Commentary: Advancing Our Understanding of Asian American Child Development: History, Context, and Culture as Essential Considerations

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133582/1/cdev12573.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133582/2/cdev12573_am.pd

Class, culture, and pretend play: A reply to Sutton-Smith and Smith

It is suggested that the early studies which Sutton-Smith cites as additional support for the claim that low-income and working-class children engage in less sociodramatic and pretend play are only tangentially, if at all, related to the issue of pretend play and should, therefore, be discounted in the current dispute. High levels of physical activity are not necessarily indicative of low levels of symbolic activity. Observations in an array of settings may permit us to distinguish between children's "typical" and "best" displays of pretend behavior and determine whether there are social class differences in both symbolic competence and performance. Equally as important as further comparative, descriptive work are theoretically grounded efforts to understand pretend play, as well as other types of imaginative behavior, within the context of the instrumental competences deemed necessary for success in the child's social and cultural milieu.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/25270/1/0000713.pd

Social class differences in sociodramatic play: A critical review

Studies of children's sociodramatic play as a function of socioeconomic status report conflicting and marginal findings which militate against unqualified generalizations that economically disadvantaged children engage in less and poorer-quality sociodramatic play. Further, definitive conclusions on the basis of these studies are unwarranted because of flawed methodological procedures, confounding variables, and insufficient consideration of how verbal behavior, a critical component of sociodramatic play, is affected by situational variables. It is concluded that data from play intervention studies with low-income children and ethnographic studies of children from non-Western societies are virtually irrelevant to the issue of social class differences. The theoretical significance of social class differences in pretend play in general, and sociodramatic play in particular, even if found consistently, is unclear. In future research, priority should be given to both improved assessment of social class differences and clarification of how these differences relate to competences thought to be consequences of sociodramatic and pretend play.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24037/1/0000286.pd

Physical Discipline and Behavior Problems in African American, European American, and Hispanic Children: Emotional Support as a Moderator

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75424/1/j.1741-3737.2002.00040.x.pd

Do Parenting and Family Characteristics Moderate the Relation between Peer Victimization and Antisocial Behavior? A 5‐year Longitudinal Study

Past research has demonstrated that relationships with peers and parents play salient roles in various child outcomes. However, little research has examined the confluence of these two factors in the context of peer victimization. In particular, little is known about which family and parental factors mitigate or intensify the impact of adverse peer relations. The current study bridged this gap by testing whether maternal support and family conflict moderated the association between peer victimization and antisocial behavior. Moderation effects were found for girls but not boys. Cross‐lagged path analyses of nationally representative longitudinal data (N = 1046; 53 percent boys; Time 1: Mage = 10.7) showed that, among girls, higher levels of maternal warmth and mother–child communication significantly attenuated the link between early peer victimization and later antisocial outcomes. By contrast, greater family conflict significantly increased antisocial outcomes among girls who experienced peer victimization. For boys, early peer victimization significantly predicted antisocial outcomes, regardless of parenting and family factors. All findings remained significant even after controlling for preexisting antisocial tendencies and demographic factors, as well as for the stability of victimization in the model.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115896/1/sode12118.pd

Exposure to Violence and Socioemotional Adjustment in Low‐Income Youth: An Examination of Protective Factors

Using a sample of 391 low‐income youth ages 13–17, this study investigated the potential moderating effects of school climate, participation in extracurricular activities, and positive parent–child relations on associations between exposure to violence (i.e., witnessing violence and violent victimization) and adolescent socioemotional adjustment (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems). Exposure to violence was related to both internalizing and externalizing problems. High levels of participation in extracurricular activities and positive parent–child relations appeared to function as protective factors, weakening the positive association between exposure to violence and externalizing problems. Contrary to prediction, school climate did not moderate associations between exposure to violence and socioemotional adjustment. Further, none of the hypothesized protective factors moderated the association between exposure to violence and internalizing problems.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/117213/1/ajcp9440.pd

Telling them like it is: The role of economic and environmental factors in single mothers' discussions with their children

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44039/1/10464_2004_Article_BF00937753.pd

New Hope for the Working Poor: Effects After Eight Years for Families and Children

Implemented in 1994 in Milwaukee, New Hope provided full-time, low-wage workers with several benefits for three years: an earnings supplement, low-cost health insurance, and subsidized child care. A random assignment study shows positive effects for both adults and children, some of which persisted five years after the program ended

Parents' Management of Their Children's Education Within the Home, at School, and in the Community: An Examination of African-American Families Living in Poverty

Using parents' answers to open-ended questions, we examine variation in parents' management of their children's education within the home, at school, and in the community as a function of whether their children were experiencing academic success or academic problems. Within the home, parents of high achievers used more specific strategies to help their children with their schoolwork and had more supportive conversations with their children than parents of low achievers. At their children's school, parents of high achievers not only were more involved but had different reasons for their involvement than parents of low achievers. In the community, more parents of high achievers explicitly engaged their children in activities to support their achievement than parents of low achievers. Implications for parents, schools, and communities are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43877/1/11256_2004_Article_222479.pd

Escaping Poverty and Securing Middle Class Status: How Race and Socioeconomic Status Shape Mobility Prospects for African Americans During the Transition to Adulthood

This article draws on extant research from the disciplines of psychology, sociology, and economics to identify linkages between individual, family, community, and structural factors related to social mobility for African Americans during the transition to adulthood. It considers how race and class together affect opportunities for social mobility through where African Americans live, whom they associate with, and how they are impacted by racial and class-related stigma. Of particular interest is social mobility as accomplished through academic achievement, educational attainment, employment, economic independence, and homeownership. Research on five issues is reviewed and discussed: (a) the unique vulnerabilities of newly upwardly mobile African Americans, (b) wealth as a source of inequality, (c) racism and discrimination, (d) the stigma associated with lower-class status, and (e) social and cultural capital. The article concludes with a summary and directions for future research