Twinning projects between immigrant families and quebecois families: Volunteer work,mutual aid,or intervention?

Twinning projects between immigrants and local residents are often analyzed from the viewpoint of intercultural relations or adaptation to the host society. Our concern here is with the domestic processes at work in twinning projects implemented by community organizations and funded by the Ministère des Relations avec les Citoyens et de l'Immigration. This draws from a research project carried out among seventy-five twinned families, half of which are Quebecois and half immigrants of diverse origins. Our analysis centers around the different forms of appropriation open to actors: volunteer work, intervention, and mutual aid.     

What Makes a Satisfied Immigrant? Host-Country Characteristics and Immigrants’ Life Satisfaction in Eighteen European Countries

Based on the data from six waves of the European Social Survey collected from 18 European countries between 2002 and 2012, we aimed at explaining the variation in immigrants’ life satisfaction across countries, by focusing on host countries’ characteristics. By adopting the multi-level analysis, we examined the national-level traits from three aspects: namely, the climate of immigrant reception, the extent of public goods provision and the level of economic inequality. Our findings suggest that immigrants are likely to be more satisfied in countries that offer more welcoming social settings. However, this association is significant only when the social setting is measured by attitudes of the native-born towards immigrants, rather than by legal immigration regulations and policies. When taking into account the extent to which host country is able to provide public goods, country’s wealth levels seems not to matter for immigrants’ life satisfaction, whereas countries’ levels of human development is associated with an increase in immigrants’ life satisfaction albeit only at the 10% significance level. The role of economic inequality varies with immigrants’ own socio-economic statuses. On average, immigrants are less satisfied with their lives in host countries with higher levels of economic inequality. However, highly educated immigrants tend not to perceive economic inequality of the country as an obstacle of their satisfaction.     

Personal values and immigrant group appraisal as predictors of voluntary contact with immigrants among majority students in Israel

What predicts whether young people will establish contacts with immigrants? Students are at a pivotal point in which the campus environment can enable substantial contact with immigrants, and where world views and behavioural patterns are formed which can follow through their adult lives. Through a value‐attitude‐behavior paradigm we examine a conceptual model in which appraisal of an immigrant group as a threat and/or benefit to the host society mediates the relationship between personal values and contact. Findings among 252 students in Israel showed that (1) threat/benefit appraisal of immigrants predicted voluntary contact; (2) personal values of self‐direction and hedonism directly predicted voluntary contact; and (3) Threat/benefit appraisal mediated the relationship between self‐direction and power and contact. Results suggest that increasing awareness of benefits of immigrants can promote positive inter‐group relations.     

What does integration mean? social insertion of Russian immigrants in Israel

This article is an effort to refine current understanding of social integration in the context of repatriate migration. The empirical basis for this analysis is a recent survey in a national sample of post-1990 Russian Jewish immigrants to Israel that examined the pace and determinants of their integration and acculturation. The proposed analytical framework in based on the four main indicators of integration among educated first-genaration immigrants: (a) the improving command of the host language and emerging bilingualism; (b) skilled occupation in the mainstream economy; (c) diversification of immigrants’ informal networks to include members of the host society; and (d) shifts in the cultural and media consumption from coethnic (i.e., Russian-based) to the mainstream (i.e., Hebrew/English-based) products. The study helps to sketch social profiles of the immigrants prone to social integration versus separatism; it also taps into the issue of cultural contact between the newcomers and non-immigrant Israelis measured on both sides of theencounter.     

When in Rome… Identification and acculturation strategies among minority members moderate the dehumanisation of the majority outgroup

The study of humanness as a dimension of social judgment has received extensive attention over the past decade. Although the common reported finding is that people attribute more human characteristics to their ingroup than to the outgroup, similar tendencies are expected to be tempered for minority groups when judging the host society. In Study 1, carried out with Gypsy minority members, we tested the hypothesis that those group members who adopt an assimilative strategy identifying more with the host compared with the heritage culture will display the lowest levels of dehumanisation. In Studies 2 and 3, conducted with immigrants in Italy and in Portugal, respectively, the hypothesis was extended from an identification conceptualisation to an acculturation one. Despite significant variability in intergroup settings and measures, results confirmed our hypothesis that immigrants who choose to assimilate with the host culture dehumanise the outgroup less compared with those who adopt any of the other acculturation strategies. Implications for the ethnocentric nature of dehumanisation biases and for intergroup relations in general are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experiences of being homeless or at risk of being homeless among Canadian youths

