MINORITY
GROUPS – COMPARATIVE
Samaan, R. A. 2024. “The Influences of Race, Ethnicity, and Poverty on the Mental Health of Children.” Journal of Health Care For the Poor and Underserved vol. 11, pp. 100-110.
Abstract: Sufficient
evidence demonstrates that poverty has a negative effect on the psychological
well-being of children, but most research has focused only on white
populations. The purpose of this literature review is to gain a better
understanding of the positive and negative influences of socioeconomic factors,
cultural/ethnic characteristics, and racial differences on the mental health of
children. A review of the literature on the influence of race, ethnicity, and
poverty on the mental health of children found that (1) children whose parents
are in poverty or who have experienced severe economic losses are more likely
to report or be reported to have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and
antisocial behaviors; and (2) after controlling for socioeconomic status,
African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics are less likely to report or
be reported to have such mental health problems. A theoretical construct for
this protective effect is related to cultural factors, such as perceived social
support, deep religiosity/spirituality, extended families, and maternal coping
strategies as buffers against psychological distress. [Source: SC]
Massey, Steven Duane. 1999. “A Study of the Relationship between Resilience and Spirituality among High Risk Youth.” Ed.D. Thesis, University of Minnesota.
Abstract: This study
explored the relationship between resilience and spirituality among at-risk
students attending three urban alternative high schools. Resilience was defined
according to three domains: academic competence, social competence, and
behavioral competence. Three means of measurement were used to assess these
resilience domains. The first was a set of two rating systems completed by
students—The Social Skills Rating System (Gresham & Elliott,
1990) and the Self- Perception Profile for Adolescents (Harter, 1988). The
second was a set of teacher ratings of students on the same resilience domains
using the same instruments. The third was students' attendance records and
California Achievement Test scores for the purpose of measuring academic
performance only. Spirituality was defined as a positive sense of life purpose,
a sense of one's life meaning, and a sense of hope for one's future.
Spirituality was measured by the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (Palautzian &
Ellison, 1991) and the Purpose in Life scale (Crumbaugh & Maholick, 1964).
One hundred and thirty-nine students participated in this study and provided
self-report information regarding their exposure to or experience of at-risk
variables. Additionally, teachers rated students on the same resilience domains
using the teacher portion of the same at-risk survey instrument. Quantitative
data analysis was used to analyze and study the relationship between resilience
and spirituality. Students' perception of their academic, social, and
behavioral competence was found to be associated with spirituality. No
relationships were found between belonging to a religious community and
spirituality, and only a minimal relationship was found between being religious
and spirituality. African American students appeared to be more spiritual than
White American students. The relationship between resilience and spirituality
was evident in a regression analysis where the competence variables served as
the dependent variable and spirituality served as the independent variable and
in a regression analysis where spirituality served as the dependent variable
and the competence variables served as the independent variable. This study is
the first to quantify the link between resilience and spirituality. These
findings have important implications related to teacher training and
professional development, school organizational structure, and pedagogy. [Source: DA]
Vakalahi, Halaevalu F. 1999. “Adolescent Substance Use in Utah: The Influence of Family-Based Risk and Protective Factors.” PHD Thesis, The University of Utah.
Abstract: This study
examined the influence of family-based risk and protective factors on
adolescent substance use. Adolescents were classified as nonusers,
experimenters, and users. Experimenters were examined only in relation to
adolescent tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. In examining other drugs, users
included those who may be experimenting with substances, as well as those who
may be using substances regularly. Based on a theory-driven framework and
empirical studies, research questions focused on the influence of
family-related variables on adolescent substance use. These variables included
parental education level, ethnic background, religious affiliation, sibling
substance use, family conflict, and family involvement. The sample consisted of
5,009 adolescents randomly surveyed in the state of Utah. Responses of 4,983
adolescents met the criteria for inclusion; thus, they were included in the
data analysis. Overall, this study supported prior research, indicating that
adolescent substance use is influenced by family-based variables. Family
attributes and relationships served as risk or protective factors. Findings
suggest that high parental education level, nonminority background, being
religiously affiliated, and family involvement are protective factors for
adolescent substance use. On the other hand, low parental education level,
minority background, being nonreligiously affiliated, sibling substance use,
and family conflict are risk factors for adolescent substance use. Whites and
Asian/Pacific Islanders reported the highest percentage in nonuse of tobacco,
alcohol, and other drugs, whereas Whites, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and American
Indians reported the highest percentage in nonuse of marijuana. Moreover, LDS
(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) adolescents reported the highest
percentage of nonuse of all substances. Possible explanations are offered, and
implications for future research and practice are suggested. Future research is
recommended, especially in relation to ethnic minority-related protective
factors. Moreover, this study underscores the importance of research using the
risk-focused model as a framework for addressing and understanding adolescent
substance use. [Source: PI]
Brewster, Karin L., Elizabeth C. Cooksey, David K. Guilkey, and Ronald R. Rindfuss. 1998. “The Changing Impact of Religion on the Sexual and Contraceptive Behavior of Adolescent Women in the United States.” Journal of Marriage and theFamily vol. 60, pp. 493-504.
Abstract: Studied the impact
of religious affiliation on intercourse risk and contraceptive use among
adolescent women during the 1980s when church-based groups were increasingly
involved in debates over reproductive and family issues. However, adolescent
nonmarital intercourse and birth rates were rising, suggesting that religious
organizations, even as their visibility increased, became less effective at
transmitting their values. The authors pooled data from 2 national surveys
conducted in 1982 and 1988 and found that affiliation had modest, but stable,
effects among Black teens. Among Whites, the impact of a fundamentalist
Protestant affiliation increased. White fundamentalists were less likely to be
sexually active in 1988 than in 1982.
[Source: PI]
Copeland, S. A. M. 1998. “The Impact of Family Processes on Adolescent Depression.” Ph.d. Thesis, University of Houston.
Abstract: This study
explores family factors and adolescent depression. Disorders present during
adolescence may be related to emotional impairment within the parental
subsystem. Additional study is needed to examine other caregivers as the head
of household and to explore emotional distress within the family (Zahn-Waxler,
1995). This study investigates adolescent depression and five family process
components, family structure, family functioning, parental depression, poverty
or socioeconomic status (SES), and ethnicity. The sample included 73 Mexican
American, African American, and Non-Hispanic Whites families with adolescents
age 12-17. The hypotheses of this study include the following: Hypothesis 1
family structure. Adolescent depression is greater in single parent families
than in families with more than one adult parent figure. Hypothesis 2a family functioning.
Adolescents from families with moderate family cohesion have significantly
lower levels of depression than those from families with either high or low
cohesion. Hypothesis 2b family functioning. Adolescents from families with
moderate family adaptability have significantly lower levels of depression than
those families with either high or low adaptability. Hypothesis 2c family
functioning. Adolescents from families with moderate family cohesion and
moderate family adaptability have significantly lower levels of depression than
those from families with either high or low cohesion and adaptability.
Hypothesis 3 parental depression. The greater the level of parental depression,
the greater the level of depression for adolescents in the family. Hypothesis 4
poverty. The greater the level of family poverty, the greater the level of
adolescent depression. Hypothesis 5 ethnicity. Adolescent depression differs
significantly among Mexican Americans, African Americans, and Anglos. The
Family Adaptation Cohesion and Evaluation Scale (FACES-III), Diagnostic
Interview Schedule (DIS) and the Center for Epidemiological Study of Depression
(CES-D) Scale and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) were
employed. A theoretical model including gender and race accounted for 35% of
the variance in adolescent depression. An exploratory model included, gender,
race, parental language preference, and parental church attendance accounted
for 44% of the variance. A trimmed model includes only the significant family
process variables which influence adolescent depression. Family structure,
parents level of depression and family functioning are related to adolescent
depression. [Source: DA]
Dentith, Audrey Marie. 1998. “Identities through Agency, Accommodation and Resistance: A Multi-Ethnic Study of Urban Adolescent Girls in Las Vegas, Nevada.” Ph.d. Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: Las Vegas, Nevada
was the setting for this multi-ethnic study of urban adolescent girls. New
forms of capitalism in the postmodern context of this city lend ambiguity to
the labor practices and consumer logic which influences young women's social
relations, career choices and cultural understandings. Cultural practices
apparent in casino life and the sex industry place women on the margins of
society and the conservative ideologies apparent through the highly visible
Christian Right and public schooling practices within the city reinforce
patriarchy and women's subordinate position. This ethnographic investigated the
lives of nine girls, ages 13 through 18 years from White, Asian and Latina
heritage. It examined girls' lives and the production and transmission of
cultural phenomena as well as the reception and response to cultural knowledge
from within the context of a specific community and in relationship to the
wider social movements and mediated information. A multi-theoretical framework
was used to capture the disruptions and intricacies of adolescent social life
in this context. Postmodernism as an aesthetic descriptor of the changing
cultural landscape within the Western world; critical postmodernism and
feminism as discourses of social critique were used to describe contemporary
life and as tools to disrupt notions within it. Girls exercised agency through
close-knit friendships, schooling practices, and sexuality. Measures of
resistance were seen in the formation of counterculture groups, alternate
sexual mores, and defiance of conservative religions. Girls negotiated tenuous
relations between traditional gender roles and sexual behaviors. [Source: DA]
McLaughlin, Caitlin S., Chuansheng Chen, Ellen Greenberger, and Cornelia Biermeier. 1997. “Family, Peer, and Individual Correlates of Sexual Experience among Caucasian and Asian American Late Adolescents.” Journal of Research on Adolescence vol. 7, pp. 33-53.
