Bibliographies
The following bibliography has been compiled from the Australian Family & Society Abstracts database and other resources held in the Institute's library. Where available a link to the document on the Web is provided. Most items can be borrowed from the Institute's library via the inter library loan system. Online publications in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Updated May 2010
Cultural issues
Child
care in cultural context: issues for new research.
Wise, S; Sanson, A
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies,
2000, 23p (Research paper no.22) and Online (111 KB)
This paper describes new Australian Institute of Family
Studies research which aims to address the influence
of home - child care discontinuities on children. The
study has been designed to advance our understanding
of how home-child care congruity factors relate to
child care quality, the child care variables that promote
congruence across care settings, and the extent to
which congruity on child related variables influence
the arrangements parents make for their children's
care. This paper details the theoretical and empirical
literature on home-child care congruity and outlines
the approach taken in the current research to unravel
the importance of maintaining parental practices for
child rearing in child care. Issues covered include:
use and expectations of child care among different
cultural groups; cross cultural practices among Vietnamese,
Eritrean, Ethiopian and Somalian families; parents'
and carers' views about the role of child care; nature
of care and satisfaction with care; and child care
quality.
Coping and resilience in refugees from the Sudan: a narrative account.
Schweitzer, Robert; Greenslade, Jaimi; Kagee, Ashraf
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry v.41 no.3 Mar 2007: 282-288
The purpose of this paper was to identify and explicate coping and resilience themes employed by 13 resettled Sudanese refugees. The refugees participated in qualitative interviews conducted with the assistance of a bilingual community worker. They were asked to describe their experience of coping in the three periods of their migration, namely: pre migration, transit and post migration. A number of themes associated with coping and resilience in response to trauma were identified. These themes may be translated into strategies to assist in responding constructively to trauma. Such approaches may be used to improve the well being of resettled refugees in Australia.
Culture and child abuse.
Yeo, S S
In: Raphael, B. and Malak, A. eds. Diversity and
mental health in challenging times. Parramatta,
NSW: Transcultural Mental Health Centre, 2001, p164-175
(Culture and mental health: current issues in transcultural
mental health no.8)
This chapter looks at cultural diversity in relation
to child abuse and neglect. Issues include the delivery
of culturally appropriate and effective services
for ethnic minority communities and correct assessment
and treatment. The author notes that Australian
child protection legislation is based on a western
world view, while definitions of child abuse are
culturally specific. She discusses some differences
between traditional Chinese, Indian and Western
child rearing practices, arguing that culturally
responsive forms of treatment would result in greater
utilisation of services and positive treatment outcomes.
She believes that culturally appropriate child protective
services must be provided and that cultural context
has to be taken into account when defining child
abuse.
Journey of resilience and adaptation:
counselling Vietnamese people.
Hart, J
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
v.23 no.1 Mar 2002: 20-28
Despite the substantial number of Vietnamese residing
in Australia, many Australians' knowledge and attitudes
are still shaped by the Vietnam War and the resulting
exodus of refugees. This superficial impression
contributes little to a meaningful understanding
of the rich heritage of the Vietnamese people. The
purpose of this article is to broaden the understanding
of helping professionals who come into contact with
Vietnamese Australians, so as to evoke responses
that are more sensitive, appropriate and useful.
A brief history of Vietnam is followed by an exploration
of historical insights and cultural variables that
aid our understanding of the people, and by an examination
of the applicability of these factors for counselling.
(Journal abstract)
Just
accept us how we are more: experiences of young
pakeha with their families in Aotearoa New Zealand.
McCreanor, Tim; Watson, Peter D; Denny, Simon J
Social Policy Journal of New Zealand no.27 Mar 2006:
156-170, tables, and Online
Families are widely recognised as among the most
influential contributors to the environments experienced
by young people as they mature. This paper brings
together two independent studies - one quantitative,
one qualitative - conducted concurrently within
the same districts of urban Auckland in Aotearoa
New Zealand. Survey data and life story accounts
are used to create a composite representation of
the complexity and richness of the young participants'
experiences. The importance of parents, siblings
and more distant relations is discussed in terms
of sample trends and case experience. The implications
of the findings for health promotion, positive youth
development and social equity are considered, with
the conclusion that families remain a crucial site
for interventions to enhance the well being of young
people. (Journal abstract)
Language, spirituality and cultural empathy:
a response to Justin Hart.