A qualitative study was undertaken with four groups--immigrants, youths, Aboriginal people, and landlords--in order to explore, compare, and contrast diversity issues among the homeless population and those at risk of homelessness in a larger Canadian city (Calgary, Alberta) with a smaller city (Lethbridge, Alberta), to better understand their and to needs make recommendations for improvement in service delivery and policy formation. This paper focuses on the findings from our sample of youths who shared information on a range of factors that contributed to their being homeless or at risk of being homeless. The youths in this study also shared their positive as well as negative experiences with educators, peers, family members, and social service providers. Canada's homeless include growing numbers of young people, families, women, and members of various ethnic communities, including Aboriginal people and immigrants. Today it is no longer possible to articulate a single silhouette of the homeless, but rather a diversity of profiles is needed. It was in the light of this reality that a study, "Diversity Among the Homeless and Those At Risk," was carried out. It was undertaken with four groups--immigrants, youths, Aboriginal people, and landlords.     

Tú velas por los tuyos: Weak Labor Markets and the Importance of Social Networks

Literature on the economic incorporation of immigrants to new destinations has been missing a discussion on how the strength of the local economy affects immigrants’ need for social networks and how it might also affect the relative importance of strong versus weak ties for immigrant job seekers. Through the use of in-depth interviews, the role and importance of social networks in the labor market incorporation of Hispanic immigrants in economically weak cities is examined, as well as the consequences to those immigrants who are unable to command or lack access to social networks and/or ethnic resources. This paper contextualizes the importance of strong ties for immigrants in economically weak new destinations and argues that in places with such a constricted labor market and stagnant economies, it is imperative for recent arrivals to access and/or construct these strong ties in order to more effectively gain entry into the host society’s labor market.     

Risk and protective factors for delinquency among male adolescent immigrants at different stages of the acculturation process

This cross-sectional study investigated a model of risk and protective factors of the family, school, and peer environment that predict adolescent delinquent behaviour. Three social groups were compared: newcomer ethnic German adolescent immigrants, experienced ethnic German adolescent immigrants, and native adolescents. Based on theoretical assumptions about processes of acculturation, it was hypothesized that the strength of associations between the variables in the theoretical model would vary between newcomer immigrants and native adolescents and also between newcomer and experienced immigrants, but would be similar for experienced immigrants and native adolescents; these hypotheses were supported. Findings suggest that certain risk factors, such as parental violence and involvement with delinquent peers, are more strongly related to delinquency among newcomer immigrants than among experienced immigrants and native adolescents, whereas certain protective factors, such as parental knowledge and school bonding, seem to be relevant for experienced immigrants and native adolescents only. Results seem to indicate that migration can be seen as phase transition with a stronger impact of risk factors on the development of delinquency among newcomer immigrant adolescents. This has implications for studying acculturation processes in immigrant groups as well as for group-specific intervention programmes.     

Intergenerational practice in the community: A focused ethnographic evaluation

An intergenerational community intervention based on contact theory and using ‘photovoice’ methods was designed to change negative age‐group stereotypes and promote sense of community. A focused ethnographic approach was adopted. Participants were 18 young people and 13 older adults. Data from focus groups, carried out with each generation separately, and observational field notes were analysed using thematic analysis; credibility checks were carried out by auditing and respondent validation. Before the intergenerational intervention, both generations presented age‐group stereotypes and both experienced only a weak sense of community. After the intervention, both generations felt that intergenerational contact had reduced age‐group stereotypes and enhanced recognition of intergenerational similarity; many also articulated a positive sense of community. The intervention has promise for helping young people and older adults to feel more socially included. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reducing smoking among pregnant adolescents

Pregnant adolescents who smoke present a double obstetrical risk. Not only is the adolescent mother at risk from the biological, social, educational, and economic factors associated with childbearing at a young age, she and her developing infant also risk the complications associated with maternal smoking. This paper describes a psychosocial intervention designed to reduce smoking in a group of pregnant adolescents. Five modules are presented. Each is designed to: (1) heighten awareness of the issue, (2) provide motivational messages, (3) enhance the adolescent's social skills, and (4) teach specific smoking-cessation skills.     