Abstract: Explores ethnic
& gender differences in sexual behavior among Caucasian & Asian
American state university students in CA (total N = 350), drawing on survey
data. Consistent with previous studies, Caucasians reported having more sexual
partners than did Asian Americans, & males reported having more sexual
partners than females. Peer interactions & attitudinal & dispositional
factors were consistently related with number of sexual partners, while family
factors were not. Discriminant analysis of five variables (eg, risky behaviors,
casual sex endorsement, & religiosity) yielded two functions capable of
predicting levels of sexual experience for 61%-92% of participants. [Source: SA]
Russo, N. F. and A. J. Dabul. 1997. “The Relationship of Abortion to Well-Being: Do Race and Religion Make a Difference?” Professional Psychology Research and Practice vol. 28, pp. 23-31.
Abstract: Relationships of
abortion and childbearing to well-being were examined for 1,189 Black and 3,147
White women. Education, income, and having a work role were positively and
independently related to well-being for all women. Abortion did not have an
independent relationship to well-being, regardless of race or religion, when
well-being before becoming pregnant was controlled. These findings suggest
professional psychologists should explore the origins of women's mental health
problems in experiences predating their experience with abortion, and they can
assist psychologists in working to ensure that mandated scripts from ''informed
consent'' legislation do not misrepresent scientific findings. [Source: SC]
Amey, Cheryl H., Stan L. Albrecht, and Michael K. Miller. 1996. “Racial Differences in Adolescent Drug Use: The Impact of Religion.” Substance Use and Misuse vol. 31, pp. 1311-1332.
Abstract: Investigated the
extent to which differences in religiosity are responsible for racial
differences in adolescent drug use, using data from the Monitoring the Future
survey of high school seniors (N = 11,728, average age 17 or 18 yrs).
Specifically, this study examined: (1) in a bivariate context, the relationship
between race and 3 measures of religiosity: religious affiliation, attendance,
and importance; (2) the relationship between these measures of religiosity and
cigarette smoking, drinking, marijuana use, and the use of other illegal drugs;
and (3) drug use in a multivariate context. Statistical analyses show that
religion does provide some protection from drug use by adolescents. However,
religiosity has less of an impact on the drug use of Black adolescents, perhaps
as a result of the diverse roles of the Black church. [Source: PI]
Henshaw, S. K. and K. Kost. 1996. “Abortion Patients in 1994-1995: Characteristics and Contraceptive Use.” Family Planning Perspectives vol. 28, p. 140.
Abstract: Results of a
1994-1995 national survey of 9,985 abortion patients reveal that women who live
with a partner outside marriage or have no religious identification are 3.5-4.0
times as likely as women in the general population to have an abortion.
Nonwhites, women aged 18-24, Hispanics, separated and never-married women, and
those who have an annual income of less than $15,000 or who are enrolled in
Medicaid are 1.6-2.2 times as likely to do so; residents of metropolitan
counties have a slightly elevated likelihood of abortion. When age is
controlled, women who have had a live birth are more likely to have an abortion
than are those who have never had children. Catholics are as likely as women in
the general population to have an abortion, while Protestants are only 69% as
likely and Evangelical or born-again Christians are only 39% as likely. Since
1987, the proportion of abortions obtained by Hispanic women and the abortion
rate among Hispanics relative to that for other ethnic groups have increased.
The proportion of abortion patients who had been using a contraceptive during
the month they became pregnant rose from 51% in 1987 to 58%. Nonuse is most
common among women with low education and income, blacks, Hispanics, unemployed
women and those who want more children. The proportion of abortion patients
whose pregnancy is attributable to condom failure has increased from 15% to
32%, while the proportions reporting the failure of other barrier methods and
spermicides have decreased. [Source:
SC]
Maton, Kenneth I., Douglas M. Teti, Kathleen M. Corns, Catherine C. Vieira Baker, and Jacqueline R. Lavine. 1996. “Cultural Specificity of Support Sources, Correlates and Contexts: Three Studies of African-American and Caucasian Youth.” American Journal of Community Psychology vol. 24, pp. 551-587.
Abstract: Three experiments
examined levels and correlates of parental support (PNS), peer support (PRS),
partner support (PTS), and/or spiritual support (SPS) with additional variables
(well being, self esteem, and institutional and goal commitment) among a total
of 235 Black and 351 White adolescents and young adults in 3 contexts:
adolescent pregnancy (Exp 1), 1st yr of college (Exp 2), and adolescence and
young adulthood (ages 15-29 yrs; Exp 3). Partially consistent with a cultural
specificity perspective, in different contexts different support sources were
higher in level and/or more strongly related to adjustment for 1 ethnic group
than the other. Among pregnant adolescents, levels of SPS were higher for Black
Ss; additionally, PRS was positively related to well-being only for Black Ss,
whereas PTS was positively related to well-being only for White Ss. Among
college freshmen, PNS was more strongly related to institutional and goal
commitment for Black Ss; conversely, PRS was more strongly related to
institutional and goal commitment among White Ss. Among 15-29 yr olds, levels
of PNS and SPS were higher among Black Ss; additionally, SPS was positively related
to self-esteem for Black Ss but not for White Ss. [Source: PI]
Mott, Frank L., Michelle M. Fondell, Paul N. Hu, Lori Kowaleski Jones, and Elizabeth G. Menaghan. 1996. “The Determinants of First Sex by Age 14 in a High- Risk Adolescent Population.” Family Planning Perspectives vol. 28, pp. 13-16.
Abstract: Study indicates
several factors, including mother's early sexual activity and extensive work,
to determine whether person would have sex by age of 14. A study using data for
mothers from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and their children aged
14 or older indicates that, after accounting for a wide range demographic and
socioeconomic antecedents, children are significantly more likely to become
sexually active before age 14 if their mother had sex at an early age and if
she has worked extensively. In addition, early sexual debut is eight times as
likely among black boys as among-non- Hispanic white boys. Children who use
controlled substances at an early age are more than twice as likely to have sex
before age 14 as those who do not, although the type of substance having an
effect is different for girls (cigarettes) and boys (alcohol). Church
attendance is an important determinant of delayed sexual activity, but only
when a child's friends attend the same church.
[Source: CW]
Van Schooten, Cynthia Clifton. 1996. “The Relationship between Locus of Control, Spiritual Well-Being, and Runaway Behavior among Female Adolescents in a Residential Treatment Center.” Thesis, Talbot School of Theology.
Abstract: This study
investigated the relationship between locus of control, spiritual well-being,
and runaway behavior among female adolescents in a residential treatment
center. The population consisted of 100 females, ages 12-18, who were living in
a large residential treatment center in Southern California. The demographic
variables included: age, diagnoses, religious affiliation, and current
pregnancy. The Spiritual Well-being Scale was used to measure Religious
Well-being and Existential Well-being. The Nowicki-Strickland Internal/External
Locus of Control Scale was used to measure internal and external locus of
control. Both instruments were inserted into a questionnaire regarding runaway
behavior. Both Anova and Pearson Product-Moment correlations were used to
analyze the data. The findings indicated there were significant differences
between locus of control and diagnoses. Specifically, there were significant
differences between locus of control and Oppositional Defiant Disorder and
Other Diagnoses, and between Locus of control and Depression and Adjustment
Disorder. However, due to the low cell size, the findings are questionable.
There was a significant difference between ethnic group and locus of control.
African-Americans scored consistently higher on internal locus of control than
did Caucasians. These findings may be indicative of differences in
socio-economic backgrounds. [Source:
PI]
Zhang, J. and S. H. Jin. 1996. “Determinants of Suicide Ideation: A Comparison of Chinese and American College Students.” Adolescence vol. 31, pp. 451-467.
