Unaccompanied Latino migrant farmworker adolescents (LMFA) confront a myriad of stressors while working in US agriculture. While work-life-related stressors can contribute to depressive symptoms among this vulnerable population, there is limited information about the effects of acculturative stress on depressive symptoms among this unique population. In a sample of 36 LMFA in Florida (ages 15-20; M-age = 17.81 years; standard deviation (SD) = 1.24), we examined associations among acculturative stress, and their respective subscales, with depressive symptoms. A series of linear regressions were specified with one stressor (i.e., acculturative stress) at a time and depressive symptoms as the outcome, while controlling for the effects of age and monthly income to test the study hypotheses. As hypothesized, acculturative stress and their respective subscales were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Age, but not monthly income, was also positively associated with depressive symptoms at a statistically significant level. Overall, findings suggest that although unaccompanied LMFA in US agriculture might live and work among other Latino adolescents and adults, acculturative stressors in a foreign land are detrimental to their psychosocial adjustment in the United States. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has caused one of the largest forced migrations in recent history, with data indicating that over 6.6 million Ukrainians have sought asylum across Europe, predominantly in countries close to Ukraine. Women and children comprise over 80% of these refugees (UNICEF, 2022). Since February 24, 2022, Romania has accommodated over 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees, with approximately 83,748 remaining within its borders and about 74,000 granted temporary protection. Recent trends show a reverse migration, with roughly 1,091,000 individuals returning to Ukraine. In Romania, 33% of Ukrainian refugees are under the age of 18. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of temporality through the framework of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, based on an in-depth qualitative exploration of 20 semi-structured interviews conducted with Ukrainian refugees in one of the biggest cities in Romania, namely Cluj-Napoca. Temporality, as a determinant influencing the suspension of routine life, is examined across three levels of influence: the macrolevel (societal and policy dynamics), the mesolevel (community and institutional interactions), and the microlevel (individual and familial experiences). The results identify a decisive interaction between subsystems, with the tension of transition - whether driven by new political support regulations, emerging local interaction groups, or varying levels of emotional processing of personal experiences - being exacerbated by the perpetual state of limbo and uncertainty about what will come next.
Do religious and political orientations shape views of adolescent sex in the current era, where politics and religion are increasingly linked? In this chapter, we use nationally representative data from a survey of US adults (N = 4,477) to assess how adults who are born-again Christians/evangelicals, who pray frequently, and who voted for Trump in 2020 are distinctive in their attitudes toward heterosexual teenage sexuality. Using multivariate models, we examine how being in one of these three groups is associated with how strongly respondents agree (or disagree) that consensual sexual behavior by a 17-year-old is unacceptable, morally wrong, and should be punished, and how much they believe parents of the youth should feel responsible or disappointed. We find that identifying as a born-again or evangelical, praying frequently, and having voted for Donald Trump are all predictive of finding sexual behavior of a 17-year-old as less acceptable, more morally wrong, and appropriately punished more harshly. Being a born-again Christian/Evangelical and praying frequently are associated with the belief that parents should feel more responsible and disappointed. Estimated effects of religion and political preference in the last election hold net of each other and net of a rich set of sociodemographic controls.
This chapter reports upon three qualitative studies in which the parenting identities of gay and lesbian parents in planned same-sex families in Ireland were explored. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 gay fathers and 24 lesbian mothers, of whom 14 were non-birth and 10 were birth mothers. Each set of data was subjected to an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), and common themes which emerged across the three studies are presented. The first theme - Parenting in Legal Limbo - captured how gay fathers and non-birth lesbian mothers lacked the legal status which bestowed them with full parental rights. This resulted in parents feeling vulnerable, lacking validation in their parenting role and under pressure to be especially capable parents. The second theme - Carving Your Own Path to Security - reflected how same-sex parent families were challenging heteronormative constructions of parenting through overcoming internalized homophobia, adopting flexible parenting roles, and seeking out role models within their community. The findings highlight how laws which reinforce narrow constructions of family are harmful to parents and indicate that legal frameworks need to account for the full spectrum of families raising children.
