family structure often shifts to reflect a new priority on investment projects for the future over family reunification. By researching immigration and remittances, I analyze this shift in middle-class Peruvian family structure and its impact on social class, identity, and even plans for future emigration. This dissertation also refocuses the analytical lens on the uniquely middle-class origins of Peru's immigrants, challenging scholarly and popular assumptions about immigration that portray poverty eradication and reduction as the primary reason for migration.

Keywords: Transnational Peruvian Immigration, Peruvian Middle Class, Peruvian Remittances.

This study investigates principals’ perceptions about the importance and degree of building relationships with Hispanic/Latino families in highly diverse schools in an Atlanta area school district. Over the past ten years, the school district’s Hispanic/Latino student population increased by more than 12,000 students. The school district’s current Hispanic/Latino enrollment is almost 15,000 students, which is 14.4% of the total student body. Six principals from different elementary and middle schools with growing Hispanic/Latino student populations participated in this qualitative study involving in-depth, one-on-one interviews, informal observations, and artifact collection. The data analysis process involved transcribing the interview tapes verbatim, analyzing the narratives for theme categories, and identifying the common theme patterns. Critical theorists Giroux, Apple, and Freire provided the framework to examine the principals’ responses and experiences. Hegemony, patriarchy, and reciprocity are critical theory concepts used to criticize and critique the data to glean meaning and understanding of the principals’ perceptions about relationship building with Hispanic/Latino parents and families. There is a disequilibrium between what the principals say is occurring at their schools and the hidden and taken-for-granted structures that exist at their schools. Based on their actions, it seems principals perceive that in order to build relationships with Hispanic/Latino families, the school leaders need to take on a patriarchal role and explain the necessary knowledge, skills, and practices to the parents. This hegemonic behavior perpetuates the dominant group’s power and control over the non-dominant, oppressed groups. In addition, there was no indication that the principals gain an understanding of the Hispanic/Latino culture and language before attempting to help the families with parenting and schooling. The findings suggest that the principals are operating on the assumption that they know what is best for the Hispanic/Latino population without prior inquiry. There is little evidence that the principals believe they have something to learn from the Hispanic/Latino parents and families, thus, a reciprocal learning relationship is non-existent. These underlying beliefs and assumptions will hinder the principals from building a true relationship with the students, parents, and families who they serve in the school community.

The purpose of this study was to construct a guided therapeutic activity workbook, in English and in Spanish, for Latino children and families who have experienced the actual or threatened deportation or detention of a primary caregiver. The workbook is primarily intended to be utilized by Latino children between eight and twelve years of age with assistance from a family member or substitute caregiver, although the workbook can also be used with mental health professionals and other helping adults. The theoretical foundation of the workbook is largely based on the Reflective Network Therapy Model, as well as a narrative approach to trauma treatment. It also utilizes the concept of ambiguous loss, and incorporates the therapeutic use of writing and drawing about traumatic experiences.

The workbook is designed to strengthen the relational resilience of children forced to deal with a parent or caregiver's detention or deportation. Children are invited to think, write, and draw about their positive memories of their caregivers, strengthening their internalized relationship to them. They are given tools for self-soothing and for turning to others for support, and offered avenues for active mastery. Helping adults, are given guidance on using the workbook to strengthen resilience rather than retraumatize children.

Five mental health professionals with substantial experience in different aspects of this topic were recruited as consultants to provide oral and written feedback on how to improve the workbook. Their critiques and recommendations were categorized and analyzed by the researcher with the assistance of her doctoral research committee. Interpretations and conclusions regarding the analyzed data were incorporated into a final draft of the Spanish and English versions of the workbook. Recommendations included simplifying the workbook language, expanding the introduction for helping adults, and increasing the number of meaningful interactions between the children using the workbook and the adults helping them.

The resulting workbook provides a much-needed therapeutic tool. The workbook's adaptability for use within children's natural support networks or with a mental health professional is designed to increase its accessibility and utilization. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of this workbook with the target population.

The purpose of this project was to partner with a host agency, locate a potential funding source, and write a grant to fund Better Parents in Control or Mejores Padres en Control. This will target Latino families who are at-risk of child maltreatment and to obtain information on preventions from having a future case within Department of Children and Family Services. The services will be delivered at Olive Crest in Los Angeles. The literature review was developed to support Latino families and their parenting styles, prevention services, and how to break the cycle amongst child maltreatment. The purpose of Better Parents in Control or in Spanish Mejores Padres en Control is to educate Latino families on cultural awareness, child abuse laws, and parenting techniques and be able to reduce child welfare service encounters. The actual funding or submission of this grant was not necessary for the successful of this project.

