R Anand, Social relationships of adolescents

Feedback on Educational Research ProjectAt an Auckland High School

5/8/10

Literature on Social Relationships of Adolescents

•Adolescence is a period where social relationships are likely to be formed due to the interactions and opportunities that

present in the lives of growing individuals.

The study of adolescents has important implications for parents, educators and practitioners as means of promoting

adolescents` positive behaviours ( Walker,et al; 2007).

•Structure of Family Settings •Societal systems may influence the kind of social relationships

adolescents engage within or outside of the family (Greenberger & Chen, 1998).

•Provides Strategies of integration that develops within these structures (Ceci, Stephen, Papierno, Paul, 2005).

•Support networks help children to form a belief system encouraging them to become more resilient(Padilla-Walker,

Laura, Carlo, Gustavo,2007). •An avenue for betterment of youth to occur through

formalised social relationships(Flynn, Heather, & Kohler, 2007; MacFarlane, Glynn, Grace, & Peneitito, 2006).

Communities and Belief Systems

Significance to NZ Society

The Method

•Aim: To explore 4 immigrant adolescents’ view of non-kin relationships in ‘nuclear’ and ‘communal’ settings.

•Design - The study was undertaken using a multiple case-study method

•The Research Questions

•Small number of students - indepth understanding of social relationship patterns

•Acknowledgement of issue of sensitivity –relationships, culture and gender

2 immigrant adolescents in New Zealand living in nuclear settings with their parents, siblings

2 immigrant adolescents in New Zealand living in communal setting with extensive extended family

support

Participants & Procedure

Nature and frequency•Who do you seek support from outside your immediate

family?•Where do you meet with them?

•How often do you meet with them?

Specifics through Visual Mapping

.

The Questionnaire

1. From whom and where do you seek support?2. How and why do you seek support? 3. What is the nature of the support ?4. What are the issues you are comfortable to

discuss with them?5. What were the reasons for choosing someone

within your family to confide in issues personal to you?

6. What were the reasons for choosing some one outside of your family to confide in issues personal to you?

Grouping and Coding

Coding : For each of the two groups responses were coded according to the relationships with respective groups or people who were

mentioned by the participants.

Analysis

Ethics

Active consent –Parents and adolescents

Information to Participants

•Informed consent, confidentiality of the data, minimising harm to participants through deception and the social sensitivity of their age, gender, culture , religion and social class

•Recognise,acknowledge and preserve – family relationships

•Care in reporting

The findings suggested that communal family living was not necessarily associated with large numbers of relationships for support

Nuclear and communalCategorising through theming Insight into acculturation of participant

•Insight into NZ born females in nuclear settings vs. their recently immigrated peers in communal settings •Insight into immigrant adolescents` kin and non-kin relationships in nuclear and communal settings.

•Participants from nuclear settings were NZ born immigrants •Participants from the communal settings were very recent immigrants who had been resident in New Zealand for the last three years

•(Small sample inconclusive around specific patterns ; however research generates questions around the area )

Results Main findings

Discussion- Emerging themesVisual Mapping Details-Nuclear &

Communal 3 family friends

Mum

Grandparents on dad`s side5 friends

5 cousins

Brother

Dad

3 or 4 family friends

Grandparents on mum`s side

Communal Setting Code A -Close to Aunt

Nuclear Setting Code F – Close to FriendsParents

Friend

Aunt

Grandparents

. Pattern of Relationships indicative of the Sikh community. While access to the

Western culture and Western Worldview came through support from friends the adolescents had access to culture and

language from within the family. (McLeod, 1992; Kapil, 1980).

Limitations

•Sample size. •Nature of Study •Focus on a singe ethnic group•Gender

* Pilot for further study The sample was not representative of the ethnic makeup of New Zealand and this could be improved by including a multicultural focused study, or, alternatively concentrating on one specific ethnic or national group.

Future Possibilities

•Comprehensive research •Using a culture-sensitive approach ensure that the assistance given is appropriate and effective•Exploration of specific programmes •Facilitation –of improved integration into the NZ environment.

•Worldwide research on immigrants suggests that integration that is related to psychological adaptation that is individual focused is the preferred mode of acculturation (Liebkind, 1992).

•As long as immigrant adolescents` interactive needs are met in a culture-sensitive manner, they are likely to weather the difficulties of the stormy adolescent phase and adapt themselves to both their immediate cultural environment and the wider socio-cultural environment•(Ward,2001).

Acknowledgement

Dr. Jean Annan – SupervisorDalys Beetham,RTLB ;Kevin Deed,D.P

– Project facilitation Parents of Participating studentsParticipating Students of the High

School