ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine how African-American fathers of 10-14-years-olds viewed their assets and limitations as parents, and to find out how children from this age group saw the parent performance of their fathers. The Parent Success Indicator was administered to 102 fathers and to 104 adolescents. Significant differences were found between generations on five of six subscales. The independent variables entering the greatest effect on how both generations perceived parental success were amount of time father and child spent together, having an adult at home when a child returns from school, and gender of child.
Subject(s)
Black or African American/psychology , Fathers/psychology , Intergenerational Relations , Perception , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Father-Child Relations , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
More grandparents are raising grandchildren than ever before. The predictable problems they experience include a revision of personal goals; learning how growing up has changed since they raised their own children; cooperating with the parent who shares responsibility for child care; monitoring social and academic progress of children; becoming aware of rights and available social services; and arranging periodic relief from the daily demands of their surrogate obligations. Full-time grandparents often rely on support groups for comfort and advice. The advantages and limitations of this approach are examined. Recommendations are made for ways to improve how support groups function so they can achieve their purposes.
Subject(s)
Child Rearing , Intergenerational Relations , Parenting , Child , Child Care , Education , Humans , Learning , Social WorkABSTRACT
The increasing reliance of corporations on teamwork and peer evaluation of job performance requires the acquisition of these skills in high school. An approach called the Peer and Self-Evaluation System (PSES) informs teachers about group interaction from the student view. This strategy enables students to identify and record teamwork skills demonstrated by peers and themselves in co-operative activities. Based upon these observations, which are kept anonymous, students get confidential feedback about personal strengths and limitations. Field testing of the system with 300 high school students and their teachers confirmed its worth. Moreover, the findings showed that girls were identified by the boys and by themselves as having greater co-operative teamwork skills. The PSES method of evaluating group work can be used in most subject matter areas, results are appropriate for student and teacher portfolios, and outcomes can guide the united effort of parents and teachers
Subject(s)
Education , Interpersonal Relations , Peer Group , Self-Assessment , Adolescent , Employee Performance Appraisal , Female , Humans , Male , Program EvaluationABSTRACT
Grandparent behaviors in the United States and the Republic of China are examined to identify curriculum themes for helping them adjust to their changing role. The 3,286 non-consanguineous subjects included Chinese (n = 751), African Americans (n = 777), Caucasian Americans (n = 1,086), and Mexican Americans (n = 672). Analyses were performed using 1) Generation with three levels (grandparent, parent, and grandchild) and 2) Culture with four levels (Chinese, African American, Caucasian American, and Mexican American). The results revealed significant differences in perceptions about grandparents across cultures as well as between generations within cultures. All three generations reported grandparent strengths and needs. Specific guidelines and curriculum topics are recommended for education to support grandparent development.
Subject(s)
Culture , Family/psychology , Intergenerational Relations , Aged , Child , Child Rearing , Child, Preschool , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Female , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Male , Middle Aged , Surveys and Questionnaires , Taiwan , United StatesABSTRACT
Hispanics are facing a number of problems, such as poverty, hunger, and a high dropout rate at school. Health-care reform and changes in Medicaid and Medicare are bound to further challenge the resiliency of minority families. To strengthen families from within, relevant programming should be implemented. Information regarding the strengths and needs of Mexican-American grandparents was obtained in order to adapt existing grandparenting programs for this population. Mexican-American grandparents (n = 181), parents (n = 148), and grandchildren (n = 173) provided information on grandparent satisfaction, success, teaching, difficulty, frustration, and information needs. Multivariate analyses of variance found differences for English and Spanish speaking grandparents. Spanish speaking grandparents reported a greater need for information than English speaking grandparents, and more frustration when dealing with adolescents than with younger children. For the English speaking grandparents, all of the generations agreed that grandparents under the age of sixty-one experienced more frustration than their older counterparts, and those who spent more than five hours a month with their grandchildren were more effective in their role. Possible factors that account for the findings are discussed and recommendations for establishing a grandparent program are presented.