Abstract: A LISREL model
that incorporates both social and psychological factors was used to explain
Chinese and American college students' suicide ideation. Questionnaire data
were obtained from one Chinese sample (N = 320) from four universities in
Beijing and one American sample (N = 452) from one university in the Rocky
Mountain area. As in the American sample, Chinese females score higher on the
ideation scale than Chinese males, but the overall rate is lower for the
Chinese than for the American college students. The findings in the American
data support previous Literature that family cohesion and religiosity are
inversely related to suicide ideation, while the Chinese data suggest a
positive correlation between religiosity and suicide ideation. This article
offers a comparison of different cultural environments for Chinese and American
adolescent development. [Source: SC]
Moore, Kristin A. and Dana Glei. 1995. “Taking the Plunge: An Examination of Positive Youth Development.” Journal of Adolescent Research vol. 10, pp. 15-40.
Abstract: Offers 2 measures
that address the avoidance of multiple forms of risk taking or determinants of
positive development in youth: a missteps scale in which multiple forms of risk
taking are assessed through the adolescent years and a Positive Well-Being
Index that includes multiple measures of positive development, ranging from
satisfaction with life to community involvement. Demographic, family, school,
and neighborhood characteristics were included in multivariate models estimated
on a national survey of 2,301 children (aged 7-21 yrs). Youth who experienced
fewer family disruptions, were closer with their parents, and had fewer
behavior problems in elementary school, and whose parents were better educated,
were at lower risk. Children in high-poverty neighborhoods experienced lower
well-being and higher misstep hazards. Black youth scored higher on the
well-being scale due to greater religiosity and concern for correcting social
inequalities. [Source: PI]
Murry, Velma McBride. 1995. “An Ecological Analysis of Pregnancy Resolution Decisions among African American and Hispanic Adolescent Females.” Youth and Society vol. 26, pp. 325-350.
Abstract: Examined the
effect of individual, family, sociocultural, and social structural factors on
decisions to terminate or to not terminate 1st pregnancies of 347
African-American and 108 Hispanic unmarried, sexually active 15-21 yr old
females. Interview data regarding sexual and reproductive activities and
socioeconomic and familial characteristics were from the 1988 National Survey
of Family Growth (D. Judkins et al, 1991). Termination of the pregnancy was
associated with ineffective contraceptive use, self-disclosure of the pregnancy
to the S's mother, family sexuality communication, family income, and church
attendance. In contrast to African-American Ss, Hispanic Ss who terminated the
pregnancy tended to be younger at time of 1st sexual intercourse and pregnancy
than those who did not terminate the pregnancy. Regardless of race/ethnicity,
Ss deciding not to terminate the pregnancy reported family incomes at or below
poverty status. [Source: PI]
Bartle, Nathalie Akin Vanderpool. 1994. “The Spoken and Unspoken Word: Ways in Which Mothers and Adolescent Daughters Communicate About Issues of Sexuality.” Ed.d. Thesis, Harvard University.
Abstract: In this study, I
explored ways in which black and white mothers and adolescent daughters from
different social settings and cultural groups communicate about sexuality. I
also examined how their interactions may influence daughters' decisions related
to sexual behavior. This research is framed by the theoretical perspective on
female development that female identity is integrated with relationship.
Daughters continue an important connection with their mothers during
adolescence even as they begin to differentiate their identities from their
mothers (Chodrow, 1974, Gilligan, 1977, 1982; Miller, 1976). I addressed issues
that are pivotal for building on and expanding this theoretical framework.
Building on previous research that mothers and adolescent daughters do
communicate about sexual issues (Fisher, 1986a; Fox & Inazu, 1980; Hepburn,
1983), I administered a brief questionnaire to groups of young adolescent girls
and their mothers in two school settings--an urban public high school and a
suburban private coed secondary school. From this pool I selected
mother-daughter pairs for individual interviews and for participation in focus
groups. The interview respondents included six black and five white
mother-daughter dyads affiliated with the public school and five black and
seven white mother-daughter pairs from the private school. Methods used to
analyze the data obtained included: (a) content coding, where specific features
were clustered into matrices and themes were constructed; (b) the Reading Guide
(Brown et al., 1988), which complemented the content coding strategy; and (c)
quantitative analyses of the mother-daughter questionnaires focusing on
openness and problems in communication. These three methods allowed me to
present descriptive analyses of communication patterns mothers and adolescent
daughters reported they experienced in addressing sexual issues and permitted
an in-depth analysis for capturing essential elements of meaning from the
qualitative data. The triangulation of these different methods supported an
integrated data analysis and contributed to the offset of biases of any one
particular method. Results demonstrated that mothers and daughters are
communicating about sexual topics. They speak explicitly about most issues,
although the pleasurable aspects of sex are rarely addressed. Both parties
acknowledge difficulty in communicating about sex, and as daughters reach
mid-adolescence and become interested in sexual activity, communication is less
frequent. A number of factors influence the communication process including:
developmental age of daughters, mothers' education, mother-daughter
relationships, income level, cultural values, family structure and religious
beliefs. Daughters' knowledge of sexual issues is broad. Mothers do influence
daughters' knowledge, attitudes and decisions about becoming sexually active
and about contraceptive use. However, daughters generally make decisions about
their sexual behavior without communicating explicitly with their mothers. At a
time when concerns are escalating about the sexual behavior of youth, this
study provides valuable insights into ways sexual knowledge and values are
transmitted between mothers and daughters in various racial and cultural
groups. [Source: DA]
Lottes, I. L. and P. J. Kuriloff. 1994. “Sexual Socialization Differences by Gender, Greek Membership, Ethnicity, and Religious Background.” Psychology of Women Quarterly vol. 18, pp. 203-219.
Abstract: Socialization
theories have included parents and peers as important determinants of the
initial sexual standards and sexual behavior of teenagers and young adults. The
purpose of the research reported here was to examine how parental and peer
sexual socialization influences are related to gender, ethnicity, religious
background, and college membership in a fraternity or sorority. A sample that
included a majority of Caucasian university students and about 13% Asian and 7%
Black students completed questionnaires both as entering first-year students
and as seniors. Results indicated that compared to women, men continue to
experience a more permissive sexual socialization from both parents and peers.
Greek membership was associated with a more permissive socialization from peers
but not parents. Asian students reported a more restrictive socialization than
Blacks or Caucasians. Findings are discussed with respect to concerns of social
scientists regarding the influence of fraternities and differential gender
socialization. [Source: SC]
Ortiz Torres, Blanca. 1994. “The Ecology of Empowerment for at-Risk Youth.” Ph.D. Thesis, New York University.
Abstract: The study
examined: (1) the measurement of empowerment, in terms of psychological and
behavioral dimensions; (2) the relationship of reported participation in
microsystems and empowerment; and (3) how the effects of participation differ
by race/ethnicity and gender in a sample of poor, urban, and culturally diverse
youth. The psychological dimension of empowerment was indexed by academic and
social efficacy expectations and self- esteem. Behavioral empowerment was
assessed by examining adolescents' negotiation strategies with important
aspects of their social environment. Transactions with microsystems was
measured by the frequency of involvement/participation with five critical
microsystems: family, peers, school, church and neighborhood. Data were drawn
from a longitudinal investigation of the pathways to adaptive and maladaptive
outcomes of adolescents from at-risk schools in Baltimore, Washington, D.C.,
and New York (N = 1333). The sample was 58% female. The ethnic composition was
27% Black, 23% White, 38% Latino, 3% Black/Latino, 6% Asian, and 3% other.
Results showed that empowerment was composed of psychological and behavioral
dimensions. Males reported higher psychological empowerment than females.
Females were more effective in their interpersonal negotiation skills; that is
showed higher levels of behavioral empowerment. Blacks and Whites adolescents
did not significantly differ in psychological empowerment levels; it was Blacks
and Latinos who differed in this outcome. Latinos reported the lowest levels of
psychological empowerment. Involvement and participation in activities with
peers was the most important predictor of behavioral empowerment across groups.
This relationship was always negative: the more involvement with peers, the
less behaviorally empowered. For Blacks and Whites involvement/participation in
none of the microsystems seemed to facilitate psychological empowerment. For
Latinos, family involvement is positively related to psychological empowerment
for both males and females. Family was an important predictor of behavioral empowerment
only for White females. For Black females, involvement with the neighborhood
was positively associated with behavioral empowerment. Within the Latino female
group, church involvement was negatively related to behavioral empowerment. [Source: DA]
Hammond, J. A., B. S. Cole, and S. H. Beck. 1993. “Religious Heritage and Teenage Marriage.” Review of Religious Research vol. 35, pp. 117-133.