Although young adults in the United States increasingly delay entry into marriage until later ages, studies suggest that most still want to marry and even further that marriage is an important life goal for most. However, research is needed that examines the marital attitudes and aspirations of sexual and gender minority young adults, who have thus far been overlooked in the empirical literature. To address this, in this chapter, we draw primarily upon qualitative data from a mixed-methods survey of sexual minority young adults, focusing specifically on data provided by a subsample of transgender young adults (n = 48). The results of our thematic analysis suggest that although a slight majority do report wanting to marry someday, the transgender respondents in our sample are largely indifferent toward marriage. Some did describe circumstances under which they would feel compelled to marry, including if their partner desired marriage or they needed financial/legal benefits associated with marriage. However, many respondents described marriage as unnecessary, for themselves, for a relationship, and/or for society. Finally, respondents cited several significant influences on their attitudes toward marriage, including norms or values from family and queer community.
Research has suggested that adversity experienced in early life may have longterm impacts on sexual health, including the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI). However, fewer studies assessing this relationship have considered a broad array of more proximal or concurrent risk factors for STI diagnosis, such as risky sexual behaviors, sexual health communication strategies, substance use, and sociodemographic correlates. Moreover, much of the existing research has focused on older individuals and older data, leaving unanswered the question of whether and how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase STI risk among contemporary adults. Using four waves of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), this study found that the number of childhood adversities experienced significantly influenced lifetime risk of STI diagnosis, even when accounting for more proximal and concurrent risks, including risky sexual attitudes and behaviors, substance use, and sociodemographic characteristics. Notably, sexual health communication strategies and various sociodemographic factors, such as gender and socioeconomic status also emerged as significant correlates. These findings suggest that any prevention and intervention strategies seeking to reduce the risk of STI acquisition would do well to consider how early life adversity may influence sexual health outcomes, both directly and indirectly via proximal risks, in addition to the more traditional approach of emphasizing safe-sex practices.
The #MeToo movement reintroduced the world to the term "toxic masculinity," which consists of a combination of traits encompassing aggression, misogyny, and risk-taking (among others), to highlight the dangerous consequences of traditional masculine norms. The aim of the current study was to examine how demographic factors may contribute to toxic masculinity in a sample of emerging adults. Results suggest that men, as compared with women, and sel-fidentified political conservatives, as compared with liberals, exhibited higher levels of toxic masculinity. Post hoc analysis suggested that female graduating seniors reported significantly higher toxic masculinity scores as compared with first-year women, suggesting they may be adopting more dominant and aggressive attitudes as they prepare to finish their undergraduate degree. A trend was observed with liberal senior athletes reporting significantly lower levels of toxic masculinity as compared with liberal senior non-athletes. Qualitative findings suggest that female students identified gender norm frustrations with their male peers, such as misogyny and entitlement, while male students expressed resentment that women expected too much from them. While most undergraduates recognize the negative impact of toxic masculinity in both sexes, limited research has explored the factors that may contribute to its existence on a college campus.
Tubectomy has been the most accepted and practiced form of sterilization than vasectomy. Whereas long-acting methods of contraception have had relatively higher acceptances in India, majority of the acceptors are females. The purpose of this work is to identify socio-cultural, religious, and political issues that contribute to the choice made by women in the Malabar region of Kerala, India, to prefer tubectomy over vasectomy. Even though Kerala has a higher literacy level, the latest available data of 2019-2020 Health and Family Welfare Statistics reveal a vasectomy to tubectomy ratio of 1:101, which shows the inclination toward tubectomy. Studies in the past have included education and wealth in determining acceptable vasectomy, yet all these findings correlated with the current study. Thus, this study explores how the dynamics of gender power, culture, religion, and politics influence sterilization decisions. A sample of 20 women of childbearing age who have undergone the tubectomy surgery was interviewed using semi-structured interviews; 77% of the women disclosed that they were pressured into taking the operation, and 90% did not know about vasectomy option. Although, there are a lot of post-tubectomy health complications, the participants saw the act of undergoing the surgery as a noble duty. This study shows that there exists a blend between religious and political domains; primarily among followers of Islamic faith which are some of the reasons that can influence the negative attitude toward vasectomy.
