Search Results (80)

This community-based participatory research (CBPR) study explored, using a Photovoice methodology, the lived expeiences of northeastern Black and/or African American youth and mothers who were currently experiencing the incarceration of their fathers and husbands. Grounded in critical theories of dual consciousness and comparative conflict, the findings provide valuable insights into how this population navigates the intersections of family, school, and community within the context of the criminal legal system, and, in the process, underscore the relevance of Abolitionist practice in capturing their theoretically lived experiences. Participants documented through photography and narrative reflections the multifaceted impacts of incarceration on fathers and husbands, including disrupted family dynamics, social stigma, and barriers to community resources. A focus group with the mothers of these youth highlighted the profound impact of incarceration on their family structure, revealing significant emotional burdens for caregivers as well as personal changes to parenting styles as a result of this project. A central theme that emerged was the development of a “double” or “dual consciousness”—an ability to see humanity and injustice in their circumstances, fueling a desire for systemic change. Overall, this CBPR project amplifies the voices of marginalized youth and mothers, illuminating how the criminal legal system perpetuates cycles of trauma, stigma, and disempowerment. The implications call for a radical reimagining of the role of social work in creating more equitable, restorative, and healing-centered communities, including an immediate embrace of Abolitionist practice concepts and interventions. Full article

The health and social care needs of children and adults with disabilities are often neglected in many low- and middle-income countries. International opinion favours the creation of community-based supports rather than the institutional and clinic-based care that has dominated to date. However, models of care that are reliant on community leadership have been slow to develop within and across less affluent countries. Moreover, the managerial models inherent in institutional-based care are likely to be inadequate in such settings. This descriptive study aimed to explore the leadership qualities required in initiating and sustaining community-based supports. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 16 leaders of projects in Africa, Asia, and South America. They included people with sensorial, physical, and intellectual disabilities as well as non-disabled leaders of local and national projects plus others whose leadership was at a regional or international level. Two main questions were addressed: what are the qualities required to function as a community leader and how can these qualities be nurtured in low resourced settings? The insights gained would inform the preparation and training of community leaders. Thematic content analysis identified three core themes: first, personal qualities such as empathy with an understanding of the personal circumstances of persons in need of support; second, communicating clearly the vision and values informing their work; and thirdly, building and mobilising community support from families and neighbours. The nurturing of leadership comes through mentoring and coaching, the empowerment of others, networking opportunities, and the development of inter-personal and communication skills. These themes were commonly expressed across the 16 leaders from all the participating nations and at all levels of responsibility, which suggests a universality of approach in relation to people with disabilities. The findings are in marked contrast to current practices in health and social care that have valued professional expertise over lived experience, knowledge, and technical skills over compassion and empathy, and the provision of person-centred “treatments” over developing community and personal self-reliance. Nonetheless, the challenges involved in establishing and sustaining new styles of leadership are many and will not be quickly resolved. Full article

Background/Objectives: The relevance of adult attachment security for physical and emotional wellbeing is increasingly evident. Developing a better understanding of the interpersonal antecedents of secure attachment in childhood and adolescence could enable opportunities for its promotion when attachment styles are more easily modifiable. Methods: Data from 3648 participants in a longitudinal birth cohort study were examined. At 21 years, participants completed the confidence (in self and others) subscale of the Attachment Style Questionnaire, a measure of attachment security. Path analysis was used to longitudinally examine the influence of maternal and child-reported interpersonal variables at birth, 5, and 14 years on attachment security in early adulthood. Results: Two pathways were identified. Firstly, child and family social relations at birth and 5 years predicted attachment security via the number of the child’s close friends at 14 years (β = 0.11, p < 0.001). Secondly, attuned caregiving at 14 years predicted attachment security via the recalled experiences of parental care up to 16 years, measured at 21 years (β = 0.28, p < 0.001). Greater adolescent family satisfaction directly predicted increased attachment security in early adulthood (β = 0.10, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Child and family social relationships from birth and throughout childhood and adolescence, along with attuned caregiving, led to increased attachment security in early adulthood. Public health and policy initiatives aimed at strengthening social support systems for caregivers and their children throughout childhood, and increasing the uptake of parenting programmes aimed at strengthening attuned caregiving, may lead to long-term improvements in the attachment security of offspring. Full article