When students are academically qualified to attend a four-year college or university but instead enroll at a community college, they are considered academically undermatched. Research suggests that Latinx students are more likely to academically undermatch than their peers yet they remain the least likely to complete an upward transfer to a university and earn a baccalaureate degree. The purpose of this study was to explore the enrollment decisions of, and familial influences on, Latinx students who were admitted to a university but who initially enrolled at a community college. Using community cultural wealth and funds of knowledge as theoretical frameworks, I examined the narratives of 13 Latinx students and the parents of five of those students. Nine student participants were female and four were male, ranging from 19 to 31 years old. Parent participants were four females and two males, ranging from 43 to 52 years old. Findings from this study are divided into two parts. Student findings revealed navigating the pathway to college was fraught with limited information, even though students acknowledged they had access to resources and their high school counselors and teachers helped in the college search process. However, students still did not feel that crucial information they wanted or needed was available. Parent findings uncovered how parental aspirations and perceptions of opportunities in the United States served as a foundation for helping students aspire to attend college. Based on these findings, higher education practitioners would do well to use inclusive frameworks, such as community cultural wealth, to create programs that address Latinx students and their families, including providing materials in Spanish. Through use of inclusive frameworks, research on Latinx student college choice continues to elevate the complexities and realities these students encounter. Additionally, policymakers should continue to reevaluate the shifting burden of costs for higher education from taxpayers to students as this impacts college choice and academic undermatch.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2008.
Title from file title page. Donna Breault, committee chair; Kay Bunch, Eric Freeman, Hayward Richardson, committee members. Description based on contents viewed July 82, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-119).

This descriptive study explored Latino parental involvement strategies implemented in selected Virginia school districts. Randomly selected teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools whose student population is 10% or greater Latino were surveyed. Exploratory data analysis was utilized to examine the perceptions and opinions of selected teachers on the involvement of Latino parents in selected schools. Implications of the research findings are discussed and future research topics are recommended.
Ph. D.

The purpose of this project was to write a grant to fund the program, Keeping Families Together, which will provide workshops for undocumented Latino parents who are at risk of becoming involved with the child welfare system because of their legal status in the United States. The overarching goal of the program is to decrease the number of Latino children entering the child welfare system by educating undocumented Latino parents on cultural norms concerning child abuse and prevention, community resources, and how to formulate a safety plan for their children in case they are detained or deported. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant by the California Community Foundation was not required to successfully complete this project.

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to identify and understand the cultural and linguistic barriers encountered by Latino parents of children with communicative disorders. A second purpose was to identify the common themes that arise across Latino families regarding their transition to life in the United States and the quest for available and affordable services for their children. The general principles of phenomenological in-depth qualitative interviewing will be described. Linguistic themes regarding the parents' perceptions of their own linguistic abilities and the abilities of their children were identified. Cultural themes were also identified and included differences in lifestyle, knowledge and cultural views of disability, as well as educational roles and responsibilities. Information is provided regarding the role of speech-language pathologists, especially those who are Spanish-speaking. Finally, the importance of the development of cultural competence for all speech-language pathologists is discussed.

It is clear that unmarried cohabitation is increasing in Chile. It is less clear what unmarried cohabitation is and why is it rising. In Latin America cohabitation is common among low income groups, and has been described as a surrogate marriage for the disadvantaged. Cohabitation in the region entails conventional gender roles and having children. It has been explained by colonial dominance, poverty, kinship, and machismo. The evidence amassed here indicates that although in practice cohabitation is similar to marriage, they are not the same. In fact, cohabitation has decreased social visibility. Cohabitation does not entail any social ceremony or rite. As it is not institutionalised it remains concealed from both social recognition and social scrutiny. Thus it tolerates partners who are dissimilar, or can be sustained despite a higher level of difficulties in a relationship. The findings validate previous research as cohabitation is sparked by pregnancy, parental tolerance - mainly through not enforcing marriage -, a close mother-son bond –which inhibits marriage-, and the material costs of marriage. The research follows a life course perspective. It is based on twenty four qualitative life histories of urban deprived young people, women and men, involved in a consensual union and with children. In Chile from the 1990s onwards cohabitation started to show a sharp increase. Prevalent views explain rising cohabitation as an outcome of processes of individualization, democratization of relationships, and female emancipation. This research suggests that rising cohabitation, among young people from low income groups in Chile, is linked to enhanced autonomy (i.e. declining patriarchy), and to social benefits targeted to single mothers. Young people are gaining autonomy as union formation is increasingly an outcome of romantic love and not of being forced into marriage. Furthermore cohabitation rose right at the end of Pinochet’s dictatorship, at a time of enhanced freedom and autonomy. By contrast, rising cohabitation does not seem to be related to female emancipation. Interviewees themselves reproduce conventional gender roles, and social policies targeted to the single mother are based on conventional views on womanhood.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2009.
Title from file title page. Julia Perilla, Gabriel Kuperminc, committee co-chairs; Lisa Armistead, Erin McClure Tone, committee members. Description based on contents viewed Aug. 11, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-118).