This research is situated within the broader context of intimacy, exploring how cultural, societal, and economic changes impact the conceptualization and experience of intimate relationships and sexual intimacy. In India, traditionally, marriage has held great importance, and kin and community relationships superseded individual choices. Marriages are still largely family arranged, taking caste, class, and religion into consideration. However, changes are taking place where women are able to delay marriages, explore sexuality and premarital sexual relationships, and choose partners of choice in marriages. The study examined the contraception and intimate and sexual relationship journeys of 20 unmarried urban metropolitan young women using in-depth interviews (IDIs). They were between 21 and 35 years old, had completed their graduation, and identified themselves as urban middle-class women. The study shows that sexuality norms are being relooked at within families. Where there is some shift in the ways families look at young women's intimate relationships, contraception, and sexuality. At the same time, families play a complex role in the control and freedom they can provide young women. Some parents support their daughters' sexual health and contraceptive choices, while others maintain traditional controls. The study looks at changes in contemporary middle-class women's perceptions and exercise of autonomy, reflecting a dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity. It underscores the importance of familial support, education, and new social networks in enabling women to navigate their sexual and reproductive health.
Sexuality is a taboo subject in most families. The discussion of anything related to sexualities has been complex and veiled in secrecy. In Zimbabwe, the subject has often been the preserve of aunts, uncles, and specific social settings. Discussion of sexuality with parents or older siblings is usually treated with shame. The void of sex education is increasingly being filled with social media, where hypersexualized representations of sexuality have dominated most social media spaces. However, social media has allowed the propagation of religious perspectives on sex education as teachings from different preachers invade the space of viral content on social media. This chapter explores the ways through which religious teachings have been a base for online sex education in Zimbabwe. Utilizing qualitative methodology, we conduct a content analysis to examine elements of sex education in publicly available sermon snippets from popular preachers in Zimbabwe in the past two years. We also examine the implications of Christian-based sex education and its ramifications on sex and sexualities in Zimbabwe. We note an increasing utilization of religion as a basis for delivering sex education in cultures characterized by sexual silences. While social media widens the scope of knowledge, it also enables an extension of existing sexual scripts and brings diverse and engaging perspectives on sex and sexualities.`
The issue of gender variance in childhood and adolescence is increasingly relevant, as it challenges traditional binary gender norms and social structures. Children who express gender identities outside conventional expectations often disrupt these long-standing frameworks. For parents, raising a gender-variant child can be disorienting, requiring them to question their assumptions about gender. In Italy, there is a significant lack of awareness and resources regarding the needs of transgender and gender-variant minors, making it difficult for families to access resources or find appropriate support. This study involved interviewing Italian parents of gender-variant minors to explore how they came to understand their child's gender identity and how they navigated this potentially unfamiliar situation. Through discourse analysis of the transcribed interviews, we examined how parents engage with their child's gender variance. The goal was to investigate how parents configure gender variance and related needs, identifying the challenges they encountered in their role, and exploring the strategies they employed or proposed for supporting this developmental journey. The research highlights the importance of fostering a collaborative parent-child relationship in the co-construction of gender identity, rather than relying on self-referential or ideological approaches, or uncritically accepting binary gender conceptions. The study's findings offer valuable insights to help parents better understand and anticipate the evolving needs of gender-variant children, while developing effective strategies to manage challenges, according to an affirmative approach to gender identity. These results can promote skills that allow parents to provide meaningful support, fostering a healthier and more inclusive environment for child's identity development.
The study investigates the prevalence of premarital fertility in South Africa, as it has outstanding features compared with other African countries and numerous consequences for household structures and for the way children are raised. This study was based on the 2016 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) survey conducted in South Africa and restricted to the Black/African population. Premarital fertility was defined as a birth to a woman or a man who was never in union at the time of birth. Results showed a very high prevalence of premarital fertility: 76.7% of women and 62.1% of men had a premarital birth. This was due to an early mean age at first birth (22 years for women, 27 years for men), combined with a later age at first union (28 years for women, 32 years for men). Premarital fertility had little relationship with socio-economic status (urban residence, education, wealth) but varied by ethnicity, the Zulu group having the highest values. Premarital fertility was associated with living arrangements: children born to a never married woman were not only less likely to later live with their father but also less likely to live with their mother at older ages than other children born to a married woman. As a consequence, South African children were often living without their father, and often with their grandparents or other relatives, a situation having numerous social and psychological implications.
