Browsing by Subject "Family social science"
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Borderline features in Vietnamese adolescence: the roles of childhood trauma, parental bonding, and family functioning(2014-08) Hoang, To-Nga MinhChildhood trauma and parental bonding have been found to be among the risk factors for the development of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in individualist cultures. Whether these outcomes are universal or culture-specific remains a question. Although mounting evidence has been reported about the important roles of parental care and control in the development of BPD, not much has been done to investigate the effects of care and control on BPD at the family level. To bridge these gaps of knowledge, an investigation of the independent and collective effects of childhood trauma, parental bonding and family functioning variables on borderline personality features (BPF) in Vietnam, a collectivist culture, was conducted for the current study. A cross sectional design employing hierarchical regression analyses was used with a sample of 500 Vietnamese adolescents. Findings revealed both convergent and divergent results from extant literature. Among the independent variables, Emotional Abuse and Neglect, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse (childhood trauma), Maternal Overprotection (parental bonding), and Rigid (family functioning) were found to be significant predictors of BPF. Family functioning accounted for a statistically significant additional amount of variances in BPF beyond and above what could be explained by childhood trauma and parental bonding. The uniqueness of the Vietnamese culture and Confucianism was analyzed in relation to research outcomes. Implications for clinical practice and future research within the context of the Vietnamese and Confucian culture were discussed.Item College students’ individual Internet and technology use and communication technology use with parents.(2011-05) Connell, Jessica HoytCollege students are known heavy Internet and technology users, though little is known specifically about the newer technologies students are using and how Internet and technology use differs by student and parent demographics. The current study aimed to describe college students’ Internet and other technology use, specifically students’ frequency of online access from various locations, students’ technological device use, and students’ frequency of doing various online activities. As connection to parents is related to college student adjustment, the current study also provides descriptive information about the frequency with which college students use communication technology to communicate with parents and explores how it is related to parent-student relationship quality. Lastly, the relationships between method of communication and reason for communication with parents are examined. Data were collected from college students across the United States using an online survey (N = 390). Results indicate that college students’ Internet and technology use does vary by student and parent factors, particularly student gender and student race. Results also reveal that students are using communication technology to communicate with parents. Frequency of communication with parents on the phone was the most important factor related to parent-student relationship quality. This information can be used to assist student affairs professionals and parents better understand the role of technology in college students’ lives, and particularly for maintaining the parent-student relationship.Item Effect of a family life education program on non-directed information behavior of first-time parents(2014-08) Gwinn, Derek Andrewbold>Objective: This dissertation investigated the effect of a family life education program on the subsequent information behaviors of first-time parents. Information behavior can occur both intentionally and incidentally, and through routine and non-routine sources. This study aimed to examine the hypothesis that participation in the educational intervention would increase the information behavior of participants, as indicated by reporting the use of a wider variety of information resource types. The study also examined the potential moderating effects on information behavior by education, income, parenting stress, child temperament and characteristics, and social support networks.Method: The sample for this experimental intervention study included 132 cohabiting or married couples who were expecting their firstborn children at the time of enrollment. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control or intervention group. Data for these analyses were collected around the children's first birthdays. Dependent variables were calculated from participants' self-reported use of different information resource types over the previous year. ANOVA was utilized to examine between-groups differences in total information sources, routine information sources and non-routine information sources. Potential moderating variables were measured utilizing the Parenting Stress Inventory, the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire, and the Social Support Network Inventory. Hierarchical regression served to identify potential moderation of the effect of the intervention on the dependent variables.Results: Participation in the educational intervention was found to increase total information behavior and non-routine information for both mothers and fathers, and to increase routine information behavior for fathers. Moderating effects of income, parenting stress, infant temperament and social support were not identified, but level of education was found to moderate the effect of the intervention on routine information source use by fathers. bold>Conclusions: Results indicate that the educational interventions can increase the variety of resource types used by participants seeking parenting- or pregnancy-related information. Additionally, findings suggests that fathers in particular may be motivated to seek out additional information