This study involves an exploration of language acculturation and it’s reflection in the art of Latino American families. For Latino American families, language acculturation involves the processes of English language acquisition, Spanish language maintenance, and the formation of language identity. Included in this text is a literature review that presents articles focusing on the role language plays within Latino American families and articles focusing on the use of art therapy with Latino American populations. This study uses qualitative strategies involving the use of survey questions and phenomenological art based research procedures to gather information about Latino American experiences with language acculturation. Research participants included first generation parents and second generation adolescents from eight Latino American families. Research data consisting of art work and survey responses are used to answer research questions which serve as the framework for data analysis. Based on data collection and analysis, challenge, opportunity, and cultural identity were three prominent themes found to reflect the first and second generation Latino American participants’ experience with language acculturation. For first generation participants, challenges with language acculturation related to language brokering, limited English proficiency, and loss. Both first and second generation participants recognized opportunities associated with language acculturation and bilingualism that included greater social involvement, better employment with increased salary, and an improved sense of security and self-esteem. Second generation participants also conveyed a sense of pride in linguistic and cultural identity which involved the blending of Latino and American cultures.

Despite the salient role that ways of seeing and categorizing difference have acquired for the ordinary integration framework of contemporary Britain, research on how sparse immigrant populations and un/marked migrants and ethnic minorities negotiate these issues remains underdeveloped. This thesis contributes to illuminating the intersections between socio-cultural and embodied in/visibility and migrants' and their young descendants' experiences of incorporation by focusing on the case of Latin Americans in the north of England. The research comprised interviews with stake holders and other informants and a multiple case study with ten Latin American and Latino-British families in the Yorkshire and Greater Manchester regions. The fieldwork with the families included all the household members over 8 years of age (totalling 30 participants) and combined a range of person-centred qualitative methods (text and visually based), involving multiple individual and group research encounters. The thesis argues that the socio-cultural invisibility of this population in the north of the country is eo-produced and sustained by a lack of official attention and soft Latin American/Latino panethnic identifications. Also significant here is the fraught relationship between these migrants and the system of ethno-cultural recognition which operates in their host society. Invisibility and visibility emerge as signifiers of sameness and difference through the everyday embodied experiences of the adult and young participants. These are negotiated with 'passing' and 'coming out' strategies aimed at acquiring mainstream membership, avoiding enforced racialization (othering) or re-defining notions of commonality based on principles of cultural diversity. Nonetheless, conditions of socio-cultural invisibility constrain the extent to which both adults and young people can reproduce forms of Latin Americanism locally, displacing tasks of intergenerational cultural transmission to the transnational sphere of the extended family. Thus, young participants display narratives of potential delayed belonging to their inherited homelands in order to legitimate their claims to their locally uncommon cultural background.

The existing research on Latino familialism draws a distinction between the attitudes associated with familialism and familialism-based action. Because attitudes tend to be more stable when considering variables such as immigration generation status, etc., social science researchers tend to employ measures based on attitudinal aspects of familialism, rather than action or behavior. Because of this preference, there is a lack of studies that examine familialism-based action and behaviors. This dissertation consists of three unique studies that examine actions and behaviors associated with familialism, while taking into account the methodological concerns expressed by previous researchers. The first study uses nationally representative U.S. data to compare the differences in the frequency of contact with various family members, among black non-Hispanics, Hispanics, and white non-Hispanics. The central finding of this study is that Hispanics maintain more frequent contact with family than white non-Hispanics, but there is no difference between Hispanics and black non-Hispanics, with the exception of contact with fathers. The second study, which employs qualitative data collected from a metropolitan area in the Southwest U.S., examines the locus of educational aspirations and expectations among a sample of Hispanics and white non-Hispanics. Among other things, this study finds that Hispanic females were more likely than other participants to make statements that suggest the aspirations or expectations of significant others were a strong influence in the decision to attend college. This study further argues that this tendency is related to the acquiescent nature of traditional Hispanic gender norms associated with the familial concept of marianismo. Using nationally representative U.S. data, the final study finds that, other things being equal, Hispanic college students are more likely than non-Hispanic students to attend a college or university that is within fifty miles of their permanent residence. The study further finds that this tendency mediates the gap between Hispanic students and white non-Hispanic students, in terms of the selectivity level of institutions attended.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1994.
Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Jeannette E. Fleischner. Dissertation Committee: Josue Gonzalez. Includes tables. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-161).