Abstract: Teen marriage may
be a way of legitimately culminating a sexual relationship and attaining adult
status. Our purpose is to investigate whether the religion in which a young
person was raised has an impact on the decision to marry early. Extrapolating
from our findings on premarital sex as well as previous research of others, we
hypothesized that Fundamentalist and Institutional Sect backgrounds produce
higher rates of teen marriage. We utilized data from the NLSY between 1979 and
1984 for whites and female blacks. The logistic regressions indicated
substantial differences in the likelihood of teen marriage by religious
heritage category for male and female whites, but not for female
African-Americans. Using mainline Protestants as the comparison group, we find
that young whites with Fundamentalist and Sect-like backgrounds are much more
likely to marry by age 19, while Catholics and non-Christians are significantly
less likely to marry early. These differences persist even when controlling for
geographic factors, parental and family characteristics, church attendance, and
expectations for adult roles. [Source:
SC]
Nakkula, Michael James. 1993. “Toward Methodological Dialogue in Adolescent Risk Research.” Ed.D. Thesis, Harvard University.
Abstract: This study
examined whether the clustering, prediction and self-reported meaning of
various forms of high-risk behavior differed within two divergent high school
cultures. 406 students were sampled, 242 from an urban high school in a
low-income, working-class community, and 164 from a suburban high school in a
middle-income, working-class and professional community. The urban subsample
was largely African-American (35%) and Hispanic (30%), with smaller numbers of
Haitian (15%) and Caucasian (7.5%) students. The suburban subsample was almost
exclusively Caucasian (86%). Females comprised 55% of the sample within each
school; males 45%. Sampling was largely random. Nine forms of high-risk
behavior were included in the assessment of clustering differences: Cigarette
smoking, alcohol use, marijuana use, harder drug use, multiple substance use,
crime, depressive behavior, school-related problems, and sexual behavior.
Involvement in each of these behaviors was assessed by the Risk and Prevention
Questionnaire and Interview (RAP QI) (Nakkula, Way, Stauber, & London,
1989), a lickert-type survey, developed in consultation with high school
students representing a broad range of reading levels. Multidimensional scaling
and cluster analysis uncovered three clusters of behaviors within each school.
The cluster of depressive behavior and school-related problems was found within
both schools, while the two unique urban school clusters were sexual behavior
with crime and the substance use cluster of cigarette smoking, alcohol use,
marijuana use and multiple substance use. The two unique suburban school
clusters were cigarette smoking, alcohol use and sexual behavior; and marijuana
use, multiple substance use, harder drug use and crime. Within each school,
cluster scores were best predicted, via multiple regression, by different
combinations of risk and resiliency factors, including family functioning,
quality of relationships with parents and friends, hopefulness/hopelessness,
religiosity, and friends' and family substance use, each of which was assessed
by the RAP QI. Qualitative analyses of indepth research interviews were conducted
to interpret the meaning of selected regression findings for each school. The
particular strategy for using quantitative and qualitative methods
interactively, designed and exemplified here, represents movement toward a
methodological dialogue that can deepen our understanding of adolescent
high-risk behavior. [Source: DA]
Newman, B. S. and P. G. Muzzonigro. 1993. “The Effects of Traditional Family Values on the Coming out Process of Gay Male Adolescents.” Adolescence vol. 28, pp. 213-226.
Abstract: The development of
a gay or lesbian identity (often referred to as the coming out process) has
been widely studied in adults; however, few studies have examined the process
in gay adolescents. Even among these studies, little research has investigated
the effects of race or family values on the coming out process. A small sample
of African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Eurasian, and Caucasian gay male
adolescents participated in this survey study. Coming out was operationalized
in three stages: sensitization; awareness with confusion, denial, guilt, and
shame; and acceptance. The majority of respondents reported feeling different
from other boys as children. The average age of first crush on another boy was
12.7 years; average age for realizing they were gay was 12.5 years. Most
respondents reported feeling confused during their first awareness that they
were gay. Denial of identity was a coping strategy for about half the sample.
Traditional family values played a greater role in predicting coming out experiences
than did race. Families were categorized as having high or low traditional
values based upon (1) the importance of religion, (2) emphasis on marriage, (3)
emphasis on having children, and (4) whether a non-English language was spoken
in the home. Families with a strong emphasis on traditional values were
perceived as less accepting of homosexuality than were the low traditional
families. Those who work with adolescents need to be aware that some will
recognize their sexual orientation as gay, lesbian, or bisexual during this
time of their lives. These youth need support in the coming out process because
they may encounter stigmatization and disapproval not only from the larger
society, but also from their families, peers, and sometimes the gay community
itself. [Source: ML]
Nucci, Larry and Elliot Turiel. 1993. “God's Word, Religious Rules, and Their Relation to Christian and Jewish Children's Concepts of Morality.” Child Development vol. 64, pp. 1475-1491.
Abstract: In Study 1, 64
Amish-Mennonite children (aged 10, 12, 14, and 16 yrs) were asked to evaluate 4
moral and 7 nonmoral religious rules as to rule alterability, generalizability,
and whether the status of the acts was contingent on the word of God. As a 2nd
aspect of Study 1, 64 age-matched Dutch Reform Calvinist children were asked to
determine whether God's commands could make a harmful act morally right. Study
2 replicated the basic design of Study 1 with 64 Conservative and 32 Orthodox
Jewish children. Ss differentiated between moral and nonmoral religious issues.
Moral rules and some nonmoral rules were seen as nonalterable by religious
authorities. The status of moral (but not nonmoral) acts was generalized to
members outside the religion and was not viewed as contingent on the existence
of statements from God. Judgments regarding moral issues were justified in
terms of justice and human welfare considerations; nonmoral issues were
evaluated in terms of their normative status.
[Source: PI]
Langer, L. M., R. S. Zimmerman, and R. McNeal. 1992. “Explaining the Association of Race and Ethnicity with the Hiv Aids-Related Attitudes, Behaviors and Skills of High-School Students.” Population Research and Policy Review vol. 11, pp. 233-247.
Abstract: This study deals
with intervening factors such as family composition, religiosity, and HIV/AIDS
knowledge in understanding the association of race and ethnicity with
HIV/AIDS-related attitudes and behaviors. Data represent Wave 1 of a five-month
panel design involving 10th grade students in eight public high schools in Dade
County (greater Miami) Florida. Significant differences in attitudes and
behaviors were found among racial/ethnic groups. Specifically, Hispanics had
more negative attitudes about condom use than blacks or whites. Whites had the
most permissive, and blacks the least permissive. sexual attitudes. Hispanics
felt least confident and blacks felt most confident about interpersonal sexual
skills. Blacks were most likely to have had sexual intercourse, and whites
least likely. Religiosity was found to be a significant intervening variable in
the less permissive sexual attitudes of both blacks and Hispanics. The most
significant implication of this study is that racial/ethnic differences in
sexual behavior can be explained more fully by socio- environmental factors
such as family structure or religiosity than by knowledge or attitudes. Thus,
interventions directed toward minority populations should focus on the
development of alternative social environments that would support more positive
behaviors. More specifically, extended family. religious youth groups, and
other community organizations should be brought into the HIV/AIDS risk
reduction arena. [Source: SC]
Lottes, Ilsa L. and Peter J. Kuriloff. 1992. “The Effects of Gender, Race, Religion, and Political Orientation on the Sex Role Attitudes of College Freshmen.” Adolescence vol. 27, pp. 675-688.
Abstract: 556 1st-yr
undergraduates completed a questionnaire examining the effects of gender, race (Asian,
Black, and White), religion (Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant), and political
orientation (liberal and conservative) on 4 areas of sex-role ideology. They
were (1) traditional attitudes toward female sexuality, (2) justification of
male dominance, (3) negative attitudes toward homosexuality, and (4) attitudes
toward feminism. The study assumed a social learning perspective: that sex-role
beliefs are culturally determined. Of the 4 independent variables, religion and
political orientation produced significant differences on all 4 sex-role
measures. Liberals as compared to conservatives, and Jews as compared to
Protestants were less traditional in their attitudes toward female sexuality,
less accepting of male dominance and negative attitudes toward homosexuality,
and more accepting of feminist attitudes.
[Source: PI]
Tremba, Randall Wayne. 1992. “Bringing White and Black Youth Together in Christian Fellowship.” D.min. Thesis, Princeton Theological Seminary.
Abstract: This project aimed
to overcome the historical separation (actually, de facto segregation) of a
white Presbyterian church and a black (African-American) United Methodist
church in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. There was no hidden agenda to merge the
two churches organizationally. The value of separate denominations and
traditions, even racially distinct traditions, was respected throughout. Two
adult and two youth representatives from each church plus myself planned a
series of four interchurch events for their respective junior high youth. I
intended to show that meaningful contact under the auspices of the church would
lower barriers between the participants and pave the way for more cooperative
programs between the two churches. By means of various activities, including
icebreakers, games, discussions and meals, the youth became better acquainted
and at the final event voted unanimously to continue the united meetings on a
regular basis. In the five-week long process of planning these events, the
planning team itself discovered a remarkable kindred spirit. The team had hoped
for bi-racial friendships to emerge from the united youth events. None did.