Acculturation of Host Individuals: Immigrants and Personal Networks

There has been a vast amount of research on the changes experienced by immigrants, but little is known about the changes experienced by host individuals. This article focuses on the role of host individuals in the networks of relations between immigrant populations and the communities from the dominant culture, as well as the changes experienced by host individuals because of their continuous contact with immigrants. This research applied a network approach to the study of the acculturation of host individuals. Two independent studies were carried out: a systematic analysis of the personal networks of Argentinean (n = 67), Ecuadorian (n = 59), Italian (n = 37) and German (n = 37) residents in Seville and Cadiz (Spain) (Study 1); and an ethnographic study with human service workers for Latin American immigrants in Boston (USA) (Study 2). With two different strategies, the role of host individuals in personal networks of foreigners in the United States and Spain was analyzed. The results show that host individuals tend to have less centrality than compatriots, showing an overall secondary role in the personal networks of immigrants. The lowest average centrality was observed in recent and temporal migrants, whereas the highest corresponded to the individuals with more time of residence in Spain. The personal networks of human service providers in the United States vary in ethnic composition and in their structural properties, and therefore shape different types of integrative bridges for immigrants.     

Subjective Reports and Postural Performance Among Older Adult Passengers on a Sea Voyage

We sought to evaluate changes in subjective experience and postural performance among older adult passengers during the first 2 days of a sea voyage. On a vacation cruise, volunteer passengers gave verbal ratings of subjective bodily stability and awareness of ship motion followed by performance on the tandem Romberg test while facing fore-aft and athwartship. Data were collected when the ship was at the dock and on each of the first 2 full days at sea. Ship motion reduced subjective bodily stability and performance on the Romberg test and increased awareness of ship motion. On the first day at sea, Romberg performance was more strongly impacted by motion of the ship in roll (i.e., when facing fore-aft) than in pitch (i.e., when facing athwartship). Also on the first day at sea, subjective bodily stability was correlated with Romberg performance when facing fore-aft but not when facing athwart. In summary, at the beginning of the voyage older adult passengers on a sea voyage exhibited consistent changes in subjective awareness and postural performance. Subjective reports were correlated with postural performance in ways that appeared to be functional. We suggest that this finding may help to illuminate the role of conscious awareness within ecological analyses of perception and action.     

Psychological disturbance,social support and stressors: A community survey of immigrant Asian women and the indigenous population

The purpose of this community survey was to examine the differences in psychological symptom levels, social support, stressors and the awareness and use of local social services between the Asian and the indigenous groups. The theoretical starting point lies in the idea that the Asian group would have experienced considerable stress, partly as a resuldt of their being immigrants, and that the traditional extended family common to them may be an important source of social support. The relationship between psychological symptom levels and social support was examined to test the hypothesis that they might be related. Forty immigrant Asian women and 40 indigenous women were randomly selected from the Electroral Register, 1988, using quota-sampling techniques. All subjects were interviewed in their own homes and in their native languages by volunteer interviewers. In comparison with the Indigenes, the Asians had higher symptom levels; smaller, denser, less dispersed social support networks composed of mainly kin members; they reported more stressors related to their migrant status, and they had a lower awareness and usage of local social services. A relationship between psychological disturbance and social support was found, yielding inconsistent results regariding the direction of the relationship. Limitations of the study were outlined with implications of the results and indications for future research discussed.     