As more Latino migrant families decide to settle in non-traditional, rural areas, school districts are showing a tremendous increase in the number of students whose parents lack tools to help their children succeed in school. One such tool is the use of computers. The goal of this study was to implement a computer training program for Latino migrant families to improve the reading literacy skills of their K-2 children in spite of being limited English speakers and having low levels of schooling. In this investigation, a descriptive, interpretative and theoretical case study was used as a research method. The researcher implemented the Integrated Migrant Parent and Child Computer Training (IMP ACCT), a weekly computer training program for Latino migrant families. Gettysburg College students acted as tutors and visited Latino migrant homes to deliver IMP ACCT to eight limited English proficient Latino migrant families from the Gettysburg Area School District. All Latino migrant parents reported progress in their computer skills that allowed them to help their children improve their reading skills. At the beginning of the study, two of the ten children read at grade level. At the end of the study, eight of the ten participating Latino migrant children read at grade level. Children were also pre- and post-tested with the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Test; as a group, children's scores demonstrated significant statistical gains (p= .000) in reading. Moreover, parents were pre- and post-tested on their English as second language (ESL) skills with the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) test. All parents improved their English skills and moved to a higher CASAS level. In addition, parents' participation in school activities increased. The case study provided serendipitous values to the tutors who indicated that this program brought them many social, personal and academic benefits as well. They developed strong relationships with families and improved their Spanish skills and cultural awareness.

The purpose of this study was to better understand associations between acculturation, parental beliefs, mother-child emotion talk, and emotion understanding in Latino preschool-aged children. Research on Latino families may prove to be important given the little research that has focused on emotion understanding strictly in Latino cultures. Forty Latino mother-child dyads were observed throughout a series of naturalistic observations. Mothers self-reported their acculturation and their beliefs about the value and danger of childrenâ s emotions, childrenâ s emotional development processes, and their role in guiding their childrenâ s emotions. Mother-child emotion talk and framing was measured during a 15 minute story-telling task using a Lego house and through a wordless picture book. Childrenâ s emotion understanding was measured using two standard tasks. Results showed that mothersâ acculturation was related to their beliefs about the danger of emotions, their role in guiding their childâ s emotions, and their childâ s readiness to learn about emotions. Mothersâ acculturation was also related to childrenâ s emotion understanding. Mothersâ beliefs about guiding childrenâ s emotions were related to mothersâ labeling of emotions and to childrenâ s emotion understanding. This study confirms and expands several previous findings relating to emotion socialization of children. Overall, results highlight the importance of acculturation for parentsâ beliefs about emotions and childrenâ s emotion understanding.
Master of Science

The pursuit of higher education has become a highly desirable aspiration for many children in the United States, yet majority of these children are not provided the opportunity to make this a reality. Research reveal Students of Color and lower socio-economic status are largely under-represented in institutions of postsecondary education (Camacho Liu, 2011; Choy, 2001; U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Latina/o students, in particular, continue to experience some of the lowest levels of educational attainment in this country. Education scholars contend that a college-going culture can help counteract the educational limitations experienced by working-class, Students of Color, and especially first-generation college students. Using a participatory action research approach, this study shows how an inclusive parental engagement framework can push research forward in understanding the experiences of an educational leader and Latina/o parents. As they collaborate to co-develop strategies to support college-going practices within an elementary school, parental engagement is key. Data collected from two focus group interviews were analyzed for salient themes and findings pertaining to parental engagement and practices supporting higher educational attainment for Latina/o students. These findings indicate Latina/o parents experience an increase of knowledge regarding higher educational opportunities for their children. Furthermore, when parents gained important knowledge about postsecondary education, this resulted in additional collaborative efforts. For example, the collaborative development of a survey instrument aimed to determine the varying levels of college knowledge needs experienced by parents of elementary school aged children. The objective is to critically understand the intent of developing and implementing college-going practices by an (1) educational administrator and Latina/o parents within an elementary school.