An inequitable narrative often governs the discourse on gender and sexuality in most African and worldwide spaces. In many African countries, LGBTQI+ is a susceptible issue, and as a result, it is viewed as embodying a socio-emotionally detrimental stigma. In most African communities, gender and sexual narratives underline a patriarchal normativity that mainly venerates and reveres heterosexuality as ideal while disapproving of homosexuality as a deviant "other." Hence, condemnation, discrimination, and marginalization of LGBTQI+ seem more normalized in Africa than in other parts of the world. In Zimbabwe, for instance, homosexuality has been categorized as a crime against the state. Moreover, being an LGBTQI+ is often labeled as unAfrican and uncultural, the significant factors that contribute to the condemnation of their different sexuality. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss the survival mechanisms adopted by gay persons in homophobic, heterosexist, and hetero- cis-normative-infested spaces. The study employed a qualitative approach using purposive sampling to recruit people of different sexual orientations in Zimbabwe as research participants. The study discovered that most gay people's main survival mechanisms are capitulating, passing, covering, and blending. The rationale of capitulating and passing is to evade the stigma by hiding stigmatized characteristics that lead an individual to be labeled homosexual, while covering and blending are used to minimize the outward signs of a stigmatized trait. Therefore, this chapter calls for a multisectoral and intersectional community-based engagement on gender and sexuality issues from a top-down approach.
This study examines the multifaceted role of families in supporting Vietnamese migrant workers throughout their migration journey from Vietnam to South Korea. The findings emphasize the collaborative nature of the "money-making project" between migrants and their families, where remittances serve not only as economic lifelines but also as catalysts for strengthening familial ties. Based on the notion of Fukuyama on social capital, the research highlights the significant impact of family networks in financing migration, managing remittances, and supporting economic reintegration upon return. It explores the challenges faced by returnees, particularly undocumented workers, in establishing sustainable livelihoods after returning to Vietnam and how their family accompany with them in resettling down in their homeland. Additionally, the study discusses the maintenance of transnational relations during migration and their influence on pre-migration preparations and post-return outcomes. Ultimately, the research underscores the critical role of family relationships in ensuring the economic and social stability of Vietnamese migrant workers.
In the year 2002, Bryceson and Vuorela's work focused on transnational families, and from this point, there was a proliferation of studies in this area. But even if the studies on Romanian migration have begun to focus on transnational families created in the context of migration emerged in recent years, it is only in 2018 that appears the first author monograph dedicated to the Romanian transnational families (Ducu, 2018). Caring for family members is a component that remains important in the existence of a transnational family. Over time, the members of these families develop practices aimed at replacing the physical absence from the lives of those left behind in the country of origin. This chapter aims to reflect on how did migrants managed to take care of family members in the country of origin during the COVID crisis, despite the fact that different European Union (EU) states adopted their own regulations: Regulations that (re)constructed borders between members of the same family. What happened to these practices of care when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared? How did these families cope with the moment of crisis and how did they adapt to the new global context? The ethnographic material was collected by the author, between March and May 2020. The interviews were conducted with Romanian members of transnational families from different EU countries.
Immigrant women in Spain tend to be concentrated in employment sectors related to social reproduction (cleaning, caring for people, etc.). As a result of economic and social conditions in Nicaragua, many women have sought opportunities in these Spanish employment sectors, despite unstable and vulnerable working conditions. We conducted 22 extended semi-structured interviews in Spain and Nicaragua in 2017 and 2018 with Nicaraguan women working in the Spanish domestic work sector and with professionals who represented the network of Nicaraguan state-based or community-based services in educational, health, and community sectors. Our data suggest that women's migratory decisions were forced through legitimate perceived threats to life and livelihood, especially regarding their children. Their migration trajectories, including dangerous journeys and precarious working conditions in the destination country, relate to expectations and are conditioned by the social and administrative realities they face as domestic workers in Spain. Potential migrants should have access to information that will enable them to make informed decisions, establish contacts, identify sources of support, and keep up to date on legal and administrative procedures in advance, in order to reduce the dangers and discomforts that inevitably accompany the journey of economic migrants.
