Developmental Area Brown Bag -

KEVIN CONSTANTE

Title:
Cultural Socialization, Family Cohesion, and Ethnic Identity

Abstract
The current study examined the underlying contributors to ethnic identity within the family context. Specifically, we examined how youth’s cultural socialization experiences and youth’s sense of family cohesion were related to ethnic identity processes (e.g. EI exploration, resolution, affirmation). It was hypothesized that youth who experienced high cultural socialization in a cohesive family context, would show high levels of ethnic identity exploration, resolution, and affirmation. Using time 1 of a larger longitudinal study, 149 Latino adolescents (ages 13-14; 53% females) from a Midwestern city completed the ethnic identity scale (Umaña-Talyor et al. 2004), familial ethnic socialization (Umaña-Taylor, 2001; Umaña-Taylor et al. 2009), and family cohesion (Alegría & Takeuchi, 2004). Results suggest that among youth who are exposed to less cultural socialization, having a more cohesive family was associated with more ethnic exploration, as compared to youth in less cohesive families. Feeling close to one’s family was also related to having a clearer sense of one’s ethnicity, independent of cultural socialization experiences. Finally, more cultural socialization was associated with higher ethnic identity affirmation among youth in less rather than more cohesive families. Findings are further discussed in light of normative adolescent development.

Biography
Kevin Constante is a third year Ph. D candidate in the Developmental Psychology program. He earned his B.A in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. His research involves understanding how adolescent develop connections to their ethnic heritage, and it’s promotive and protective benefits, such as in school. His work also involves studying the role of the family cultural contexts on adolescent health risk behaviors. Through the Developmental Training Grant, he is investigating how one’s ethnic identity shape neural mechanisms that may underlie adolescent risk-taking behaviors.

JOYCE LEE

Title:
Longitudinal and reciprocal relations between coparenting relationship quality and father engagement in low-income families

Abstract
Few studies of low-income, unmarried parents of young children have examined the longitudinal and reciprocal relations between coparenting relationship quality and father involvement. The goal of this study was to examine whether low-income parents’ coparenting relationship quality and father engagement (in caregiving and play) share a reciprocal relation across the first three years of their child’s life. Data were from Building Strong Families (BSF), a large-scale study of low-income, unmarried couples who enrolled in a relationship strengthening program at or near the birth of their child. The analytic sample consisted of 2,098 families whose fathers were consistently residential with the mother and child all or most of the time. The study used fathers’ and mothers’ reports of coparenting relationship quality and fathers’ reports of father engagement at two time points: 15 months (T1) and 36 months (T2) after the couple enrolled in the BSF program. A cross-lagged analysis was conducted using couple-level coparenting and father engagement latent variables at T1 and T2. Results showed that couple-level coparenting predicted fathers’ increased engagement in cognitively and socially stimulating play activities, but not in caregiving. These findings suggest that targeting low-income parents’ coparenting relationship quality may be one way to promote low-income residential fathers’ ongoing engagement in play with their young children.

Biography
Joyce Lee is a third-year doctoral student in Social Work and Developmental Psychology, working with Drs. Brenda Volling and Shawna Lee. She received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work with a minor in Psychology at Rutgers University and her master’s degree in Social Work at Columbia University. Currently, her research involves understanding predictors of father involvement among low-income men, measurement issues related to father involvement, and the ways in which fathers’ positive parenting practices—such as sensitivity, warmth, and inductive discipline—prevent early signs of child maltreatment and promote healthy socioemotional outcomes for children.