The purpose of this study is to examine the Latina Millennial experience while completing an advanced degree, and to identify the parental/familial supports that help them persist and succeed. Through the collection of the participants’ testimonios, interviews were designed to capture their lived experiences as well as, their perceptions of why they succeed. The study was conducted using narrative methods, specifically testimonios to recount the lived experiences of the participants. The conceptual framework includes Chicana Feminist Epistemology (Delgado Bernal, 1998) and resilience theory (Connor and Davidson, 2003; Masten, 2011; Richardson et al., 1990). The collected testimonios emphasize the factors that positively influenced Latinas to successfully pursue and complete an advanced degree. The testimonios also highlight how parents and family and support systems developed as they pursued an advanced degree.

Latino im/migrants are often portrayed in negative and stereotypical ways in mainstream U.S. media. This dissertation utilizes Ethnographic Content Analysis to analyze news segments about Latino im/migrants from Fox News, MSNBC and Univisión between 2010 and 2012 and digital storytelling with a group of Latino im/migrant parents in central Florida. First, I questioned if a Spanish-language news media source constructed Latino im/migrant family-focused stories differently than mainstream English-language sources. Utilizing Critical Race Theory as a theoretical lens, I conclude that English and Spanish-language news stations portray Latino im/migrants in different ways. Fox News portrays Latino im/migrants in a generally neutral or negative tone, MSNBC offers a generally neutral or positive tone, and Univisión offers a generally positive tone. Moreover, Fox News generally frames Latino im/migrants as a “problem to be solved” with the implied solution almost always being deportation or exclusion. Univisión generally framed the global, neoliberal, capitalist system that creates the need for mass migration as the “problem” and identified activism and social change as the “solution.” These analyses are supported with evidence from stock video footage from segments that often dehumanizes im/migrants as well as use of rhetoric during segments (namely phrases like “illegal” and “anchor baby”). Second, I questioned if, when offered the opportunity to represent themselves, would Latino im/migrant parents construct images of parenthood that both acknowledge and transcend the mainstream news media discourse? I conclude that the digital stories Latino im/migrant parents created in 2009 represent a broader, fuller picture of Latino im/migrant parenthood and that these stories rely more heavily on lived, narrative experience even after considering the change in format from news segment to digital story. Digital stories provide an effective vehicle for conducting participant observation and ethnography. Moreover, I argue that digital storytelling has the potential to be effective in increasing voice and building capacity for positive social change.

With the growing percentage of immigrant families in the USA, language transition is a common immigrant experience and can occur rapidly from generation to generation within a family. Child language brokering appears to occur within minority language families as one way of negotiating language and cultural differences; however, the phenomenon of children translating or mediating language interactions for parents has previously been hypothesized to contribute to negative outcomes for children, such as role-reversals and parentification, emotional distancing and lack of communication, increased parent-child conflict, and increased internalizing/externalizing disorders. The current study used direct observations of 60 Spanish-speaking parent-child dyads (30 mother-child and 30 father-child) as they worked on a joint academic task in English to explore: (1) child language brokering patterns, (2) parent-child interactions, and (3) the quality of the parent-child relationship. Children included in the study were between the ages of 4 and 10 years. Instruments used included demographic questionnaires, the ARSMA-II, and coding of videotaped interactions for language brokering patterns (frequency and prevalence of both child translations and parental prompts), parent-child relationship quality, parental engagement strategies, and the situational power dynamic between parent and child. Observations, descriptive statistics, correlations, and a hierarchical regression were used to analyze data. Results demonstrated that language brokering occurred at a higher prevalence among the youngest age group than prior studies have suggested, parents actively contribute to child brokering behaviors through parental prompts, and mothers and fathers use different engagement strategies. Findings also demonstrated that child language brokering significantly contributed to the prediction of parent-child relationship quality, with more frequent brokering associated with more positive parent-child relationships. There was no significant correlation with child language brokering frequency and the parent-child power dynamic. Results may have limited generalizability due to the exploratory nature of statistics used, the emotional safety of the observed parent-child joint task situation, and the small sample size and specificity of the sample (primarily rural Mexican two-parent immigrant families with children born in the USA). Implications for practice include: normalization of language brokering as a part of bicultural development, facilitation of insight into changing family roles and maintenance of adaptive power dynamics within a context of change, and the enhancement of parent and child communication strategies.