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the mediating effects of coping styles on the relationship between satisfaction with social support (SSS) and quality of life (QoL) in breast cancer patients. Methods: A cross-sectional structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to examine the mediating effects. The participants were 311 women who were breast cancer patients, aged between 27 and 86 years (M = 46.61, SD = 9.53). Results: SEM analyses showed that SSS was positively associated with fighting spirit (β = 0.31, p < 0.05), cognitive avoidance (β = 0.19, p > 0.05), and QoL (β = 0.21, p < 0.05), and negatively associated with helplessness–hopelessness (β = −0.28, p < 0.05). Furthermore, fighting spirit and helplessness–hopelessness showed significant relationships with QoL. Anxious preoccupation was negatively related to QoL. Furthermore, fighting spirit and helplessness–hopelessness showed significant relationships with quality of life (β = 0.18, p < 0.05; β = −0.15, p < 0.05, respectively). In addition, the mediation analysis revealed that coping styles (i.e., fighting spirit and helplessness–hopelessness) mediated the relationship between SSS and QoL. Conclusions: The findings suggest that perceptions of SSS from family and friends may promote perceived QoL via adaptive coping, such as fighting spirit and helplessness–hopelessness strategies to deal with the cancer experience. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected teaching and student outcomes throughout the world, yet the long-term impacts of the pandemic on teachers and students in Latin America and Spain remain largely underexamined. This study examined the experiences of 5416 teachers from 20 Spanish-speaking countries during and after the pandemic, with an emphasis on teachers’ health, teaching experiences, and school-based support; perceptions of their students’ experiences and struggles; and relationships with students, families, and colleagues. The study used an online survey design with recruitment primarily based on snowball sampling, with most variables being collected using Likert-style responses. Descriptive statistics as well as bivariate correlations between variables were calculated. The results suggested that teachers were mostly healthy and reported moderate fear of COVID-19, though there was much variability. While, on average, teachers did not believe the pandemic had had a negative impact on their relationships with parents, colleagues, and students, they believed that the pandemic had a meaningful negative impact on their students by increasing problems in five key domains: educational, behavioral, social, emotional, and familial. Teachers had received very little training regarding online teaching, although they were moderately satisfied with the resources they had received to teach online and the safety measures their schools had implemented. Schools should provide additional support to teachers, students, and families during times of prolonged stress such as pandemics to help mitigate their lasting effects on students’ academic and psychosocial functioning. Full article

Childhood obesity is a major medical and public health issue of global interest, which is influenced by a diverse array of factors and carries significant medical and psychosocial implications. Despite the extensive studies that have been conducted to explore the specific issue, the impact of several factors that influence, generate, worsen, and make chronic the phenomenon needs further exploration. This study aimed to construct a grounded theory that includes and connects the psychological, social, parental, and biological factors affecting childhood obesity. Key psychological factors include mental health issues such as depression and emotional eating, while social factors encompass socioeconomic status and cultural influences. Parental factors involve parenting styles and feeding practices, and biological factors relate to genetic predispositions and prenatal conditions. These factors interact in complex ways, highlighting the multifactorial nature of childhood obesity. The study employed a qualitative grounded theory approach, using research articles to achieve a thorough understanding. Qualitative analysis of the articles was conducted using Atlas.ti 24.0 software. Twenty-five research articles were required to reach theoretical saturation. The analysis resulted in 336 codes that were grouped into seven broad categories and twenty-four different subcategories. Through the construction of the theoretical framework, it was recognized that obesity in minors is a complex and multifactorial issue and that the network of causes and influencing factors covers a broad spectrum ranging from the individual to the family, and subsequently to society at large, which interact with each other. Full article

Self-concept in this article is considered in physical education, with the physical self-concept being in the foreground, and it is analyzed in this quantitative study to determine whether it is related with socio-economic environment and parental styles, focusing on primary education students in the Region of Murcia. Primary education students are in a critical period for the development of self-concept. To assess self-concept levels, socio-economic and cultural environments as well as parental socialization styles, the PSPP, NSE and ESPA29 questionnaires were respectively used. They were used to collect data from 937 students across various educational centers in upper courses (4th, 5th and 6th grades of primary education) to uncover realities in child society and their relationship with self-concept. In the first objective, parental socialization styles are shown to be related with self-concept. However, in the second objective, it is seen that the socio-economic environment is more related with self-concept than parental styles. Finally, the results of the third objective show that there is indeed a relationship with the socio-economic environment and the student body self-concept, both at the family level and for fathers and mothers independently. It is important to consider both the parental styles and the socio-economic environment in which primary education students develop for the development of self-concept. Additionally, educational implications and new lines of research are suggested in this topic. Full article

