40 research outputs found

    Culture and Social Change in Mothers’ and Fathers’ Individualism, Collectivism and Parenting Attitudes

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    Cultures and families are not static over time but evolve in response to social transformations, such as changing gender roles, urbanization, globalization, and technology uptake. Historically, individualism and collectivism have been widely used heuristics guiding cross-cultural comparisons, yet these orientations may evolve over time, and individuals within cultures and cultures themselves can have both individualist and collectivist orientations. Historical shifts in parents’ attitudes also have occurred within families in several cultures. As a way of understanding mothers’ and fathers’ individualism, collectivism, and parenting attitudes at this point in history, we examined parents in nine countries that varied widely in country-level individualism rankings. Data included mothers’ and fathers’ reports (N = 1338 families) at three time points in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. More variance was accounted for by within-culture than between-culture factors for parents’ individualism, collectivism, progressive parenting attitudes, and authoritarian parenting attitudes, which were predicted by a range of sociodemographic factors that were largely similar for mothers and fathers and across cultural groups. Social changes from the 20th to the 21st century may have contributed to some of the similarities between mothers and fathers and across the nine countries

    Positive Youth Development: Parental Warmth, Values, and Prosocial Behavior in 11 Cultural Groups

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    The current cross-cultural study aimed to extend research on parenting and children’s prosocial behavior by examining relations among parental warmth, values related to family obligations (i.e., children’s support to and respect for their parents, siblings, and extended family), and prosocial behavior during the transition to adolescence (from ages 9 to 12). Mothers, fathers, and their children (N = 1107 families) from 8 countries including 11 cultural groups (Colombia; Rome and Naples, Italy; Jordan; Kenya; the Philippines; Sweden; Thailand; and African Americans, European Americans, and Latin Americans in the United States) provided data over 3 years in 3 waves (Mage of child in wave 1 = 9.34 years, SD = 0.75; 50.5% female). Overall, across all 11 cultural groups, multivariate change score analysis revealed positive associations among the change rates of parental warmth, values related to family obligations, and prosocial behavior during late childhood (from age 9 to 10) and early-adolescence (from age 10 to 12). In most cultural groups, more parental warmth at ages 9 and 10 predicted steeper mean-level increases in prosocial behavior in subsequent years. The findings highlight the prominent role of positive family context, characterized by warm relationships and shared prosocial values, in fostering children’s positive development in the transition to adolescence. The practical implications of these findings are discussed

    Children and Parents - Attributions, Attitudes and Agency

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    Children and parents are both part of children’s development and research on children and on parenting are both areas that, in some way, have changed in recent decades. These changes are related to the new way of seeing children and that children are no longer seen as ‘becomings’ or adults in the making; rather, children are instead regarded – and seen – as more active in their development and as social agents. With a new way of viewing children and childhood there is also a new way of explaining or understanding parenthood. The general aim of this thesis is to learn more about how parents think about their parenting and how this can be related to children’s agency. In addition, children’s own beliefs about their agency are studied. The aim of Study I was to investigate mothers’ and fathers’ (77 participants from each group) attributions and attitudes in Sweden. The results revealed that Swedish parents are more polarized in their attitudes than in their attributions. Regarding attitudes, mothers and fathers reported more progressive than authoritarian attitudes. Fathers reported higher adult-controlled failure and child-controlled failure attributions than mothers. In Study II the aim was to assess whether mothers’ and fathers’ self-reports of acceptance-rejection, warmth, and hostility/rejection/neglect of their children differ in the nine countries. A total of 1996 parents (998 mothers and 998 fathers) participated in the study. Mothers and fathers reported high acceptance and warmth and low rejection and hostility/rejection/neglect (HRN) of their children in all nine countries. Despite the high levels of acceptance and low levels of rejection across all countries, some systematic differences between countries emerged. In Study III Swedish mothers’ and fathers’ warmth towards their children was examined in relation to their children’s agency. It also studied the longitudinal relation between agency and children’s externalizing, internalizing, and school achievement. Swedish children’s parents (N = 93) were interviewed at three time points (when children were 8, 9, and 10 years old) about their warmth towards their children, children’s agency, children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors and school achievement. Results from this study indicate that Swedish parents’ warmth is directly related to children’s subsequent perceptions of their agency, which in turn are related to subsequently lower child externalizing and internalizing problems and higher academic achievement. Personal agency is studied in Study IV and the aim of this study was to examine how 10-year-old children perceive their agency in three different contexts, family, school and peer-situations. Interviews were conducted with 103 ten-year-old Swedish children. Vignettes concerning three different situations were presented to the children and their answers were written down for subsequent thematic analysis. The results showed that children perceive their agency differently depending upon which context they find themselves in. The difference is not in how they think adults or peers would react to their agency, but in how they themselves would act if their agency was suppressed. It is mainly with other children that they would show assertiveness and try to find a solution together, while they would be more emotional and powerless with adults. In summary, parents in the studies report higher similarity about parenting in some cases, for example concerning acceptance and warmth and hostility/rejection/neglect, but lower in others, such as the Swedish parents’ reports about attributions. It is also revealed that parents’ warmth is related to children’s agency, and that children’s perceptions of their agency depend on whether they interact with adults or other children. A possible contribution of this thesis is to generate additional knowledge about parental cognitions and the implications that parenting can have on child agency, but also the shedding of light on the ways in which, depending on the context, children’s beliefs of their agency differ