Upon reflection, however, I realized that the "friendship model" for
a Christian faith community was unrealistic and unbiblical. Friendships are
"accidental" and rare. Kinship proves to be a better model for the
church. Since we are made brothers and sisters in the community of faith
through baptism (no matter what our race, gender or denomination), we have a
moral obligation to perceive each other as siblings and to act accordingly.
This project enabled a few Christian people to begin seeing and treating each
other as siblings in the Lord. The effort to achieve reconciliation between two
racially divided people and churches proved to be arduous and incomplete. Yet
having begun, there is momentum to extend our efforts and even to expand them
to the wider community. In addition, as trust and reconciliation increases
between these two congregations, they may find it possible to address the more
subtle and pernicious matters of social injustice. [Source: DA]
Zhang, J. I. E. 1992. “Modernization, Interpersonal Power, and Conformity: A Cross-Cultural Study of Significant Others' Influence on Adolescents.” Ph.d. Thesis, Brigham Young University.
Abstract: This dissertation
was intended to test modernization theory's explanation of adolescent
conformity behavior, and to discover conformity patterns in three different
cultural settings. Questionnaire survey data were collected from college
students in mainland China, Taiwan, and the USA. ANOVA, ONEWAY ANOVA, factor
analyses, and LISREL were used to analyze the data. Modernization theory was
not well supported by the data. Analyses of the findings suggested that
modernization theory tests with cross-cultural data should take into
consideration cultural characteristics, since much of human behavior is
culturally determined. Contrary to modernization theory's predictions, the
social institution of education is less important but religion is highly valued
in American society, while the reverse was found in the two Chinese societies.
Significant findings of the project were different patterns in the three
societies of adolescent conformity to the three types of significant others. [Source: DA]
Farber, Naomi B. 1991. “The Process of Pregnancy Resolution among Adolescent Mothers.” Adolescence vol. 26, pp. 697-716.
Abstract: Data collected in
Chicago, Ill, during in-depth interviews with black & white unmarrried
adolescent mothers (N = 28) from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds are
drawn on to explore their pregnancy resolution. Results reveal the importance
of family members & other significant adults in the decision process.
Personal, familial, & religious values were primary considerations in
deciding to bear & keep their children.
[Source: SA]
Wallace, John M. and Jerald G. Bachman. 1991. “Explaining Racial/Ethnic Differences in Adolescent Drug Use: The Impact of Background and Lifestyle.” Social Problems vol. 38, pp. 333-357.
Abstract: Replicated earlier
research (J. G. Bachman et al, 1981) by studying 77,500 high school seniors
from 1985 to 1989 to explore whether racial/ethnic differences in cigarette,
alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use may be attributable to racial/ethnic
differences in background and/or in important lifestyle factors. Results
indicate that controlling for background alone did not account for most
racial/ethnic differences in drug use. Black, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Asian
youth smoked significantly less than White youth. Heavy alcohol use among
native American and White Ss was similar, with the same pattern for marijuana;
cocaine use among Mexican and Puerto Rican males was slightly higher than
average. Several lifestyle factors, including educational values and behaviors,
religious commitment, and time spent in peer-oriented activities, strongly
relate to drug use and help to explain the subgroup differences. [Source: PI]
Woods, Dorris Stubbs. 1990. “Risk Factors Associated with Suicidal Ideation in Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Abusers.” Ph.d. Thesis, Claremont Graduate School.
Abstract: This study
examined risk factors associated with suicidal ideation in adolescent and young
adult male substance abusers with regard to the self-reported drug- use
behavior and other factors. The subjects who participated in the study
consisted of the study group and a comparison group. The study group included
clients in treatment for substance abuse. The comparison group included
students in various educational institutions in Los Angeles County. Each of the
two groups had approximately equal numbers of black, white and Hispanic
subjects. The subjects ranged in age from 18-29 years. It was hypothesized
that: (1) the drug-abuse group would show more suicidal ideation than the non-abuse
group (comparison) as measured by Beck's Hopelessness Scale; (2) suicidal
ideation would have a positive association with problem-family communication
and negative association with open-family communications as measured by Olson's
Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS); (3) suicidal ideation will show a
significant and negative association with achieved ego identity measure but a
significant and positive association with diffused ego identity measure as
measured by Adams' Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (OMEIS); (4) there
is a significant and positive association between intensity of drug abuse and
the degree of suicidal ideation; (5) more suicidal ideation will be found in
black and white youths who abuse drugs than Hispanic youths who abuse drugs;
(6) Hispanics who are Catholic will have less suicidal ideation than black or
white youth who are Protestant or of other religious affiliation; (7) there is
a positive association between social conflict and suicidal ideation. The data
were analyzed utilizing several statistical procedures: correlation analyses,
analyses of variance and factorial analyses of variance and content analysis
for non-quantified data. As stated above, the variables under consideration for
this study were the use and non- use of drugs, ethnicity, religion, family
structure, social conflict, and ego identity status. [Source: DA]
Adams, Carol Markstrom. 1989. “A Qualitative Analysis of the Impressions and Experiences of Religious Minority Adolescents.” Religious Education vol. 84, pp. 417-427.
Cooksey, Elizabeth Constance. 1989. “Adolescent First Premarital Pregnancy Resolution: The Influence of Family.” Paper presented at Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP), 1989.
Abstract: Data from the
National Longitudinal Survey - Youth Cohort (N = 1,946 young women whose first
premarital pregnancy was conceived between Mar 1973 & Apr 1985, & who
were under 24 at the time) are used to determine if aspects of family
background influence whether a premaritally pregnant adolescent chooses to bear
her child out-of-wedlock, to legitimate the birth, or to abort. Polytomous
logit models estimate the effects of explanatory variables (family structure,
parental education, religious affiliation, age at first conception, number of
siblings, & whether the girl's mother worked) on the likelihood of each
outcome relative to the others. Since there are marked racial/ethnic
differences in how pregnancies are resolved, & because the effects of
predictor variables differ among whites, blacks, & Hispanics, each group is
modeled separately. For whites, all variables, with the exception of religious
affiliation, emerge as significant predictors. For blacks, parental education,
age at first conception, & number of siblings differentiate between
resolutions. For the Hispanic sample, only parental education is statistically
significant, but the effect is a strong one. Predicted probabilities for
selected background variables highlighted by the regression analysis are also
presented. Some policy-related conclusions are drawn concerning the formation
of new nonintact families, & the special needs of unwed mothers. [Source: SA]
Hoge, Dean R. 1989. “Five Differences between Black and White Protestant Youth.” Affirmation vol. 2, pp. 75-83.
Singh, A. K. and N. Singh. 1989. “Gender and Religion Related Differences in Alienation and Anxiety.” IndianJournal of Current Psychological Research vol. 4, pp. 57-61.
Abstract: Compared a group
of 380 adolescents as to religion (240 Hindus and 140 Muslims) and sex (200
males and 180 females) and the effects of these variables on personality
characteristics. Data indicate that the Muslims and boys were more alienated
and more anxious than Hindus and girls.
[Source: PI]
Ryan, Ione J. and Patricia C. Dunn. 1988. “Association of Race, Sex, Religion, Family Size, and Desired Number of Children on College Students' Preferred Methods of Dealing with Unplanned Pregnancy.” Family Practice Research Journal vol. 7, pp. 153-161.
Abstract: Surveyed 238 Black
and 466 White college students (43% male, 57% female) to assess their order of
preference of 5 methods for dealing with an out-of-wedlock, unplanned
pregnancy: (a) marriage, (b) abortion, (c) adoption, (d) raising the child as a
single parent, and (e) having grandparents raise the child. Results indicate
that the majority of Ss would prefer to marry, if possible. Abortion was their
second preference. Of the remaining options, raising a child as a single parent
was preferable to allowing a third party to raise the child, either through
adoption or extended family. Race, sex, religiosity, religious preference,
number of siblings, and number of desired children were significantly
associated with Ss' preferences.
[Source: PI]
Lewis Ruggiero, Brenda Mahoney. 1987. “Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Justice.” Ph.d. Thesis, University of California Los Angeles.
