Cultural Resilience and Positive Child Adjustment

University Of Oregon, Eugene OR

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Abstract

The proposed research intends to examine the ways in which cultural influences are transmitted within familial and peer contexts, and how these influences are associated with psychological adjustment of ethnic minority adolescents. Ethnic minority youth present unique mental health issues because their developmental path is influenced by a variety of factors related to their ethnicity and culture. Encounters with discrimination, prejudice, and social isolation influence the development of ethnic identity and relationships with peers and significant adults (e.g. teachers, mentors). Especially for ethnic minority youth, preparation by families, peers and local communities provide strong buffers against the challenging minority experiences. This proposed research will examine the specific ways ethnic minority families prepare their children through multi-method, multi-agent assessments of racial socialization, and how these socialization messages are associated with adolescent adjustment. With the increasing ethnic minority population, this study has the potential to provide valuable knowledge required in designing effective and culturally sensitive intervention programs by identifying how cultural socialization fosters healthy adjustment in youth of color.