    When it becomes a diagnosis : a study of professionals’ work after Internet Gaming Disorder, IGD, becomes a diagnosis

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    Today various professionals’ work involves diagnosing children and youth. This affects children and youth in different ways, among them, their performance in school. A new diagnosis can be both positive and negative. Those who support a diagnosis claim that without one, it is difficult to help people with problems or do research. But a negative aspect can be that people who receive a diagnosis can be stigmatised and suffer from lower self-esteem. In 2018, the World Health Organisation put out a statement clarifying that too much gaming would now be classified as Internet Gaming Disorder. 87 % of Swedish children aged 9-12 play different games on the Internet or in other settings every day. Excessive gaming has long been discussed and can be seen as a problem in itself or as a problem related to something else. There is not much research into gaming disorder and with this new diagnosis more knowledge is required. The purpose of this study is to interview different professional groups who work with children and youths: student health professionals (e.g. school nurses), social services (e.g. family support) and child psychiatry. The aim is to gain more knowledge about how these professionals’ work changes when a new diagnosis is classified. What do they learn and how do they collaborate? Another aim is to study which approach they take in regard to children’s agency after a new diagnosis.

    Children’s agency in parent–child, teacher–pupil and peer relationship contexts

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    Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine children’s perception of their agency in different relationship contexts. Historically, most studies conducted in Sweden concerning children’s agency, in relation to their self-efficacy and perceptions of their effectiveness as agents, have been carried out in school situations or other institutional organizations. Past research has shown that children’sagency has positive links to health, school achievement and/or adjustment. Method: Interviews were conducted with 103 10-year-old Swedish children to examine three relationship contexts: parent–child, teacher–pupil, and peer relations. Vignettes about the different contexts were presented to the children and their answers were analysed with thematic analysis. Results: The results show that children think of their agency differently depending upon which relationship context they find themselves in. Most perceived agency are found insituations with peers, and children perceive they have the least agency with teachers. In situations with parents, children think they would react with more resistance than with peers and teachers. It is mainly with other children that they would show assertiveness and try to find asolution together, while they would be more emotional and perceive less power with adults. Conclusion: We conclude that children make adistinction in their perception of agency depending upon the relationship context. These findings can be relevant for helping children receive more agency in all contexts, which might have apositive impact on health and adjustment

    Att "göra" agens : Yrkesverksammas beskrivningar av sitt praktiska arbete med barns och ungas agens