This thesis examines the discursive messages and specific practices that Latino families use to transmit messages about culture, race, and racism. Scholars have not fully explored the complexity and range of practices and discourses that are involved in Latinos’ ethno-racial socialization. The use of the phrase “ethno-racial socialization” is important because it combines the concepts of racial socialization and ethnic socialization in an effort to account for how the lived experiences of Latinos who mostly think of themselves as a racial group, are treated as one race, and thus, discuss race with family members. This research explores this process using twelve in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven U.S. born children of immigrants between the ages of 18-30 and five of their parents (3 immigrant, 1 migrant, and 1 U.S. born). The immigrant families were middle-class and had at least one parent that was born in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, or Puerto Rico. To theoretically ground the project, I draw on Annette Lareau’s concepts of concerted cultivation and the accomplishment of natural growth, which are two major frames to describe how middle-class and lower-class families socialize their family members. I apply this framework to strategies of ethno-racial socialization and develop through the concepts of ethno-racial concerted cultivation and the accomplishment of natural growth, which, I argue, respectively correspond to ‘explicit’ and ‘implicit’ socialization approaches to conveying messages about culture, race, and racism. I argue that ethno-racial concerted cultivation and the accomplishment of natural growth stand in opposite ends of a continuum of approaches to instilling messages related to race and ethnicity. In some cases, the strategies can be mutually reinforcing because a practice that can be considered ethno-racial concerted cultivation can create opportunities for the accomplishment of natural growth to occur (and vice versa). Intra-familial differences in how family members socialize their children mean that they receive diverse and at times contradictory messages about culture and race from different family members such as parents and extended family members. The differences in how family members use ethno-racial socialization strategies are further heightened due to the experiences of the family member (such as their maintenance or rejection of immigrant culture and experiences with racial discrimination or lack thereof) and family structure (such as the varying messages children receive in single-parent households with extended family members living in the home, two-parent households, and households with transnational family ties). The young adults who were consistently exposed to encouraging and empowering messages that implicitly or explicitly emphasized a sense of commitment, belonging, and identity to the ethno-racial group experienced the most positive outcomes, some resulting in cultural capital, such as: racial literacy, preparation for bias, ethnic/racial identity, language skills, access to co-ethnic networks, cosmopolitanism, social flexibility, and social capital (in the form of familial capital). The young adults who did not receive consistent messages or who received messages that promoted anti-blackness or erased the importance of their immigrant family’s culture experienced some of the following outcomes: limited racial literacy, ambiguous ethno-racial identity, limited Spanish skills, limited access to co-ethnic networks, and parent-child conflict. Overall, this research illustrates how ethno-racial socialization in Latina/o families does not easily fit into one discrete model of socialization, but rather is a complex, multi-layered interplay of mechanisms that draw on both ethno-racial concerted cultivation and the accomplishment of natural growth approaches. This interplay also brings sometimes conflict due to the various and, at times, opposing messages that children receive from different family members.

Child welfare workers are required to practice cultural competency when working with families, in order to appreciate how their values and traditions affects child welfare workers assisting families. Cultural competency does not take into account the personal experiences of the families in the child welfare system nor does it allow the child welfare worker to accept that he may not have all the resources needed due to a lack of cultural understanding. This curriculum will utilize the concept of cultural humility to bring awareness of how the personal experiences and cultural values of the families in the child welfare system can assist in assessment and establishment of positive relationships of Latino families. The curriculum will discuss the differences between cultural competency and cultural humility, Latino values and parenting practice, and will include case studies and role-playing scenarios to practice the concepts learned.

This dissertation study describes and interprets the dialogue between Latino parents and their children during home literature conversations. The participating students were enrolled in my first and second grade classroom in East Los Angeles, California. I was guided by the following research questions in this qualitative teacher research study: a) What is the nature of the home literature discussions, specifically what types of talk do parents and children use to think about the books they read together? and b) What are parents' perspectives on their involvement with the school and with their child's literacy development? Data sources connected to the children's dialogue at home and parent perspectives included audiotapes, transcripts, response journals, interviews, teaching journal and field notes. All families participated in home literature conversations and five families consistently audiotaped their conversations at home.The findings from this research demonstrate that Latino parents use a variety of strategies to sustain and expand the reading process of their children. The structure and routine each family set for themselves supported and encouraged their child to relate their personal experience, world experience, and other text experiences to extend meaning. Their talk supported comprehension for the different genres they selected providing opportunities for their children to grow in confidence, become articulate, and be able to engage in rich conversation about books. Additionally, this study revealed that Latino parents' definition of parental involvement differed from those suggested by the school.

