Family Diversity

American Families have changed Agrarian Society Industrial Societies: mobility, promotions, living away from extended family, more formal relationships more workplace related, diverse culture Postindustrial Society or Information Economies: global economy, flexibility in work, education for life rather than one field, decision-making skills, decentralization (schools), networking as employment concept

21 st Century American Families Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Socio-Economic Diversity Families in Particular Circumstances Divorce Single-parent Blended Religious/Moral Beliefs Geographic Region

Diversity Red Share a way that you were different from other children in your K-3 classrooms Purple Share an experience from childhood where a child’s differences were made fun of or where he was treated poorly by other children GreenShare an experience where a teacher was not understanding or supportive of a child’s difference YellowShare an element of diversity in your life today: ethnicity, religion, marital status, area of country you are from, parenthood, hobby, anything! Orange Share a favorite ethnic food and a country you would like to visit someday and why!

What is your cultural background? What are traditions in your family that are similar to other families in your religion, geographic area, ethnic origin? What do you have in your home that reflects your cultural or ethnic background?

Definitions Culture: Unique experiences and history of various groups. The language, artifacts, understandings, values, traditions, ways of living of a group. Provides a set of rules for behaviors Cultures borrow and share rules Individuals are embedded to different degrees within a culture Race: Physical Characteristics that define a group: Negroid Mongoloid Caucasoid Defined by skin tone, facial structure, and geographic origin Bi-racial and other combinations of heredity

Definitions Ethnicity: defining characteristics of physical characteristics, beliefs or geographic location over time Combination of race, religion, cultural history, commonalities, geography. Fulfills deep need for identity and historical continuity. Family ethnicity kept through Family customs Family stories Traditions Celebrations Food Religious ceremonies

Projections of the U.S. Population Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Subcultures Groups of individuals with certain patterns of behaviors or characteristics that set them apart from the major culture Based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, geographical area, occupation, socioeconomic status, or many others What subcultures are you part of? Parenting differences in subcultures? Are all subcultures the same?

Culture Quiz Derman-Sparks, Chud. Fahlman Do you remember the first time you met someone from another culture or ethnic group? Do you remember how you first learned about your own ethnic identity? What is important to you about your culture? What makes you proud, what gives you pain?

Culture Quiz cont’ Have you experienced prejudice or discrimination for any reason? How did it make you feel? What did you do? Thinking about it now, would you change your response? Do you and your parents agree about ethnic, cultural and religious issues? If not, how did your beliefs evolve? What will you teach your children? If you’re traveled to another country, how did you feel in those strange surroundings?

Cultural Presentation Planning Topics Context (group or individual priority?) Communication Parenting Groups Asian American Hispanic African American European-American

Economic Diversity Ruby Payne Economic class is a continuous line, not a clear-cut distinction. Poverty is relative Generational poverty Situational poverty Poverty occurs in all races and in all countries

Percentage of Children Under 18 Living in Poverty Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Texas Statistics

Child Poverty and Birth Circumstances Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Ruby Payne & Generational Poverty Relationships and entertainment are more important than achievement Hidden rules of generational poverty cause students to react in inappropriate ways Schools = middle-class values Can you survive outside your “class”? Video Clip Hidden rules of economic class Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Hidden Rules: Driving Forces Poverty Survival Relationships Entertainment Middle Class Work, achievement Wealth Connections – financial, political, social

Hidden Rules: Time Poverty Present most important Decisions made for the moment/surviving Middle Class Future most important Decisions made against future remifications Wealth Traditions and history most important Decisions partially on tradition/decorum

Hidden Rules: Power Poverty Linked to personal respect, ability to fight Can’t stop bad things from happening Middle Class Power/respect separated Power in information and institutions Wealth Power in expertise, connections Influences policy and direction

America and Divorce Discussion  What are some reasons you personally might consider a divorce?  Is falling out of love an appropriate reason for wanting a divorce?  What were you taught growing up about the acceptability of divorce?

Marriage and Divorce (2003) 60 million married couples in US 40-50% of all marriages end in divorce  Annually 2,187,000 marriages  7.5 marriages per 1000 total population  1.25 million divorces annually  3.8 divorces per 1000 total population

Shift from agricultural to industrial society Social integration Individualistic American culture Demographic factors: Employment status Income Educational level Ethnicity Religion. Factors Affecting Divorce

(Bohannan) As people divorce, they undergo these “divorces” simultaneously. Emotional Legal Economic Co-parental Community Psychic Stations of Divorce

Life Course Factors: Intergenerational transmission (Amato, 1996) Parental divorce increases chance of child’s marriage ending within first five years by as much as 70%. Increased risk of divorce is especially great if both spouses experienced parental divorce. Effects are strongest when parents divorce early in child’s life (age 12 or younger) Factors Affecting Divorce

Economic consequences Impoverishment of women Changed female employment patterns Fewer financial resources for family – often leading to moves to cramped apartments and less desirable neighborhoods Consequences of Divorce

Non-economic consequences include: More psychological distress, lower levels of happiness, more social isolation, more health problems. Divorced people are three times as likely to commit suicide. Some divorced people experience higher levels of personal growth and greater autonomy. Consequences of Divorce

Children in happy two-parent families are the best adjusted Children in conflict-ridden two-parent families are the worst adjusted. Children from single-parent families are in the middle. Children and Divorce

Children of divorce suffer: Reduction of income Weakening ties with fathers Deterioration in family life Loss of “residential stability” Problems in school Lower self-esteem Increased likelihood of drug abuse Greater likelihood of becoming teen parents Children and Divorce

Three-Stage Process of divorce for children: Initial stage—Turmoil is greatest. Transition stage—Adjusting to new family. Restabilization stage—Integration of changes. Children and Divorce