sources, perhaps from the normalizing experience of talking with others about being a parent and adjusting to children.Item Empirical typology of Chinese versus American premarital couples(2013-08) Li, XiaohuiUsing a sample of 7,567 Chinese premarital couples (living in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia) who completed the PREPARE inventory before marriage, the current study indicated that Chinese premarital couples exhibit four relational patterns: Vitalized, Harmonious, Traditional, and Conflicted. These four couple types, which were developed through phases including an exploratory analysis of 500 couples, a further analysis of a primary sample (3,567 couples), and a confirmed validation analysis using 3,500 couples, were almost identical to the four premarital types found in a U.S. sample using similar cluster analytic procedure. For Chinese premarital couples, the Traditional type was the largest group, while for European American premarital couples, the Vitalized type was the largest group. There were few differences in Chinese background related to the four types. However, the longer the males were planning to wait for having children, the more likely they were Conflicted couples; the more negative females' parents and friends reaction towards their relationship, the more likely they were Conflicted couples. Having identified the four Chinese premarital couple types may benefit efforts to help with Chinese marital preparation and may be of help to therapists working with Chinese couples.Item Forever changed: women's lived experiences of growing up with an incarcerated Father(2014-08) Trombley, Holli MariaThis study explored the lived experiences of women who grew up with an incarcerated father. Thirteen women were interviewed using open-ended, semi-structured questions. The research design was based on Martin Heidegger's original philosophical construct of Hermeneutic Phenomenology and was guided by Max van Manen's six-step methodical structure approach to obtain meaning making from the participants regarding their lived experience (van Manen, 1997, 2014). Feminist framework is also incorporated to recognize the uniqueness of the female experience, which has often been neglected in research related to fathering. Findings reflected the thoughts, feelings and perceptions of participants in relation to how incarceration influenced their relationship with their father as well as how this phenomenon affected other dimensions of their life and their interpersonal relationships. The findings resulted in three overarching domains for paternal incarceration: 1) daughter's perception of parental response, 2) effect on daughter's personal well-being, and 3) influence on daughter's interpersonal relationships. Future implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.Item Narratives of scholars in the field of intimate partner violence(2014-12) Becher, Emily HarringtonHistorically, divisions have existed in the field of Intimate Partner Violence, with intense and sometimes acerbic debate ensuing in the literature between scholars affiliated with a "feminist" perspective and those affiliated with a "family conflict" perspective. New scholars just entering the field lack a historical understanding of how these divisions came to be, what are the core questions at the heart of the divide and how have leaders in the field navigated these questions along their own professional journeys? This dissertation is an effort to document from a first person perspective an extensive review of the scholarly literature related to these divisions and a narrative inquiry and analysis of how six leading scholars in the field, affiliated with both perspectives describe their journey.Item The positive story of couples and wilderness(2014-12) Miller, Matthew CollinsInterdisciplinary researchers from a variety of fields have recently become interested in studying the consequences of wilderness experiences. Different scholars have theorized about the impact of time spent in the wilderness, including implications for individual-level physiological, psychological, and emotional health. Before attempting to incorporate wilderness experiences into programming for couples, we must first begin exploring the relational implications of shared time in the wilderness. The purpose of this study is to develop a preliminary understanding of how wilderness experiences affect couples. The specific research question being addressed in this work is: What are the perceived relational implications of positive shared wilderness experiences for couples? Using a qualitative methodology and a phenomenological approach, the author gathered and analyzed stories from times that couples ventured into the wilderness together. Ten couples participated by telling twenty stories of positive shared wilderness experiences. Findings shed light onto the lived experience of couples in wilderness. Shared wilderness experiences allowed for uniquely intimate encounters, provided opportunities for rest and rejuvenation, and brought couples closer together through both challenges and conversations. Implications for programming and future research are discussed.Item What does it mean to be a “Good Parent” according to Hmong parents?: a phenomenological study.(2012-03) Mao, Dung MinhThe current study examines what constitutes good parents in the Hmong community in Minnesota. Nineteen parents (12 mothers and 7 fathers) participated in the study, and they represented 47.4% first-generation, 42.1% second-generation, and 10.5% 1.5-generation. Phenomenology was employed and symbolic interaction theory was utilized as a guiding framework to understand the meaning participants attached to their parenting role. Analyses of the interviews revealed seven domains and 46 themes that constitute good parents, including (1) provision, (2) involvement, (3) communication, (4) characteristics of good parents, (5) community perception, (6) motivation for being good parents, and (7) good parent education. Implications of the study and future research efforts are also discussed.