{"title":"The Macau Family-in-Transition: The Perceived Impact of Casino Employment on Family Relationships Among Dealer Families","authors":"S. Chan, Cl Kwok, Johnny Y.N. Siu","doi":"10.2174/1874922401507010086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874922401507010086","url":null,"abstract":"Although there is growing consideration of the negative impacts that are instigated by the booming gaming industry on the physical health and job satisfaction of casino employees in Macau, a critical research gap exists in the understanding of the perceived impacts of casino employment on the family life of the dealers. By drawing on evidence from a qualitative study carried out in Macau, the specifics of the changes in the family lives among dealer families and how family relationships have been affected by casino employment will be explored and analyzed in this paper. With a focus-group-interview design, 113 casino dealers have been interviewed in terms of the impacts of casino employment on their family relationships. The findings suggest that while there has been undeniably a positive change in terms of the financial situation of the family, this has neither improved family bonding, nor led to a large-scale transformation of family relations in the direction of greater harmony and functionality. Yet even though there are conflicting views on the perceived impacts of casino employment on their spousal, parental and overall family relationships, the study participants generally agree that the fatigue and incompatibility of schedules that are resultant of casino work impose significant challenges in their parental role. The paper concludes with recommendations to address the issues found in this study.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"14 1","pages":"86-95"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90060608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding Family Connections and Help Seeking Behavior in Chinese American Immigrant Adults who Attempt Suicide","authors":"R. Wong, D. Hou, Evaon Wong-Kim","doi":"10.2174/1874922401507010068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874922401507010068","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: This study explores the influence of beliefs, values and norms in Chinese family culture as they relate to attitudes and beliefs about mental health and mental health services. It examines family and acculturative stressors occurring in the immigrant's social context on attitudes about suicidal distress and help-seeking behaviors, and focuses on appropriate forms of services for suicidal behaviors among adult immigrants experiencing suicidal behaviors. Methods: The study design is descriptive, using a qualitative approach. Six Chinese American immigrant adults who had attempted suicide participated in semi-structured interviews in Mandarin or Cantonese. The content was analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Results: Study participants exhibited various reactions to suicidal distress, attitudes about needing help and usefulness and relevance of existing intervention strategies and services that reflected influences of Chinese family culture. Interactions with family members negatively impacted study participants' attitudes about using services and hindered pathways to care. Acculturative stressors, along with weak family ties and the absence of strong community networks exacerbated the strategies for effective services. Conclusion: This study raises the question of the efficacy of several Western-culture based service delivery models on help-seeking behaviors on such populations. Furthermore, the study discusses ethnic sensitive approaches with core roles for family, peers and community for supporting those at risk of attempting suicide and linking them to appropriate community-based services.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"29 1","pages":"68-76"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91281217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial: “Gender, Family and Parenting in the Chinese Context","authors":"C. Lam","doi":"10.2174/1874922401507010058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874922401507010058","url":null,"abstract":"“The family” has long been a focus of cross-party attention. While family is perceived as foundational to society’s success, how parents rear their children is perhaps the most conservative or persistent part of concern. While Chinese immigrant families and Chinese families in Asia – in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, mainland China, and elsewhere – are struggling with a socialization process that has emphasized support for traditional values, they are also simultaneously being confronted by modern ideologies and technologies. Professionals have a growing interest in addressing the culturally diverse needs and the gender issues of Chinese families.