Abstract: The purpose of
this study was to determine if Islamic students who were recent immigrants from
the Middle East differ from a similar-aged U.S. population in their evaluation
of selected corrective justice issues which could be raised in law-related
education classes and U.S. courts. The subjects for the study were fifteen
12-15 year-old U.S. born, non-minority males and fifteen 12-15 year-old Muslim
males born and raised in the Middle East and living in the U.S. no more than
3.5 years. The subjects were drawn from schools in a large urban area. All
subjects evaluated four corrective justice cases. Each subject was interviewed
individually. The evaluation consisted of (1) a series of structured questions
required a "yes"/"no" or scaled response and (2) open-ended
questions designed to elicit the subject's thinking about the factors of
intent, consequences, negligence, foreseeability, justification, and contributory
negligence as they related to each case. After analyzing each factor
separately, the subject was asked (1) if the person involved was guilty of a
crime; (2) how important each factor was to the decision he made; and (3) the
impact each factor had on his decision. Quantitative data were analyzed using
repeated measures analyses of variance followed by tests of simple main
effects. The qualitative data were analyzed by comparing subjects' responses to
the open-ended questions. Statistical analysis revealed a significant three-way
interaction in the importance and weight subjects placed upon the factors.
Subsequent tests of simple main effects revealed that Intent, Foreseeability
and Justification contributed to the significant between- groups differences noted.
These differences were not substantiated, however, by the responses to the
open- ended questions. A statistically significant between- groups difference
was also found in the assignment of guilt in one of the four cases. Analysis of
the qualitative data revealed that the punishment decisions of the Muslim youth
were less harsh on the whole than those of the U.S.-born subjects. The only
statistically significant finding substantiated by the qualitative data was the
assignment of guilt in one of the four cases.
[Source: DA]
Miller, Denise R. 1987. “Shame/Guilt Proneness, Symptoms and Treatment Satisfaction in Irish and Jewish Families.” Thesis, New School for Social Research, NY.
Slonim Nevo, Vered. 1987. “Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use and Pregnancy among Mexican-American and White Non-Hispanic Adolescent Women.” D.s.w. Thesis, University of California Los Angeles.
Abstract: This research
focuses on the premarital sexual behavior of Mexican-American teenage women,
while comparing their behavior to that of their white non-Hispanic
counterparts. Three aspects of sexual behavior are examined: first intercourse,
first use of contraceptives, and first conception. A data set derived from a
multistage probability sampling design, with a core group of 675 unmarried
Mexican-American female adolescents and a comparison group of 313 white
non-Hispanics is used for the analysis. The methodology of life table and
survival analysis is used in the study. Unmarried Mexican-American teenage
women are less likely to experience intercourse, and sexually-active
Mexican-American adolescents are less likely to use contraceptives but more
likely to conceive than their white non-Hispanic counterparts. The likelihood
of experiencing premarital sex is best explained, in both groups, by attitudes
toward premarital sex, with greater permissiveness associated with higher
likelihood. Among Mexican Americans, a higher level of acculturation is
associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing premarital sex. None of the
study's independent variables including SES and sexual knowledge could predict
contraceptive use among sexually-active white non-Hispanic teenagers. Among
Mexican Americans, those who are more amenable toward premarital contraceptive
use, and those who use health services that provide family-planning services
are more likely to contracept. Use of medical contraceptives by sexually-active
teenage women can be best predicted, in both groups, by use of health services
that provide family-planning services, with higher use of services being
associated with higher use of medical devices. The higher probability of
premarital conception among sexually-active white non-Hispanic teenagers is
associated with lower education of mothers, and among Mexican Americans, with
lower level of religiosity. Ethnic differences in SES cannot solely explain
ethnic differences in adolescent sexual behavior. Differences in cultural
values are important to the explanation of ethnic differences in the likelihood
of experiencing premarital sex, while ethnic differences in sexual knowledge,
use of health services and mother's level of education are important in the
explanation of ethnic differences in contraceptive use and the likelihood of
experiencing premarital pregnancy.
[Source: DA]
Abraham, Kitty G. 1986. “Ego-Identity Differences among Anglo-American and Mexican-American Adolescents.” Journal of Adolescence vol. 9, pp. 151-166.
Abstract: Potential
differences in ideological/occupational & interpersonal ego identity among
Anglo- & Mexican-American adolescents were investigated among a sample of
841 high school students in a southwestern state. All Ss were administered the
Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status to determine their level of
identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, & identity achievement.
Multivariate analyses of covariance with discriminant analysis were conducted
separately for the two types of identity; mothers' & fathers' education were
included as covariates. Results indicate that Mexican-American youth are more
foreclosed than Anglo-American youth in ideological/occupational identity,
& may be more inclined to adopt their parents' commitments to religious
& political beliefs, occupational preferences, & philosophical
lifestyles. Results also indicate that Mexican-American youth differ from
Anglo-American youth in interpersonal identity as a function of grade (9-12).
Interpretation of these results from both cultural & minority status perspectives
are discussed. [Source: SA]
Marsiglio, W. and F. L. Mott. 1986. “The Impact of Sex Education on Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use and Premarital Pregnancy among American Teenagers.” Family Planning Perspectives vol. 18, pp. 151-162.
Abstract: Sixty percent of
women and 52 percent of men now in their 20s took a sex education course by age
19, according to the 1984 National Longitudinal Survey of Work Experience of
Youth. Whites are more likely than either blacks or Hispanics to have had a
course by that age--57 percent compared with 53 percent and 48 percent,
respectively. The survey also shows that large proportions of teenagers
initiate coitus before they have taken a sex education course. Among young
women who first have sex at age 15, for example, only 48 percent have already
taken a course (i.e., have taken it at a younger age or at the same age); and
among young women who first have intercourse at age 18, the proportion is 61
percent. Young men are even less likely than young women to take a course
before they begin coitus--at age 15, the figure is 26 percent, and at age 18,
52 percent. Adolescent women who have previously taken a sex education course
are somewhat more likely than those who have not to initiate sexual activity at
ages 15 and 16 (though they are no more likely to do so at ages 17 and 18).
However, the effect of prior sex education is small, and is weaker than that of
virtually every other variable found to have a significant relationship with
first intercourse at ages 15-16. Among the strongest determinants of first
coitus at those ages are infrequent church attendance, parental education of
fewer than 12 years and black race. Older sexually active girls who have
previously had a course are significantly more likely to use an effective
contraceptive method (73 percent) than are those who have never taken a course
(64 percent). This relationship may offset any effect that a sex education
course may have in raising the likelihood of early first coitus, since no
significant association can be found between taking a sex education course and
subsequently becoming premaritally pregnant before age 20. [Source: ML]
Newell Withrow, Cora. 1986. “Identifying Health-Seeking Behaviors: A Study of Adolescents.” Adolescence vol. 21, pp. 641-658.
Abstract: Investigated how
354 female and 393 male adolescents' health-seeking behaviors, which include
self-management and information-seeking behaviors, differed according to age,
race, socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and religion. The study was based on
2 assumptions: (1) self-management and information-seeking behaviors are
fundamental to adolescents' health-seeking behaviors, and (b) Ss answer
self-management and information-seeking questions in terms of past behaviors
and their behavioral intent. A 142-item questionnaire was administered.
Findings included confirmation of (a) gender as a differentiating variable for
the performance of information-seeking behavior, and (b) positive health
behaviors among Black adolescents. Ss reported an overall positive composite of
health-seeking behaviors. [Source: PI]
Wolfson, Orna. 1986. “Adolescent Separation from Home: An Ethnic Perspective.” Ph.d. Thesis, Boston University.
Abstract: This study
examined ethnic aspects of the separation process for adolescents leaving home.
It was assumed that separation is a critical task of adolescence. The principal
hypothesis was that adolescents from different ethnic backgrounds would
experience separation differently. The differences were expected to follow the
relative dominance of centripetal and centrifugal forces, operating to pull
family members together or push them away. This hypothesis was derived from
Stierlin's transactional theory (1981), depicting the interplay between
adolescents and parents in the process of separation. I attempted to relate
this theory to studies of ethnic differences pertaining to attitudes toward
adolescence and preferred modes of family functioning in times of stress. The
subjects were 163 college students from Italian-Catholic, Irish-Catholic, and
WASP backgrounds. Five measurements were used for various aspects of culture
and separation: (a) a background information questionnaire; (b) the Thematic
Apperception Test scored for separation themes; (c) the Fundamental
Interpersonal Relation Orientation scales; (d) Moos's Family Environment Scale;
(e) a questionnaire measuring the experience of going to college. Differences
between the ethnic groups in the experience of separation were noted, partially
supporting the major hypothesis. Italian-Catholics demonstrated dominance of
centripetal forces, operating to discourage separation and resulting in a
difficult experience of separation. Italian-Catholics produced more TAT stories
with separation anxiety themes, tended to stay at their parents' homes while at
college, and if they did leave home they expected to feel homesick at college,
and started college feeling mostly sad. WASPs showed dominant centrifugal
forces, making separation an encouraged and relatively easy process. WASPs
produced fewer TAT stories with separation anxiety themes, tended to leave home
when they attended college, preferred to go to a college far from home, and
started college feeling mostly excited. Following Stierlin's description, the
Italian-Catholic families were seen as binding, while WASP families were
protrayed as expelling. Regarding Irish-Catholics, no systematic pattern was
found consistent with Stierlin's theory. The applicability of Stierlin's theory
to families with complex separation processes, like the Irish-Catholic
families, was questioned, and the need for further research in this direction
was noted. [Source: DA]
Dodd, David K. and Latecia L. Mills. 1985. “Fadis: A Measure of the Fear of Accidental Death and Injury.” Psychological Record vol. 35, pp. 269-275.