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    I och med att barnkonventionen blivit lag i Sverige har fler yrkesprofessioner stĂ€llts inför frĂ„gan hur barns röster ska tas i beaktande dĂ€r det tidigare inte varit gĂ€ngse. Mot bakgrund av det har denna rapport tvĂ„ syften, dels att ge konkreta exempel pĂ„ hur professionella arbetar med det som kallas barns och ungas agens, dels att analysera de faktorer som beskrivs hindra eller vara förutsĂ€ttningar för detta arbete i praktiken. DĂ„ vi ocksĂ„ vill undersöka vad agens Ă€r för de yrkesverksamma, har vi valt ett begrepp som i sig inte pĂ„verkar innebörden av agens pĂ„ samma sĂ€tt som formuleringar sĂ„som att ”ge”, ”ta” eller ”ha” agens gör. Vi har i stĂ€llet valt ”göra” agens – ett begrepp som Ă€ven Ă€r neutralt, i motsats till ”frĂ€mja” eller ”hĂ€mma”. ”Det Ă€r lĂ€tt att sĂ€ga men svĂ„rt att göra” Ă€r en ofta Ă„terkommande mening i samtal om barns och ungas agens. De studenter vi möter pĂ„ de barn- och ungdomsvetenskapliga utbildningarna har ofta stor erfarenhet av att jobba med barn och unga men frĂ„gar Ă€ndĂ„: Hur gör man dĂ„, rent konkret? Det finns inte ett svar pĂ„ den frĂ„gan, och ”hur:et” mĂ„ste anpassas till respektive verksamhet. MĂ„let med denna rapport Ă€r alltsĂ„ inte att ge ett svar utan att visa pĂ„ bredden i hur man kan jobba med frĂ„gan. Vi vill ocksĂ„ uppmana till reflektion kring hur just ditt eller din verksamhets svar ser ut utifrĂ„n. Till grund för undersökningen ligger korta texter skrivna av tio yrkesverksamma studenter pĂ„ den nationella (magister) respektive internationella (master) barn- och ungdomsvetenskapliga utbildningen pĂ„ Högskolan VĂ€st. IdĂ©n att undersöka hur studenter tillika yrkesverksamma beskriver agens kom frĂ„n att utbildningarna utgĂ„r ifrĂ„n att barn och unga ska vara aktörer i sina egna liv och att de som arbetar med barn och unga bör möjliggöra det pĂ„ olika sĂ€tt. I linje med det första delsyftet presenteras de tio texterna i sin helhet, som inspiration till hur man kan arbeta med barns och ungas agens i olika verksamheter. DĂ€refter följer analysen i det andra delsyftet, vilken visar att agens ses pĂ„ olika sĂ€tt av de yrkesverksamma. Barn och unga beskrivs som delaktiga aktörer, som jĂ€mlikar och experter, men det finns Ă€ven beskrivningar av den vuxna som en möjliggörare av agens. Barns och ungas agens beskrivs ligga till grund för positiv personlig utveckling, men ocksĂ„ för demokrati och inflytande genom ansvar för en sjĂ€lv och andra. De delvis olika beskrivningarna av vad agens Ă€r pĂ„verkar skildringarna av hur agens görs. De sammanfattas i en modell bestĂ„ende av fyra delar: den vuxnas roll, barnets/den ungas roll, samspelets roll respektive kontextens roll i görandet av agens. Resultaten presenteras under samma teman, med identifierade framgĂ„ngsfaktorer och hinder som underteman (se innehĂ„llsförteckningen). UtifrĂ„n resultaten i de olika delarna har vi formulerat diskussionsfrĂ„gor, tĂ€nkta att kopplas till lĂ€sarens egen verksamhet och hur barns och ungas agens tar sig uttryck dĂ€r.Forskningsmiljön Barn och unga pĂ„ Högskolan VĂ€st arbetar strategiskt med forskningssamverkan tillsammans med verksamheter som har fokus pĂ„ barn, ungdomar och unga vuxna. MĂ„let för forskningsmiljön Ă€r att producera och sprida kunskap om barns och ungdomars livsvillkor och dĂ€rmed stĂ€rka deras stĂ€llning i samhĂ€llet. Forskningssamverkan med externa verksamheter Ă€r ett av de sĂ€tt som miljön arbetar pĂ„ för att nĂ„ detta mĂ„l. Samarbetet sker i form av en samverkansmodell som avser att skapa goda förutsĂ€ttningar för bĂ„de forskningen och den externa samverkansparten. Samverkansmodellen utgĂ„r frĂ„n en dialog mellan forskare och samverkanspart dĂ€r parterna tillsammans utarbetar och formulerar undersökningsomrĂ„de och forskningsfrĂ„gor</p

    Att "göra" agens : Yrkesverksammas beskrivningar av sitt praktiska arbete med barns och ungas agens