This study delves into the dynamics of parenting styles and their impact on the cognitive and social–affective development of children within diverse family populations, contextualized within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing from a sample population comprising families from various socio-economic backgrounds and cultural contexts, the research explores the nuanced interactions between parenting approaches—ranging from authoritarian/permissive to democratic—and children’s developmental trajectories. By examining families with different numbers of children, this study elucidates the differential effects of parenting styles on cognitive adaptability and social–emotional skills across varying family structures. Democratic parenting emerges as a critical factor in promoting children’s well-being, equitable access to education, and the fostering of peaceful societies, aligning with SDGs 3, 4, and 16. Furthermore, the research addresses disparities in child development outcomes, shedding light on issues of gender equality (SDG 5) and reduced inequalities (SDG 10) within the context of family dynamics. Through a comprehensive analysis of diverse family populations, this study underscores the significance of inclusive and nurturing parenting practices in advancing sustainable development objectives, advocating for collaborative efforts (SDG 17) to support families in fostering optimal child development outcomes for all. Full article

This study aims to examine the influence of social customer relationship management (CRM) on relationship quality (RQ); the role of strategic information exchange capabilities (SIECs) as a mediator on the relationship between dimensions of social CRM and RQ was also investigated. A self-structured questionnaire survey was conducted on the subordinates working at various family-style restaurants in Egypt. Following a simple random sampling procedure, 466 valid responses were used for data analysis. The findings reveal that three dimensions of social CRM, namely customer service quality (CSQ), integrated marketing channels (IMCs), and online communities (OCs), have statistically significant effects on RQ. Moreover, SIECs mediate the relationship between CS/IMCs/OCs and RQ. The other two dimensions, rewards (RDs) and value-added services (VSs), do not directly or indirectly affect RQ. This study opens new avenues in the existing literature by identifying the most relevant factors affecting RQ in the context of Egyptian restaurants. This study can enable policymakers and restaurant owners to formulate social CRM strategies and achieve customer satisfaction properly. This study explores the mediation mechanism of SIECs on the relationship between dimensions of social CRM and RQ. Full article

The main goal of this study was to examine the extent to which the demographic characteristics of pre-service teachers (gender, family management style, family educational status, size of the family) predict their emotional intelligence (EI) scores through achievement motivation (AMO) and Self-Efficacy (SE) scores. The study consisted of 326 pre-service teachers (270 females, 56 males) studying in various departments at faculties of education across three universities located in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions of Turkiye. The findings indicate that the demographic variables (gender, family management style, family size, family educational status) do not significantly explain the EI levels of pre-service teachers. A moderately positive relationship was found between AMO and EI, but it was observed that AMO is not a significant predictor of EI. A high positive relationship was detected between SE and EI; it was observed that SE explained 63% of the variance in EI. We found that there was no significant difference between the AMO, SE, and EI scores of pre-service teachers studying at different grade/class levels. As we continue to investigate these topics, it becomes evident that teacher education may continue promoting not only cognitive development but also emotional and social development. Full article

The act of land transfer in rural areas is an important decision-making mechanism for farmers, to enhance resource allocation efficiency and promote capital mobility, and this act is of strategic importance in promoting the level of agricultural scale and mechanization, land system change, and, thus, the sustainable development of livelihoods and production in China. This study aims to explore farmers’ decision-making mechanisms in the process of land transfer in rural areas, by constructing a theoretical framework. Structural equation modeling was used, based on data from a survey of rural families in the Liaoning Province area of Northeastern China. The main findings are as follows: (1) The seven types of exogenous latent variables, including environmental vulnerability, policy, and five main livelihood assets (natural capital, physical capital, financial capital, human capital, and social capital), are intermediary in farmers’ land transfer behavior, which then positively affect farmers’ livelihood outcomes. (2) Among the exogenous latent variables affecting farmers’ land transfer, human assets have the most significant positive effect, followed by social assets and physical assets, family labor force share, frequency of work information exchange, and number of production tools, greatly affect the corresponding variable. (3) Natural assets play the most important role and have a negative effect on farmers’ land transfer decision; contracted area of land per family is the greatest impacted measurable variable of this. The results of the study suggest that the government should strengthen skills training for farmers, improve the land transfer policy system, and provide appropriate subsidies in a regionally targeted manner. Thus, it can promote the transformation of Chinese-style agricultural modernization and achieve rural revitalization. Full article