This chapter explores the experiences of interracial families migrating from the United Kingdom to Zimbabwe, focusing on the challenges and opportunities they encounter in navigating their new cultural context. In an increasingly interconnected world, the phenomenon of interracial families migrating across borders has become more prevalent. Interracial families encounter identity negotiation, cultural integration, and family dynamics, attempting to navigate societal perceptions, fostering cultural understanding, and inclusivity. Ten families who had migrated to Harare Zimbabwe were purposively selected snowballed and engaged in semi-structured interviews. Guided by Berry's model acculturation, it emerged that the interplay between migration, identity, cultural adaptation, and family dynamics shapes the complex narratives involving challenges related to racial prejudice particularly within a society still grappling with the legacy of colonialism. The perception of foreignness exacerbates this. However, there is potential for growth and resilience in interracial families, highlighting the significance of cultural integration and diversity. Moreover, there is an appreciation of reconnecting with cultural roots which fosters belonging within Zimbabwe's community, emphasizing intergenerational communication and family support. The multifaceted nature of immigration experiences for interracial families exhibits challenges that coexist with a potential for growth and creation of new cultural identities.
Over the past 50 years, Hong Kong has seen various phases of migration. The emigration wave of the 1980s and 1990s, influenced by political uncertainty surrounding the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty, led many families to seek foreign citizenship as a precautionary measure. During this period, these families also pursued educational qualifications abroad while maintaining economic ties to Hong Kong. Nevertheless, a pattern of circular migration emerged, with many emigrants returning to Hong Kong for better economic opportunities and family reunion. Recently, another wave of migration has been catalyzed by the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB) movement and the 2020 National Security Law, along with the subsequent "lifeboat" immigration policies announced by several Western countries targeting Hong Kong residents. While sociopolitical factors have been one of the significant drivers of emigration, the current trend also reflects a shift in priorities, with families seeking better educational environments and more affordable lifestyles abroad. This chapter analyzes the evolving migration dynamics of middle-class families from Hong Kong. By examining the migration patterns influenced by the migration policies of key destination countries, along with social, political, and economic factors, this chapter enriches the discourse on family migration from Hong Kong, transnational migration, and global mobility.
Transnational families in Canada, Mexico, and the United States (i.e., North America) face significant challenges to family cohesion and overall health as they navigate new cultural and sociopolitical contexts. Transnational family members, who maintain connections across national borders due to immigration, have unique stressors and strains impacting their psychological, social, and economic well-being, such as adjustment to new roles and shifting communication patterns. The current review explores migration trends in North America, the various consequences of caregiving across borders, and the nuances of transnational parenting. Guided by the transnationalism framework and family system theory, this review highlights the lived experiences of transnational families and broadly examines existing policies designed to support these families. By reviewing international reunification policies across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this chapter identifies gaps and key areas where policy adjustments could better address the needs of these families. Our recommendations emphasize the necessity for more nuanced and collaborative policy approaches to augment support structures that enhance the health and wellbeing of transnational family systems. This review aims to provide actionable insights for policymakers in building a healthier future for all families of this demographic.
Family migration is a growing phenomenon and has attracted both policy and academic interests in its various facets. However, the material aspect has not been so. This chapter looks at the importance, sense, or meanings immigrants and their adult children make of "traditional" clothing related to the parents' country of origin. This chapter focuses on the case of Ghanaians in Germany, and typically on the kente, wax print clothes, and the smock (fugu) being the material objects. Primary data for this chapter were gathered from two different research projects, one on Ghanaians living in Oldenburg and the other on children of Ghanaians living in Germany. Interview was the main tool used to collect data for both studies. This chapter adopted the theory of cultural transmission in minorities to understand data. Results and analysis show that both generations make sets of same and different meanings to these objects. The core argument of this chapter is that the family is the base from which children of immigrants learn to make sense of material objects related to their parents' place(s) of origin, and immigrants socializing them in transnational social spaces enhance this.