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"1 1","pages":"58-59"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82230374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Internet Supervision and Parenting in the Digital Age: The Case ofShanghai","authors":"Y. Wong, K. Ho, Honglin Chen","doi":"10.2174/18749224015070100112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/18749224015070100112","url":null,"abstract":"This research paper explored the issue of parenting confidence in internet supervision in Shanghai. It examined the methods used by Shanghai parents in supervising children's Internet use, the confidence of parents in helping children to benefit from the Internet and protect them from possible threats, and the factors affecting parents' confidence in their parenting practices. Data were collected from a household survey with a representative sample of 796 low-income families and 799 non-low-income families. Post-stratified weighting was applied to obtain representation of families with children aged 9-17 in Shanghai. Our findings show that Shanghai parents used restriction most frequently in internet supervision. More than one-fifth of parents had limited confidence in helping their children benefit from the Internet and one-eighth in protecting their children from possible Internet threats. Multiple regression models show that better Internet knowledge, an authoritative parenting style, more involvement in children's online activities and a positive attitude towards the Internet are factors which were associated with higher parenting confidence in internet supervision. Findings suggest that efforts in assisting parents review their attitude towards the Internet and learn new supervision methods are important, especially for parents on the lower socio-economic strata.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"62 1","pages":"112-123"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83991307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reflective Inquiry on Professionals' Views on Parents and About Parenting","authors":"C. Lam","doi":"10.2174/1874922401507010096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874922401507010096","url":null,"abstract":"Although there are studies on attitudes and beliefs of parents in childrearing, there is a notable lack of studies on professionals' attitudes and beliefs about parents and about parenting. This study examines both professionals' views of parents and their attitudes and beliefs about parenting, and compares these attitudes and beliefs among different types of professionals. The results indicate that professionals involved in parent education hold a moderately negative view of parents despite being quite sympathetic to the stress experienced by parents. Findings also reveal an undue concern with parenting knowledge and skills. Differences between teachers and social workers were found in perceived stress of parents and perceived role of government. These findings provide an impetus to professionals, and to society at large, to reflect on the values and attitudes they have towards parents and the family.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"295 1 1","pages":"96-102"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73175529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reviving Parents’ Life Momentum: A Qualitative Evaluation of a ParentEducation Program Adopting an Existential Approach","authors":"S. To, S. Kan, Kcon-wah Tsoi, Ting-sam Chan","doi":"10.2174/18749224015070100103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/18749224015070100103","url":null,"abstract":"This paper reports the results of a qualitative analysis of the participants' perceptions and experiences of a parent education program adopting an existential approach. With a critical review of the changing social context of parenthood and the provision of parent education in Hong Kong, the paper discusses the theoretical underpinnings, key components, and the design of a growth- and meaning-oriented parent education program. This program comprised six 5- hour sessions held weekly. The participants included 43 Hong Kong Chinese parents. An evaluation study was conducted to explore the outcomes of the program, which was composed of a non-equivalent comparison group design, a subjective outcome evaluation survey, and post-intervention focus group interviews. The current paper focuses on reporting the qualitative examination of the data collected through five post-intervention focus groups. Twenty-five participants were randomly selected and invited to join the groups. The recurrent themes extracted from their narratives reveal their perceptions of the impacts of the program on their enhancement of self-understanding and personal growth, integration of life through life review, reset of life priority, affirmation of the parent-child relational connection, changes in parent-child relationships and interactions, and cultivation of mutual support and mutual learning. Based on the qualitative findings, the paper explores the relevance and potentials of this approach in re-conceptualizing parent education in the Hong Kong Chinese context.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"118 1","pages":"103-111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89348266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Older Female Survivors of intimate Partner Violence in the Taiwanese Cultural Context","authors":"C. Liu, F. Mishna","doi":"10.2174/1874922401507010077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874922401507010077","url":null,"abstract":"Intimate partner violence (IPV) causes severe physical and psychological damage to victims. Older IPV survi- vors are increasing around the world with the rapidly growing older population. Little is known about the needs of older female IPV survivors in the Chinese cultural context; the aim of this study was to examine the needs of older female IPV survivors in Taiwan. A grounded theory approach was adopted. Individual in-depth interviews were utilized to collect da- ta. First-level coding, constant comparison among coding, then grouping coding into higher levels of categories and iden- tifying a central story were employed to analyze data. Findings were compared to literature for further verification. Eight Taiwanese older female IPV survivors aged 60 to 74 were interviewed. The findings revealed that the cultural premise emphasizing the importance of family was a major contributor to participants' staying in abusive relationships. Four themes emerged in this study: 1) the marriage serving different purposes throughout the life course of the participants; 2) keeping the family whole enhances life satisfaction in older age; 3) working towards financial independence for lifetime security is an important goal; and 4) finding an independent space as a way of coping with the abusive relationship. Implications for social work practice, in particular incorporating the cultural premise into developing viable options for older female survivors, are discussed.