Developmental tasks of divorce: Acknowledging parental separation Disengaging from parental conflicts Resolving loss Resolving anger and self-blame Accepting the finality of divorce Achieving realistic expectations for later relationship success Children and Divorce

Adjustment to divorce: Open discussion prior to divorce Involvement with noncustodial parent Lack of hostility between divorced parents Good psychological adjustment to divorce by custodial parent Stable living situation and good parenting skills. Continued involvement with the children by both parents Children and Divorce

Adjustment to divorce: Not all children suffer negative consequences. 90% of children with divorced parents achieve same level well-being as children of continuously married parents (Amato, 2003). Children and Divorce

Generally based on one of 2 standards: The best interests of the child The least detrimental of the available alternatives. The major types of custody are sole, joint, and split. Child Custody

Children and Divorce 26% of children under the age of 18 live with a divorced parent. 39% of divorced women with children live in poverty Civility among parents and assurance that both still love the children is helpful Some need brief individual play therapy, others need family counseling

Behavior problems Children in single-parent or remarried families do not do as well as those in non-divorced households 25-30% of single-parent and divorced households reported behavior problems, while only 10% of non-divorced households reported behavior problems with children. 20% of children in stepfamilies have behavior problems compared to 10% of children in non-divorced families.

Sole custody Accounts for 85% of all U.S. divorce cases Women traditionally have been responsible for child rearing Many men do not feel competent Child Custody

Joint custody Accounts for 10% of cases. Joint legal custody Children live primarily with one parent Both parents share in decisions regarding the children. Joint physical custody Requires parents to work out practical logistics …as well as feelings about each other. Child Custody

Split custody Splits the children between the parents Usually girls live with mother, boys with father Child Custody

The effects of remarriage on children Income is raised. Another adult is there to help. Behavior problems Blending two families presents a new set of challenges

Blended family issues Loyalty is a problem May feel guilty for bonding with a step parent Children often act out, won’t even try to like a step parent. Family must incorporate new parent’s style and rules.

The stabilization period The stepparent moves toward the role of “intimate outsider”, which is somewhere between parent and trusted friend. Stepparent role includes Warmth toward and support of the stepchildren. Little disciplining of the stepchildren. Support for the biological parent. Stepfathers in general tend to be less involved than biological fathers.

Stepmother and stepfather differences Being a stepmother can be harder than being a stepfather. In typical remarriage chains today, children live with mother and stepfather. Typical stepmother must establish relationship during visits. Stepfathers compete with non-custodial fathers who may not see children very often. Often fill a vacuum left by departed biological father. May hold to a lower standard than stepmothers. Easier for children to accept two father figures than two mother figures.

Religious Diversity Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life 2007 Christian78.4% Protestant 51.3% Catholic 23.9% Jewish1.7% Buddhist.7% Muslim.6% Hindu.4% Unaffiliated16.1%

“Knowledge about religions is not only characteristic of an educated person, but is also absolutely necessary for understanding and living in a world of diversity.” National Council for the Social Studies

How do people of varying faith traditions respond to “poverty”? Christian What you do to the least of these, you do to me Jewish What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly with God. Muslim Alms Giving (Al-Zakat) 2.5% wealth given to needy Hindi Giving to the poor builds Karma, giving rewards in later lives Buddhist Distributive justice/Greatest wealth is contentment

Family Involvement Parenting Communicating Volunteering Learning at home Decision making Collaborating with the Community

Research Positive correlations between positive parenting practices and school success Mandates Government required parental involvement in order to access funding Community concern and efforts Professional Organization Recommendations Home and School Together

Research Support Head Start Perry Preschool Project Abecedarian Project

Mandates Head Start Title 1 (LIFT) Literacy Involves Families Together Act of 2000 IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act of 2004 Child Care and Development Block Grants Goals 2000 No Child Left Behind

Professional Organization and Community Support NAEYC NASBE PTA State Funded Programs Individual Community Efforts

Culturally Competent Teachers Acknowledge cultural differences Understand their own culture Engage in Self-assessment Acquire cultural knowledge and skills View behavior within a cultural context

Culturally Welcoming Programs Inclusive materials Written translations Interpreters Welcomes posted in languages represented Multi-cultural pictures in environment Bring family members who speak English to meetings Family culture sharing Collective meaningful social action Family social events Items and artifacts familiar to all families Encourage parents to use primary language at home

Cultural Dilemmas Analyze situations from child’s experiences at home Do not blame Get information Don’t place child between two cultural expectations Respond to child and parents as individuals Find common ground

Holidays Activities in classroom should relate to children’s lives Encourage children and families to talk about family traditions of celebrating Holidays of every group represented should be honored Respect family beliefs that do not permit children to participate

Working with families in particular circumstances Divorce Parents of Children with Special Needs Teen Mothers Families when Abuse Occurs

Factors Contributing to Children’s Adjustment Mental health of parents Quality of parent-child relationships Degree of anger vs cooperation Age, temperament, and flexibility of child Extent to which parents are willing to have the same routines for the children in each home

Working with Children & Parents in Classrooms A structured environment Encourage expression of feelings Reassure Keep requests of parents light Be aware of legal agreements Know available community resources

Working with Parents of Children with Special Needs Individualized Educational Plans Develop relationships based on mutual respect Try to understand the increased stress in the lives of parents Be hopefully realistic Know available community resources

Working with Families when Abuse Occurs Indicators of abuse Physical Sexual Emotional Neglect Reporting abuse Create an atmosphere of trust and healing Refer families to support groups

Working with Adoptive Families Include adoption in the curriculum Talking to families Talking to children Offer resources