Enabling a young man with minimal motor behavior to manage independently his leisure television engagement

Persons with severe spastic tetraparesis and minimal motor behavior may be confined to a wheelchair or bed and have virtually no chances of constructive engagement with their immediate environment. A possible way to modify this situation may involve the use of technology. The present study (a) assessed specific technology to enable a young adult to manage his leisure television engagement independently and (b) carried out a social validation assessment of the technology-supported performance involving 90 teacher trainees as raters. The intervention period with the new technology included 67 sessions, during which the participant performed independently 392 of the 408 television-management responses, i.e., turning on the television, finding a channel with a preferred program, setting the volume, and turning off the television. He also indicated preference for using the technology as opposed to not using it. The raters provided relatively high (positive) scores for the technology-supported performance compared to the baseline performance. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

6. The Life Voyage

ABSTRACT Chapter 6 applies the five-factor model and the life-story model as complementary perspectives to the multiple data sources collected for the case study of Dodge Morgan. We integrate the two models to create a new level of analysis that captures differing aspects of experience. We develop a holistic personality analysis of Morgan, interpreting his childhood, young manhood, adventures in Alaska and on the boat Coaster, his return to the mainland and embrace of business and entrepreneurship, and his solo circumnavigation. We address questions of voyage outcomes with reference to the quantitative analyses of his voyage log; we consider not only the external journey but also his internal psychological issues and developmental tasks.     

Where do my emotions belong? A study of immigrants' emotional acculturation

The emotional experiences of people who live together tend to be similar; this is true not only for dyads and groups but also for cultures. It raises the question of whether immigrants' emotions become more similar to host culture patterns of emotional experience; do emotions acculturate? Two studies, on Korean immigrants in the United States (Study 1) and on Turkish immigrants in Belgium (Study 2), measured emotional experiences of immigrants and host group members with the Emotional Patterns Questionnaire. To obtain a measure of the immigrants' emotional similarity to the host group, their individual emotional patterns were correlated to the average pattern of the host group. Immigrants' exposure to and engagement in the host culture, but not their acculturation attitudes, predicted emotional acculturation.     

The relationship between different components of national identities and psychosocial adjustment among high-school adolescent immigrants from Russia and Ukraine in Israel

This study investigated the relationship between different components of national identities of immigrants (related to both the country of origin and host country), and psychosocial adjustment in pre-migration and post-migration periods. Adolescents who immigrated from Russia and Ukraine to Israel (N = 151) completed questionnaires at four time points: about six months prior to, and in the first, second, and third years after, immigration. At each point, adolescents were assessed on degree of identification they felt with the citizens of their country of origin and Israel and on their attitudes towards the two countries. Five indexes of psychosocial adjustment were measured: emotional and behavioural problems, self-esteem, social competence, school competence and loneliness. Adolescents' positive attitudes towards the host country were associated with higher psychosocial adjustment, both before and after immigration. Positive attitudes towards the country of origin were associated with higher psychosocial adjustment in the post-migration period. Degree of identification with either nation was not related to psychosocial adjustment. Findings suggest that it may not be identity per se that is the critical factor for adjustment for adolescent immigrants, but rather the extent to which they feel affirmation, pride and positive regard towards the two countries. For adolescent immigrants, idealization of origin and host countries may fulfil an important developmental role allowing them to de-idealize parental figures and create new objects of idealization.     

Young People's Perceptions of their Occupational Decision-Making

In an attempt to discover how young people perceive the processes by which their occupational preferences are formed, semi-structured interviews were carried out with sixteen 15-year-old school-children. Taken together with the results of other work carried out by the author, the results provided some empirical support for the three ways in which Super sees matching of self and occupational concepts as occurring: identification, experience in a role, and awareness of oneself and of occupations. The interviews also revealed the powerful role which the young people perceived significant others as playing in their career development. Six ways in which the influence of significant others was transmitted are identified.     

Flashbulb memories for September 11th can be preserved in older adults

Flashbulb memories (FMs) are vivid, long-lasting memories for the source of surprising, arousing news. Laboratory studies have consistently found that older adults, especially those with below-average frontal lobe (FL) function, are impaired in source memory relative to young. We tested memory for the source of news concerning the September 11th terrorist attacks in older adults with high or low frontal lobe function and in young people. We found no age differences in source memory a year after the event and no differences related to FL function. Flashbulb memories may be different from usual cases of source memory because of their emotional content, personal importance, or social relevance.