Few parenting curricula exist that are culturally-appropriate to the Mexican-immigrant population served by many programs. The Even Start family literacy program has four integrated components, making it more difficult to find appropriate curricula for the families they serve. During Winter 2006, discussion groups were conducted with participants in two Even...
Adolescence is a developmental stage marked by crystallization in individuals’ sense of identity (Erikson, 1994; Harter, 1999). Research on positive youth development stresses the ways in which thriving trajectories during adolescence contribute to positive lifelong outcomes (Lerner & Overton, 2008; Scales, Benson, & Roehlkepartain, 2011) A symbolic interactionism perspective (Mead,...
Housing is a critical component of family life, however, keeping a safe and stable roof overhead is increasingly difficult for the approximately 21 million low-income families in the United States (Urban Institute, n.d.; U.S. Census, 2015). Low-income families struggle to keep a roof overhead within the context of rising housing...
Rising energy costs coupled with the diminishing incomes associated with rural economic restructuring leave an increasing proportion of rural households faced with the heat or eat dilemma--where families must choose between meeting one basic need over another, such as putting food on the table or keeping the heat on. Effective...
The present study characterized physiological responsivity during moral elevation, or elevation, a prosocial emotional state triggered by witnessing displays of altruism and moral beauty. Participants watched video stimuli that induced elevation, or amusement as a control condition, while heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), skin conductance responses (SCR), and...
This analysis uses data from a larger ethnographic study examining community effects of mobile home park residence on child and youth development to explore the resilient pathways of 8 mothers and maternal guardians in order to understand better how successful adaptation is achieved despite significant threats present throughout the life...
This dissertation is a qualitative secondary content analysis of clinical records collected for the Spokane Safe Start Project in Spokane, Washington, a program designed to offset trauma in children exposed to domestic and intimate partner violence (IPV). The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have identified intimate...
During the first full school year of the Covid-19 pandemic, two central contexts for adolescent development—home and school—changed utterly. In Oregon, most middle- and high schoolers attended school entirely remotely from the beginning of the pandemic, in March, 2020, through the end of April, 2021, removing both the supports available...
In this dissertation, I explore how women and men in later life experience the world of dating and the pursuit of new intimate relationships. Although the mortality gap between women and men at older ages is narrowing, as they enter their 70s, 80s, and 90s, there are still at least...