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"1 1","pages":"77-85"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88250583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The effects of parental monitoring and communication on adolescent substance use and risky sexual activity: A systematic review","authors":"Jill Ryan, Nicolette V Roman, Auma Okwany","doi":"10.2174/1874922401507010012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874922401507010012","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: The aim of the systematic study was to determine the effect of parenting practices on adolescent risk behaviours such as substance use and sexual risk behaviour. Method: Quantitative research studies were systematically collected from various databases such as Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE (Pubmed), JSTOR, Project Muse and SAGE for the duration of 2003-2013 which was within the 10 year period of relevant literature to the date of study. Results: Findings established that parental monitoring and communication prevented drug initiation, delayed alcohol initiation, and sexual debut, increased alcohol refusal efficacy, and decreased delinquent behaviour and risk taking behaviours in high risk adolescents. Conclusion: This review shows that parental practices play significant protective and promotive roles in managing adolescent risk behaviours.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"47 1","pages":"12-27"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88342516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Fixing” Mother’s who Drink: Family Narratives on Secrecy, Shame and Silence","authors":"Liezille Jacobs, J. Jacobs","doi":"10.2174/1874922401507010028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874922401507010028","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In South Africa, there is a paucity of qualitative studies giving a voice to mothers who drink, which could inform interventions to assist families to heal from repetitive alcohol use disorders. Methods: This qualitative study explored the discursive accounts of 10 mothers who are members of Alcoholic Anonymous in the context of their complex state of being-in-the-world with others (like husbands and children). The aims of this study were to explore why mothers drank excessively and to unpack their families' responses to their drinking. Results: First-person narratives with mothers' about their lived experience with alcohol use disorder illustrate the main themes, which emanated from these discussions. The discourses on secrecy, shame and silence related to the mother's lived-experience with alcohol's occurrence in the family. This paper recommends that families who always stand over and against an alcohol dependent past should consider attending free support group meetings for loved ones of Alcoholics. A popular family support group for families affected by alcohol dependency is known as Al-anon.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"19 1","pages":"28-33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85120570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Epiphanie Mukasano, C. Schenck, Hester M van der Merwe
{"title":"\"A Gift with Strings Attached\": Parents' Experiences of Teenagers' Mobile Phone Text Messaging","authors":"Epiphanie Mukasano, C. Schenck, Hester M van der Merwe","doi":"10.2174/1874922401507010034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874922401507010034","url":null,"abstract":"While the rapid adoption of mobile technology became global, the rate at which young people adopted it was even bigger. Most studies focussed on the experiences of the teenagers. In this study the aim of the study was to explore parents' experiences of their teenagers' text messages. A qualitative exploratory research design was adopted. The population was parents/guardians (males and females) of teenagers (boys and girls) attending high schools in Cape Town South Africa. Available and snowball sampling were used. All participants were recruited in the Southern Suburbs and Cape Flats of the Cape Metropolitan Area. In total 11 parents were interviewed using an interview guideline. The interviews were transcribed, independently coded and thematically analysed. The results show that mobile phones are no ordinary gifts. They are given with strings attached. Once in teenagers' hands, the devices serve both communication and monitoring purposes. It comes with a set of given or negotiated rules and new expectations. The study also emphasises the importance of a trusting relationship with teenagers, respecting their privacy, and the disengagement process from their parents. The importance of positive relationships and open communication as well as negotiated rules in the management of the mobile phone is recommended.","PeriodicalId":75160,"journal":{"name":"The open family studies journal","volume":"12 1","pages":"34-41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82762589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}