Abstract: Investigated the
validity and reliability of a fear of accidental death and injury scale
(FADIS). This 25-item scale was administered to 177 high school seniors and
college students. It was found to be internally consistent and related to
several predictors. Significantly higher FADIS scores were obtained for
non-Whites than Whites and for women than men. Religiosity and religious
preference were also strongly related to FADIS for women. It is suggested that
locus of control may affect the development of accidental death anxiety. [Source: PI]
Silber, Tomas J. and Mary Reilly. 1985. “Spiritual and Religious Concerns of the Hospitalized Adolescent.” Adolescence vol. 20, pp. 217-224.
Abstract: 114 hospitalized
11-29 yr olds completed a Likert scale questionnaire on spiritual and religious
concerns. ANOVA was performed to correlate responses with sex, race, religion,
type of school, and severity of illness. A subgroup of Ss, those with more
serious disease, experienced intensified spiritual and religious concerns.
Religious concerns were more frequent among Blacks than Whites, Catholics than
Protestants, and parochial school students than public school students. In
response to the questionnaire, over 15% of the Ss requested further help. Findings
suggest that training in adolescent health care and the provision of services
to teenagers ought to include teaching in the area of spiritual and religious
values of teenagers, with emphasis on the hospitalized adolescent. [Source: PI]
Billy, John O. G. 1983. “Community-Level Effects on Adolescent Sexual Behavior.” Ph.d. Thesis, The University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill.
Abstract: We examine whether
structural properties of communities, operationalized at the county level,
affect whether a female adolescent has had premarital intercourse. The guiding
hypothesis is that community characteristics affect adolescent sexual
involvement via two mechanisms: (1) by giving rise to a normative structure
which defines boundaries of permissable or desirable sexual behavior; and (2)
by creating an opportunity structure conductive to higher or lower levels of
adolescent sexual activity. Appropriate data bases are constructed from four
extant data sets. We specify separate models for white females and black
females in which individuals are the units of analysis. We first regress an
adolescent's premarital intercourse behavior on community characteristics and
derive the most parsimonious, "best-fitting" model. We then adopt a
causal modeling approach and introduce individual characteristics of the
adolescents as intermediate variables in the "best-fitting" model.
The causal modeling approach is the most innovative part of our study. It
provides a better understanding of how structural properties of communities
affect an adolescent's sexual involvement and captures the total effects of
these macro variables. Our analytic strategy deviates from that used in
previous contextual analyses in which only the direct effects of
community-level variables have been assessed. We find support for our guiding
hypothesis that structural properties of communities affect the probability
that a female adolescent has had premarital intercourse. For white females,
five macro variables are included in the final "best-fitting" model.
Community size and community religiosity have negative effects, while the
percent voting for McGovern, divorce rate, and percent of the civilian labor
force female have positive effects. The "best-fitting" model for
black females also contains five community-level variables. Community size and
percent Spanish heritage have negative effects, while the age of the community
population, percent voting for McGovern, and crime rate have positive effects.
Our causal analysis suggests that community-level variables affect adolescent
sexual behavior via both the normative and opportunity structure mechanisms. By
providing a better understanding of the macro processes responsible for
adolescent sexual activity, our study adds theoretical clarity to the topic of
adolescent sexual behavior. [Source:
DA]
Singer, Mark Ian. 1983. “A Bi-Racial Comparison of Adolescent Alcohol Use.” Ph.d. Thesis, Case Western Reserve University.
Abstract: The present
research effort used a survey design to implement an exploratory study comparing
the drinking patterns of lower socioeconomic status, Black and White
adolescents. Two public senior high schools within the City of Cleveland were
selected as research sites. At both schools, questionnaires were administered
to all students within all grade levels (10th-12th grades). Of the 1,547
students present in the schools during the time of study, 1,096 satisfactorily
completed their questionnaires. Over 25 percent of students reported
experiencing their first drink by age eleven or younger, with 15 percent
drinking at nine years or younger. When mean ages of first drink were compared
between Black and White students, White respondents tended to have their
initial drinking experiences almost a year earlier than their Black
counterparts. Blacks of both sexes exhibited the highest percentages of
non-drinkers. The percentage of Black female non-drinkers was almost twice that
of non-drinking White males. White males drank most frequently, with 42 percent
reporting drinking at least once a week. This frequency was followed by White
females (27.1%), Black males (26.2%), and Black females (14.6%). When presented
with six reasons for drinking, students chose relaxation as their most popular
reason. Clear differences were noted between Black and White youth with respect
to two statements: "Drinking helps me be friendly" and "Drinking
helps me be friends with others who drink." In both instances, White
students more often than Black students were in agreement with these reasons.
Conviviality therefore appeared to be a more important reason to drink for
White respondents than for their Black counterparts. Clear patterns were seen
between parental alcohol use and juvenile drinking. Teenagers who asserted that
a parent drank too much, tended to report higher instances of drunkenness for
themselves. This finding held true for both races and sexes; however,
correlational procedures revealed that Black alcohol misuse was more strongly
influenced by maternal drinking than was misuse among Whites. A larger percentage
of Blacks than Whites felt that religion was important or very important in
their lives. A racial difference was also found in the association between
religiosity and times drunk. [Source:
DA]
Dickinson, George E. 1982. “Changing Religious Behavior of Adolescents 1964-1979.” Youth and Society vol. 13, pp. 283-288.
Abstract: Data on religious
behavior were gathered through questionnaires administered to the tenth,
eleventh, & twelfth grades in 1964, 1974, & 1979 (N = 367, 432, &
459 Rs, respectively) in a northeast Tex community with a 1970 population of
5,000 & a racial composition of approximately 66% white & 33% black.
Chi-square, gamma, & Z tests were used in statistical analysis. Racial
desegregation of the high schools was effected in 1970. Previous studies had
revealed a general decrease in adolescent religious behavior in this community
from 1964 to 1974. The study of 1979 showed some evidence of a reverse trend.
The reversal of declining religious behavior was especially true for Ms (black &
white) in all three measures of religious involvement - f of church attendance,
f of Bible reading, & whether grace was said at mealtime. While the decline
for Fs was more subtle over the decade 1964-1974, the decline in religious
involvement generally continued in 1979. Although M religious behavior for the
two races is changing in the same direction over time, & F behavior for
both groups is going its way, the gap between the sexes tends to have narrowed
slightly since 1974. A curvilinear pattern in religious involvement over the
15-year period exists for the Ms - both black & white. [Source: SA]
Schab, Fred. 1982. “Early Adolescence in the South: Attitudes Regarding the Home and Religion.” Adolescence vol. 17, pp. 605-612.
Abstract: Summarizes the perceptions,
attitudes, and beliefs regarding religion and the home situation of 751 8th
graders (180 White males, 181 Black males, 92 White females, and 198 Black
females) from 22 middle schools in Georgia. Differences attributable to sex and
race were evident. Living with both parents or with just one (this was usually
the mother for Blacks) was an obvious cause for perceptual dissimilarities.
Black mothers were seen as more restrictive than White parents. White males
claimed to have more social freedom than the other 3 groups. Black females
conformed to their mothers' dictates yet more had run away from home than their
White counterparts, and more Black than White males had considered doing so.
Black males were more adamant about having fewer children of their own and
indicated that they would treat them differently from the way they themselves
were treated. The Black experience in the South was an important factor in
Black Ss' views on the home. Ss felt that many adults were hypocritical in
their religiosity, but they did not alter their childhood ideals despite lapses
in religious education. Religious traditions are still very strong in the
South, perhaps more so among Blacks than Whites. [Source: PI]
Whiting, Brooke Elizabeth. 1982. “Determinants and Consequences of Mattering in the Adolescents' Social World.” Ph.d. Thesis, University of Maryland College Park.