This dissertation explores the history of family life in northwestern Mexico between 1800 and 1850 through the examination of around 700 state civil and criminal court records from the Sonoran state archives. It demonstrates that in spite of characterizations of ineptitude and underdevelopment, the local judiciary of Sonora, Mexico, was an important arbiter of social hierarchies based on ethnicity, class, gender and age, where people from across the social spectrum created, reconstituted and challenged these inequalities. Moreover, court proceedings reflect the persisting centrality of colonial law and legal process, as well as the growing influence of liberal ideology on judicial outcomes. Marriage, consensual unions, inheritance, sexuality, intergenerational relationships and hierarchies, children and servants are the central themes of this study. An examination of census data, parish records and court testimonies demonstrates the diversity of family patterns in Sonora during the first half of the nineteenth century, including large numbers of small farmers, a significant minority of female-headed households, as well as men and women living in consensual unions. These sources suggest that while Sonorans idealized marital fidelity and deference on the part of women and younger kin, and mutual reciprocity among family members, social practice was far more irregular than any regional patriarch could possibly hope. They also demonstrate that men and women looked increasingly to "the state," in the form of the local courts, to resolve their familial disputes after independence.

Esta investigación explora aspectos relacionados con las transformaciones familiares acontecidas en América Latina en las últimas cuatro décadas. Unas transformaciones que han suscitado cuantiosos debates sobre su convergencia con los postulados de la teoría de la segunda transición demográfica. Por un lado, la reducción del tamaño de los hogares, la disminución de las tasas de fecundidad, la diversificación de las estructuras de los hogares, el incremento de la cohabitación y de los nacimientos fuera del matrimonio se alinean con las previsiones de esta teoría. Por otro lado, sin embargo, no se observa retraso en la edad de entrada a la unión y a la maternidad, y es sabido que la cohabitación no constituye en la región un fenómeno novedoso puesto que ha coexistido históricamente con las uniones matrimoniales. Tales elementos hacen que se ponga en entredicho la adecuación total de este postulado teórico con la realidad familiar de América Latina. Este trabajo, por tanto, busca profundizar en aquellas características que hacen del patrón latinoamericano un caso particular y exclusivo de configuración familiar. En este sentido, el objetivo general de esta investigación es examinar las características de los sistemas familiares de América Latina y su evolución en el tiempo, con especial énfasis en las edades de entrada a la unión y la reproducción así como en las diferencias entre matrimonios y cohabitación. Para ello se realizaron tres estudios independientes pero complementarios que abordan los temas mencionados. En primer lugar, a partir de un análisis a una gran escala territorial que abarcó 15 países latinoamericanos, se identificaron las dimensiones clave que definen los sistemas familiares de la región. La precocidad en los calendarios nupciales y reproductivos, la complejidad de los hogares, la informalidad de las uniones y la jefatura femenina sin cónyuge constituyen estas dimensiones. Muestras armonizadas de microdatos censales para las rondas de 2000 y 1970 constituyeron la fuente de información de este estudio. En segundo lugar se examinó la relación de los años de escolaridad y la edad de la primera relación sexual, unión conyugal y primer hijo para comprender la siguiente paradoja: si las mujeres con más años de escolaridad suelen atrasar la formación de la unión y la maternidad, ¿por qué las mujeres latinoamericanas de cohortes más educadas no forman uniones y tienen hijos a edades más tardías que las mujeres de cohortes menos educadas? A partir de datos de Encuestas de Demografía y Salud de 15 países, se constató si bien un mayor cúmulo de años de escolaridad a nivel individual puede suponer un retraso en los itinerarios conyugales y reproductivos de las mujeres, a nivel macro la expansión educativa no ha llevado a un retraso global de tales trayectorias. En tercer lugar, se exploró con datos censales de 1971 a 2001 la evolución de las diferencias entre matrimonio y cohabitación respecto al contexto familiar y a las diferencias de género entre los cónyuges específicamente para el caso venezolano. Los resultados muestran que en ese país históricamente las parejas cohabitantes tenían una probabilidad mayor de formar un hogar nuclear y eran más asimétricas que las parejas casadas. Sin embargo, estas diferencias se han acortado y en 2001 ya no son significativas, principalmente al controlar el nivel educativo de las mujeres. Los datos sugieren que no es el tipo de unión en sí mismo, sino la estructura social de cohabitantes y casados lo que explica las diferencias por tipo de unión. Estos resultados obligan a reflexionar sobre la relación de la educación con la nupcialidad y fecundidad y ponen en relieve la importancia del contexto cultural, social e histórico donde las transformaciones demográficas tienen lugar.
This dissertation explores aspects of family transformations that have occurred in Latin America over the last four decades. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century these transformations have given rise to numerous debates as to whether recent demographic trends registered in the region comply with the postulates of the second demographic transition theory. Rising life expectancy rates and the subsequent decline of fertility rates, a major decrease in household size, the diversification of co-residency arrangements, an increase in consensual unions, births out of wedlock as well as greater union instability indicate convergence with the demographic processes taking place in the more developed societies. Nevertheless, the anticipated delays with regard to the ages for the first union and the first birth were not observed and it is well known that, in the region, cohabitation is not a novel phenomenon as it has historically coexisted with legal marriage. Those elements raise the question of whether the second transition theory wholly fits the reality of the Latin American family. Hence, this study inquires more deeply into the characteristics that make the Latin American pattern an exclusive and particular case of family configuration. The general aim of this research is to examine the characteristics of Latin American family systems and their evolution in time, with special emphasis on the age at first union and first birth, as well as changes in the typology of conjugal union. To achieve this goal, guide by three research questions, this thesis presented three studies of Latin American families. The first question: What dimensions define Latin American family systems? Study of censuses from 2000 and 1970 made it possible to identify four dimensions that suggest a certain singularity in the Latin American family system: 1) the timing of marriage and reproduction; 2) the complexity of household structures; 3) the informality of conjugal unions; and 4) female headship of women not living in conjugal union. The second question deals with one of these features, namely the timing of marriage and childbearing. From the perspective of what we have called the ‘stability paradox’, it was formulated thus: if women with higher levels of education tend to delay forming a union and motherhood, why is it that women in more educated cohorts do not form unions or have children at a later age tan women in less educated cohorts? Using Demographic and Health Survey data from 12 countries this study verified that while at the individual level, a greater accumulation of years of schooling could suppose a delay in women’s marital and reproductive itineraries, at the macro level educational expansion has not led to an overall deferral of these trajectories. Third, based on Venezuelan census data from 1971 to 2001 it was looked into the evolution of the difference between cohabitation and marriage in terms of household structure by union type, age differences between the members of the couple and their activity in the labor force. Results show that in this country in 1971 cohabiting couples were more likely to form a nuclear household and they were less egalitarian than married couples. Nevertheless, in 2001 these disparities lessened and they were not significant. Results suggest that the differences observed over time do not reside in the union type itself but in the differences by educational level of the women. These findings lead us to reflect on the relationship between education and marriage and fertility. Moreover, they highlight the importance of cultural, social and historical context where the demographic changes take place.