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    I och med att barnkonventionen blivit lag i Sverige har fler yrkesprofessioner stĂ€llts inför frĂ„gan hur barns röster ska tas i beaktande dĂ€r det tidigare inte varit gĂ€ngse. Mot bakgrund av det har denna rapport tvĂ„ syften, dels att ge konkreta exempel pĂ„ hur professionella arbetar med det som kallas barns och ungas agens, dels att analysera de faktorer som beskrivs hindra eller vara förutsĂ€ttningar för detta arbete i praktiken. DĂ„ vi ocksĂ„ vill undersöka vad agens Ă€r för de yrkesverksamma, har vi valt ett begrepp som i sig inte pĂ„verkar innebörden av agens pĂ„ samma sĂ€tt som formuleringar sĂ„som att ”ge”, ”ta” eller ”ha” agens gör. Vi har i stĂ€llet valt ”göra” agens – ett begrepp som Ă€ven Ă€r neutralt, i motsats till ”frĂ€mja” eller ”hĂ€mma”. ”Det Ă€r lĂ€tt att sĂ€ga men svĂ„rt att göra” Ă€r en ofta Ă„terkommande mening i samtal om barns och ungas agens. De studenter vi möter pĂ„ de barn- och ungdomsvetenskapliga utbildningarna har ofta stor erfarenhet av att jobba med barn och unga men frĂ„gar Ă€ndĂ„: Hur gör man dĂ„, rent konkret? Det finns inte ett svar pĂ„ den frĂ„gan, och ”hur:et” mĂ„ste anpassas till respektive verksamhet. MĂ„let med denna rapport Ă€r alltsĂ„ inte att ge ett svar utan att visa pĂ„ bredden i hur man kan jobba med frĂ„gan. Vi vill ocksĂ„ uppmana till reflektion kring hur just ditt eller din verksamhets svar ser ut utifrĂ„n. Till grund för undersökningen ligger korta texter skrivna av tio yrkesverksamma studenter pĂ„ den nationella (magister) respektive internationella (master) barn- och ungdomsvetenskapliga utbildningen pĂ„ Högskolan VĂ€st. IdĂ©n att undersöka hur studenter tillika yrkesverksamma beskriver agens kom frĂ„n att utbildningarna utgĂ„r ifrĂ„n att barn och unga ska vara aktörer i sina egna liv och att de som arbetar med barn och unga bör möjliggöra det pĂ„ olika sĂ€tt. I linje med det första delsyftet presenteras de tio texterna i sin helhet, som inspiration till hur man kan arbeta med barns och ungas agens i olika verksamheter. DĂ€refter följer analysen i det andra delsyftet, vilken visar att agens ses pĂ„ olika sĂ€tt av de yrkesverksamma. Barn och unga beskrivs som delaktiga aktörer, som jĂ€mlikar och experter, men det finns Ă€ven beskrivningar av den vuxna som en möjliggörare av agens. Barns och ungas agens beskrivs ligga till grund för positiv personlig utveckling, men ocksĂ„ för demokrati och inflytande genom ansvar för en sjĂ€lv och andra. De delvis olika beskrivningarna av vad agens Ă€r pĂ„verkar skildringarna av hur agens görs. De sammanfattas i en modell bestĂ„ende av fyra delar: den vuxnas roll, barnets/den ungas roll, samspelets roll respektive kontextens roll i görandet av agens. Resultaten presenteras under samma teman, med identifierade framgĂ„ngsfaktorer och hinder som underteman (se innehĂ„llsförteckningen). UtifrĂ„n resultaten i de olika delarna har vi formulerat diskussionsfrĂ„gor, tĂ€nkta att kopplas till lĂ€sarens egen verksamhet och hur barns och ungas agens tar sig uttryck dĂ€r.Forskningsmiljön Barn och unga pĂ„ Högskolan VĂ€st arbetar strategiskt med forskningssamverkan tillsammans med verksamheter som har fokus pĂ„ barn, ungdomar och unga vuxna. MĂ„let för forskningsmiljön Ă€r att producera och sprida kunskap om barns och ungdomars livsvillkor och dĂ€rmed stĂ€rka deras stĂ€llning i samhĂ€llet. Forskningssamverkan med externa verksamheter Ă€r ett av de sĂ€tt som miljön arbetar pĂ„ för att nĂ„ detta mĂ„l. Samarbetet sker i form av en samverkansmodell som avser att skapa goda förutsĂ€ttningar för bĂ„de forskningen och den externa samverkansparten. Samverkansmodellen utgĂ„r frĂ„n en dialog mellan forskare och samverkanspart dĂ€r parterna tillsammans utarbetar och formulerar undersökningsomrĂ„de och forskningsfrĂ„gor</p
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