Abstract: The importance of
Others to the Self has been well established in the social psychological
literature and concepts from both the Symbolic Interactionist and the Reference
Group perspectives have been used to describe this phenomenon. However, the
reciprocal concept, the Self's importance to the Other has been a largely
neglected issue until M. Rosenberg's and B. Claire McCullogh's (1979) pioneer
research on parental mattering. Mattering was defined as the individual's
judgements that they are the object of concern, attention or interest to the
other. The present study examined other indivduals in the adolescents' social
world as sources of mattering and compared the determinants and consequences of
mattering to them with those of parental mattering. Variables to operationalize
perceptions of mattering to parents, teachers, friends, siblings and globally
were defined and posited as intervening between the socio-demographic variables
(Race, Religion and Socio-Economic Level) and the outcome variables (Self
Esteem, Self Concept of School Ability, Depression and Rebellious Behavior in
School). Data from a nationwide study on tenth-grade boys in 1968 and a path
analytic technique were utilized to examine the relationships. Only some of the
hypotheses were confirmed. The results revealed: (a) mattering to one or more
of the sources affected all of the outcome variables, corresponding with increased
self esteem and self concept of school ability and decreased depression and
rebellious behavior in school, (b) parental mattering exhibited the strongest
and most consistent impact on the outcome variables, (c) although mattering to
the other sources did not emerge to be as significant as expected there is some
modest support for the application of the principle, which predicts that the
differential strength of mattering on an outcome will be contingent upon the
area of source expertise, (d) socio-economic level was the only
socio-demographic variable with a consistently strong impact, and this was only
evident for parental mattering, (e) a subsample analysis by race revealed that
the process of mattering may be radically different between blacks and whites,
(f) the reciprocal effects model indicated that global self-esteem and the self
concept of school ability had nearly equivalent effects on each other. [Source: DA]
Young, Michael and Seldon Daniels. 1980. “Born Again Status as a Factor in Death Anxiety.” Psychological Reports vol. 47, pp. 367-370.
Abstract: 320 rural high
school students completed the Death Anxiety Scale. A 3-way ANOVA yielded
significant main effects for race, sex, and born again status. Higher death
anxiety was exhibited by Blacks, females, and non-Christians than by Whites,
males, and Christians. [Source: PI]
Buehler, Charles J., Andrew J. Weigert, and Darwin Thomas. 1977. “Antecedents of Adolescent Self Evaluation: A Cross-National Application of a Model.” Journal of Comparative Family Studies vol. 8, pp. 29-45.
Abstract: Conducted a
cross-national study to (a) develop a model to analyze the development of
self-evaluation among adolescents, and (b) show that this process of
development occurs cross-culturally. A path model was constructed based on a
symbolic interaction perspective. Seven variables assumed to be antecedents of
self-evaluation were included in the model: socioeconomic status (SES), support
from the mother and father, the adolescent's evaluations of his/her mother and
father, self-religiosity of the adolescent, and evaluation of culturally
significant religious images. The model was evaluated using Catholic high
school samples from 5 cultures (Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, West Germany, and
the US). The total sample included 1,069 boys and 916 girls. Results show that
the same process of self-evaluation occurred cross-sexually and
cross-nationally. Results also indicate that the evaluation of the parents and
identification of the self with religious images were the most important
positive antecedents tested. Father support was positively related to
self-evaluation, but mother support, controlling for the interaction of the
other dependent variables in the model, was negatively related. [Source: PI]
Maller, Allen S. 1974. “Religious Pluralism, Political Values and American Teenagers.” Religious Education vol. 69, pp. 446-450.
Abstract: Presents data from
a nation-wide 1971 survey of 23,000 promising 11th- and 12th-grade students who
were among the top 2% of students in their high schools. Answers to questions
concerning moral and social issues showed differences among Protestant,
Catholic, Jewish, and Black youths. Whether differences are statistically
significant is not stated. Comparison of results with adult surveys reveals
that adolescent responses tend to differ as much as those of adults. [Source: PI]
Schab, Fred. 1974. “Adolescence in the South: A Comparison of Black and White Home, School, Religion and Personal Wishes.” Adolescence vol. 9, pp. 565-568.
Abstract: Used an open-ended
questionnaire to ascertain the wishes of 1,092 White and 714 Black US
adolescents from the states of Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. Results
indicate that the Ss were not committed to school, home, or church. They wished
for more consideration and understanding and were not completely satisfied with
themselves. They had a desire to be smarter. Sex and race made little
difference, except that when affluence was involved, Black males more than the
others wished for more than their environment was giving them. [Source: PI]
Gecas, Victor, Darwin L. Thomas, and Andrew J. Weigert. 1973. “Social Identities in Anglo and Latin Adolescents.” Social Forces vol. 51, pp. 477-484.
Abstract: Examined social
identities, conceptualized as self-designations and measured by the Twenty
Statement Test, for samples of high school adolescents in 3 societies: the
United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. 4 identities (IDs) were explored in
terms of salience, frequency, and valence: gender, religion, family, and peer.
For both males and females in Latin and Anglo cultures gender emerged as the
most prominent ID. Religious IDs were more frequent for Catholic adolescents.
The strongest cultural difference was found with respect to negative religious
IDs: these were significantly more frequent for Anglo adolescents. Positive
gender and family IDs were more frequent for Latin adolescents, while peer IDs
were slightly more common self-designations for Anglos. These tendencies were
generally in the expected direction. Social and cultural differences between
the Anglo and Latin societies were considered as explanations for variations in
adolescent ID structures. (20 ref.)
[Source: PI]
Kantner, John F. and Melvin Zelnik. 1972. “Sexual Experience of Young Unmarried Women in the United States.” Family Planning Perspectives vol. 4, pp. 9-18.
Abstract: Analyzes in detail
survey data from 2,839 white and 1,401 black unmarried 15-19 yr old women
concerning sexual, contraceptive, and fertility knowledge. Socioeconomic status
measures included family income, education of the man and woman who raised the
respondent, and a per capita measure of poverty 50% higher than the official
poverty level derived from relating family income to family size. Measures of
residence included whether the respondent lived on a farm or in a metropolitan
area, and in which region of the country. Religion and relationship of the
respondent to the head of the household were also examined. Nearly 3 in 10 Ss
had had sexual intercourse. Among blacks, Ss from poverty homes were more
likely to be sexually experienced than those who came from more affluent
backgrounds. Among whites, the opposite was the case. Generally, blacks,
whatever their socioeconomic or cultural backgrounds, were more likely to have
had premarital intercourse as teenagers than comparable whites. Despite the
fact that a substantial number of the Ss surveyed had had sexual intercourse,
only a minority correctly understood the risk of pregnancy in mid-cycle. [Source: PI]
Schab, Fred. 1968. “Adolescence in the South: A Comparison of White and Negro Attitudes About Home, School, Religion, and Morality.” Adolescence vol. 3, pp. 33-38.
Abstract: RESPONSES TO A
QUESTIONNAIRE GIVEN 1000 WHITE AND NEGRO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS REVEALED MANY
AREAS OF DIFFERENCES, REFLECTING CONTINUING DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATION, SOCIAL,
AND ECONOMIC FACTORS. [Source: PI]
Stein, David D. 1966. “The Influence of Belief Systems on Interpersonal Preference: A Validation Study of Rokeach's Theory of Prejudice.” Psychological Monographs: General and Applied p. 29.
Abstract: A full-scale test
of Rokeach's theory of belief prejudice with 630 9th-grade students strongly
supports the validity of the theory. When information about a stimulus person's
beliefs in the area of personal values is made available, similarity or
dissimilarity in beliefs is the primary determinant of attitudes of white
gentiles toward Negroes and Jews. These results also hold for Negro and Jewish
students' attitudes towards members of the majority. Only secondarily does
racial or religious affiliation per se, or high vs. low relative socioeconomic
status, influence the students' feelings (friendliness measure) and action
orientations (social distance scale) toward others. In response to individual
social distance items, gentile Ss showed relative unwillingness to interact
with Negroes as compared with whites in "sensitive" areas of
interracial contact. Similar results, but to a much lesser degree, were
obtained for anticipated interaction with Jewish stimulus persons. Gentile Ss'
responses on another occasion to an otherwise undescribed "Negro
teen-ager" correlated substantially with their responses to a lower status
Negro to whom values unlike their own were ascribed. Other data indicate strong
race and religion effects and a weaker status effect in the absence of
information about stimulus persons' beliefs.
[Source: PI]
Engle, T. L. 1945. “Personality Adjustments of Children Belonging to Two Minority Groups.” Journal of Educational Psychology vol. 36, pp. 543-560.
Abstract: A group of 101
Amish children and a group of 107 Negro children, as well as 168 children
belonging in neither of these minority groups, were given the California Test
of Personality--Primary, Form A. Comparisons among the groups were made for the
test as a whole, for subsections, and for particular items. In general,
differences in favor of the nonminority control group were found in self-,
social, and total adjustment, although there was an exception in the case of
Amish boys. The handicap of belonging to a minority group appeared to be
somewhat greater for girls than for boys. Significant contrast between the
experimental and control groups was shown in the case of specific test items.
No detailed personality patterns were found to be characteristic of both
minority groups. [Source: PI]