This dissertation, presented in the form of a grant application, intends to deliver a technique for decreasing the pervasive achievement gap between White and Latino students. Specifically, the aim of the proposal is to identify and implement a school-embedded, family-centered intervention designed to address the local values and concerns of a southern Oregon Latino population. Latino students face unique acculturation stressors under the current U.S. system that create academic difficulties, place strain on familial relationships, and put students at greater risk for problem behavior. In addition, barriers in the U.S. school system present challenges for recently immigrated Latino parents to participate within the school. When embedded in schools, family-centered interventions addressing the needs of Latino students will strengthen the parent-child-teacher relationship and create support structures across family and school social systems to help decrease the achievement gap and produce positive academic and behavioral results. The research approach includes both qualitative and quantitative methods. Initially, a systematic process derived from a model of evidence-based practice will be used to determine a locally-appropriate family-centered intervention for implementation in an educational context with a southern Oregon Latino population. After the selection of an appropriate family-centered intervention, a pilot randomized control trial will be employed to gather data on preliminary outcome measures, including intervention feasibility, fidelity, and effects of the intervention on parents and students. Finally, project results will be disseminated to key stakeholders and funding options for larger efficacy studies will be explored. Three outcomes will result from this project: (1) identification and selection of a locally-appropriate, evidence-based, family-centered intervention for use in a southern Oregon educational context with the Latino population; (2) pilot research to determine the feasibility, implementation fidelity, and initial program effects on student and parenting outcomes; and (3) dissemination of project results and exploration of options for funding intervention efficacy research.