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

21st Century American Families

Racial, Ethnic and Cultural DiversitySocio-Economic DiversityFamilies in Particular Circumstances

DivorceSingle-parentBlended

Religious/Moral BeliefsGeographic 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

Green Share an experience where a teacher was not understanding or supportive of a child’s difference

Yellow Share 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

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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

TopicsContext (group or individual priority?)CommunicationParenting

GroupsAsian AmericanHispanicAfrican AmericanEuropean-American

Economic Diversity Ruby Payne

Economic class is a continuous line, not a clear-cut distinction.

Poverty is relativeGenerational povertySituational poverty

Poverty occurs in all races and in all countries

Percentage of Children Under 18 Living in Poverty

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Texas Statistics

Child Poverty and Birth Circumstances

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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

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Hidden Rules: Driving Forces

PovertySurvivalRelationshipsEntertainment

Middle ClassWork, achievement

WealthConnections – financial, political, social

Hidden Rules: Time

PovertyPresent most importantDecisions made for the moment/surviving

Middle ClassFuture most importantDecisions made against future remifications

WealthTraditions and history most importantDecisions partially on tradition/decorum

Hidden Rules: Power Poverty

Linked to personal respect, ability to fightCan’t stop bad things from happening

Middle ClassPower/respect separatedPower in information and institutions

WealthPower 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 societySocial integrationIndividualistic American culture Demographic factors:

Employment status IncomeEducational levelEthnicityReligion.

Factors Affecting Divorce

(Bohannan) As people divorce, they undergo these “divorces” simultaneously. EmotionalLegalEconomicCo-parentalCommunityPsychic

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 womenChanged female employment patternsFewer 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 incomeWeakening ties with fathersDeterioration in family lifeLoss of “residential stability”Problems in schoolLower self-esteem Increased likelihood of drug abuseGreater 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 separationDisengaging from parental conflictsResolving lossResolving anger and self-blameAccepting the finality of divorceAchieving realistic expectations for later

relationship success

Children and Divorce

Adjustment to divorce:Open discussion prior to divorce Involvement with noncustodial parentLack of hostility between divorced parentsGood psychological adjustment to divorce by

custodial parentStable 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 childThe 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 households25-30% 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 custodyAccounts for 85% of all

U.S. divorce casesWomen traditionally

have been responsible for child rearing

Many men do not feel competent

Child Custody

Joint custodyAccounts for 10% of cases.Joint legal custody

Children live primarily with one parentBoth 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 custodySplits the children between the parentsUsually 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 problemsBlending two families presents a new set

of challenges

Blended family issues

Loyalty is a problemMay feel guilty for bonding with a step

parentChildren 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 includesWarmth 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

Christian 78.4%Protestant 51.3%Catholic 23.9%

Jewish 1.7%Buddhist .7%Muslim .6%Hindu .4%Unaffiliated 16.1%

“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

ParentingCommunicatingVolunteeringLearning at homeDecision makingCollaborating with the Community

ResearchPositive correlations between positive

parenting practices and school successMandates

Government required parental involvement in order to access funding

Community concern and effortsProfessional Organization

Recommendations

Home and School Together

Research Support

Head Start Perry Preschool ProjectAbecedarian Project

Mandates

Head StartTitle 1 (LIFT) Literacy Involves Families

Together Act of 2000IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities

Educational Improvement Act of 2004Child Care and Development Block GrantsGoals 2000No Child Left Behind

Professional Organization and Community Support

NAEYCNASBEPTAState Funded ProgramsIndividual Community Efforts

Culturally Competent Teachers

Acknowledge cultural differencesUnderstand their own cultureEngage in Self-assessmentAcquire cultural knowledge and

skillsView 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 DilemmasAnalyze situations from child’s experiences

at homeDo not blameGet informationDon’t place child between two cultural

expectationsRespond to child and parents as individualsFind 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 parentsQuality of parent-child relationshipsDegree of anger vs cooperationAge, temperament, and flexibility of childExtent to which parents are willing to

have the same routines for the children in each home

Working with Children & Parents in Classrooms

A structured environmentEncourage expression of feelingsReassureKeep requests of parents lightBe aware of legal agreementsKnow available community resources

Working with Parents of Children with Special Needs

Individualized Educational PlansDevelop relationships based on mutual

respect Try to understand the increased stress in

the lives of parents Be hopefully realisticKnow available community resources

Working with Families when Abuse Occurs

Indicators of abusePhysicalSexualEmotionalNeglect

Reporting abuseCreate an atmosphere of trust and healingRefer families to support groups

Working with Adoptive Families

Include adoption in the curriculumTalking to familiesTalking to childrenOffer resources