Poor eating habits have been correlated with an increased probability of developing chronic health problems, including weight gain. In particular, dietary choices during the first years of life can have a lasting impact on dietary preferences and habits. Parents strongly influence the child’s relationship with food which will be maintained for the rest of their life; in particular, a greater sense of maternal self-efficacy is correlated with healthier eating habits and the child being less overweight. To date, there are few studies investigating the relationship between parental eating habits, self-efficacy in promoting healthy behaviors and the use of social media (SM). The general purpose of our study is to investigate the eating habits of families, food awareness and choices and the use of SM to search for pediatric nutrition content. The habits were collected through a questionnaire administered online on the most popular SM platforms. Data show that parents take care of their children’s food choices (96.1%) and rarely comply with their requests (77.9%). More than half read product labels (56.1%) and the origin (43.9%) before purchasing. Overall, 44.1% are influenced by TV and newspapers regarding their purchases, while 39.4% are influenced by the opinions of their friends and relatives. Food style correlates positively with the influence of TV and newspapers (r = 0.238) and the influence of friends and relatives (r = 0.231). Overall, 77.1% aim to follow a healthy diet, even if fish (24.5%) and vegetables (36.3%) are difficult to include in the child’s diet. Instagram (50.2%) and Facebook (36.3%) are the SM platforms most used to search for information on pediatric nutrition. Health professionals’ (60.3%) and institutions’ (24.9%) profiles are the most followed for reading articles and blogs (59.4%), but without direct interactions (78.9%). Only 20% are satisfied with the content found. Parental self-efficacy in promoting a healthy diet for their children correlates positively and moderately with encouragement to follow a healthy diet (r = 0.340) and control over the amount of snacks and sweets consumed (r = 0.302). The data demonstrate parents’ interest in using SM to search for information on pediatric nutrition but indicates that few (33.3%) are satisfied with what they find online. Therefore, future educational interventions need to be refined to help parents to better influence children’s eating habits. Full article

Marriage is a cultural heritage based on a social system that forms certain habits. Generational differences in families often lead to diverse orientations and values regarding wedding rituals. Both mothers and daughters undertake Javanese marriage preparation, which may conflict with what they desire the marriage ceremony to include. These relationships are conflictual in preparing for the event because they involve two generations. This study aims to explore the communication that occurs between mothers and daughters in preparation for a wedding and is analyzed through a communication accommodation process lens. This study uses a qualitative approach, with in-depth interviews and observation as data collection techniques. A data analysis is conducted using thematic analysis techniques. The results indicate the existence of two contexts: the communication accommodation that takes place produces convergence that can solve problems between generations, and generational differences caused by changes in social culture cause differences in communication styles. The findings indicate that (1) marriage is a synchronous part of socializing for both mothers and daughters and (2) the emerging differences refer more to technical aspects. These findings show differences between generations in interpreting various things related to traditional weddings. Full article

To understand the influence of positive thinking ideology on cancer representations among physicians in the city of Medellín. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted on the basis of the theoretical and methodological elements of Corbin and Strauss’s grounded theory. Fourteen physicians were included and selected according to the criteria of maximum variation for education, years of study, and personal and family history of cancer. The information was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with open, axial, and selective coding. Results: the ideology of positive thinking has managed to permeate the medical discourse and the representations that they form about the etiology and treatment of cancer. Physicians place the mind, emotions, attitude, and positive thinking as determinants of the origin of the disease and the response to therapy. To argue this link, they use two strategies: (i) a sophisticated and specialized discourse that involves relationships among thoughts, genetics, the neurological, immune and endocrine system and (ii) a mystical and less rational discourse that emphasizes the omnipotence of the mind and thoughts. In no case was the idea of positive thinking rejected or in disagreement with this style of thinking expressed. Conclusion: The fact of linking the disease with mental factors refers to the mind–body dualism and generates a responsibility of the patients on the etiology and therapeutics of the disease, as well as an erasure of the social and political determinants of cancer. The technical discourse and the symbolic capital of physicians offer scientific legitimacy to these ideas and can become performative for patients. Full article

China’s agriculture is increasingly becoming more specialized. However, specialized production has disrupted traditional farming culture and may threaten sustainable mental health. This study takes Chinese farmers’ subjective happiness and agricultural production outsourcing as the research object, in an attempt to reveal the possible unhappy impacts of Chinese-style agricultural specialization represented by agricultural production outsourcing. First, we construct a theoretical framework of the relationship between agricultural production outsourcing and farmers’ subjective well-being. Secondly, based on more than 3800 household survey data collected by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2020, we use the classical econometrics and psychological analysis methods such as the Ordered Probit model and the instrumental variable estimation to conduct a rigorous impact assessment. The results show that for every doubling of agricultural outsourcing expenditure, the probability that farmers think they are very happy decreases by about 21%, and the probability that they think they are relatively happy decreases by about 9%. The groups affected by the negative psychological impact mainly include farmers growing rice and corn, farmers in hills and mountains, and farmers with small-scale operations. Further analysis shows that outsourcing risks, the weakening of farmers’ professional autonomy, and family split caused by agricultural outsourcing bring unhappiness, and the increase in income cannot offset the negative psychological effect of outsourcing. The findings of this study may bring inspiration to other countries with agricultural outsourcing markets and programs to improve the national subjective well-being. Full article