The Influence of Family Relationships: A Snapshot in Four Contexts Across Three Developmental Stages

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Using ecological frameworks and minority youth development model (García Coll et al., 1996), studies in this symposium revealed how familial relationships associate with or affect a variety of youth development outcomes across different contexts and several developmental stages. These studies demonstrated various research designs and methodologies. Study One is qualitative and used semi-structured parent interviews to explore young Chinese American children's experiences with ethnic-racial discrimination/teasing and related parental socialization practices, and how these processes differ between low and middle SES families. Study Two examined a plausible mechanism – the mediating effect of hope - underlying the linkage between parental attachment and social problem solving skills. Researchers used the survey method with two waves of data from a large sample of Chinese early adolescents. Study Three is derived from an intervention program that examines the effect of a year-long, gender-specific, school-based mentoring program for middle school girls with academic, behavioral, or social difficulties. Researchers focused on the role of family relationships in promoting or inhibiting youth mentoring social-behavioral outcomes (self-esteem and problem behaviors) using a pre- and post- intervention design to compare treatment and control groups. In Study Four, the focus was on the role of kin support in African American young adults’ sleep quality, in relation to economic and racial stress. This study applied the survey method and moderation analyses. These studies undergird the importance of interpersonal resources within the family systems and across family and other microsystems in youths’ lives.

Sub Unit

• Family Context & Processes

Chairs

• Xu Jiang, Temple University

• Ronald D Taylor, Temple University

Individual Presentations

• Parental Ethnic-Racial Socialization and Young Chinese American Children's Experiences of Ethnic-Racial Teasing - Presenting Author: Jia Li Liu, University of Maryland Global Campus; Non-Presenting Author: Diksha Bali; Non-Presenting Author: Xiwei Peng, University of Maryland, College Park; Non-Presenting Author: Margaret Tremble, University of Maryland, College Park; Non-Presenting Author: Kristin Zhu, Duke University; Non-Presenting Author: Cixin Wang, Unversity of Maryland

• The Role of Family Relationships in Youth Mentoring: An Ecological Perspective - Presenting Author: Sarah Kassabian Downey, University of Virginia - Charlottesville; Non-Presenting Author: Michael Lyons, University of Virginia - Charlottesville

• From Parental Attachment to Social Problem Solving Skills in Early Adolescents: Testing Hope as an Mediator - Presenting Author: Yuyang Hu, University of Connecticut; Non-Presenting Author: Xu Jiang, Temple University

• Association of Economic and Racial Stress with Sleep Disturbance among African American College Students: The Moderating Effect of Kin Support - Presenting Author: Motunrayo Olaniyan, Temple University; Non-Presenting Author: Azeb Gebre, Temple University; Non-Presenting Author: Ronald D Taylor, Temple University