Hoang, L
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
v.23 no.1 Mar 2002: 29-31
In an article of this issue of the Australian and
New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, the author
responds to an article by Justin Hart in which he
aimed to provide counselling professionals with
a background history of Vietnam and an understanding
of Vietnamese cultural flavours. The author focuses
on sharing his own experiences as a counsellor,
some of which support Hart's position, others of
which bring out different aspects of therapeutic
relevance to the points made in his article. Although
Hart called for displaying empathy as part of relationship
development, the author found it useful to attend
to cultural empathy which requires tuning very specifically
to cultural variables in individual cases and for
which he provides two examples.
Making difference matter: an exploration
of culture and identity in the therapeutic domain.
McIlwaine, F
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
v.23 no.1 Mar 2002: 14-19
This paper examines a number of dimensions which
the author believes are pivotal to a feminist perspective
in working with clients from linguistically and
culturally diverse communities. Definitions of culture
and identity are examined in the context of power,
followed by a discussion of the therapist's relationship
with her/his frameworks of knowledge. Finally, the
place of ethics is considered, drawing on a recent
analysis of democracy. Through this discussion and
analysis, therapists may reflect more fully on their
own culture and identity, without which it is not
possible to do therapy which can bridge cultural
difference. (Journal abstract)
Meeting
the challenges of parenting: factors that enhance
and hinder the role of parents.
Soriano, G; Weston, R; Kolar, V
Family Matters no.58 Autumn 2001: 38-45, and Online (PDF 1100 KB)
What makes life easier or more difficult for parents
raising young children? How do parents from different
cultural backgrounds view these issues? The Australian
Institute of Family Studies' Parenting-21 study
of families from Anglo, Torres Strait Islander and
Vietnamese communities provides some insights. The
project was part of an international study (the
International Study of Schools, Parents and Children:
ISPCS), the aim of which was to identify cross cultural
difference and similarities in parenting beliefs,
values, daily concerns and behaviour. The comments
of the parents participating in the study highlighted
the need to provide multi layered, flexible and
culturally sensitive approaches to supporting families,
with support for parenting directed at various system
levels - the individual, group, family, community
and society.
Multicultural
attitudes to parenting (PDF 823 KB)
Inside Out Jul - Aug 2005: 10-11, table, and Online
Parent Line, in New South Wales, was established
a decade ago to help parents, many of whom come
from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
This article talks to the Manager of Parent Line,
Barbara Adair, and discusses links between multiculturalism
and family crisis. It also looks at the chasm between
the cultural practices of migrants and the philosophy
of the Australian legal system.
New spaces and possibilities: the adjustment to parenthood
for new migrant mothers (PDF 248 KB).
Desouza, Ruth
Wellington, NZ: Families Commission, 2006, 50p,
figures (Blue skies report no.13/06).
The maternity experiences of 40 women from Chinese,
Korean, Indian, Arab Muslim and European backgrounds
who recently immigrated to New Zealand were explored
in this study. The report discusses changing demographics,
motherhood and migration, ethnocentrism and migrant
motherhood, responses to cultural diversity in NZ,
the lack of multicultural health policy, and cultural
competence. The study examined the experiences of
the participants during the antenatal period, during
labour and delivery and post partum. The report
analyses the results and discusses issues for service
providers and implications for migrant mothers.
Parent perspectives on childcare quality
among a culturally diverse sample.
da Silva, Lisa; Wise, Sarah
Australian Journal of Early Childhood v.31 no.3
Sept 2006: 6-14, tables
Traditionally, childcare quality has been defined
from a child development perspective. How quality
is defined, however, depends on the stakeholder
being considered. This paper examines childcare
quality from a parent perspective. Information was
obtained from 238 Australian parents from culturally
diverse backgrounds with children using formal childcare
services. The findings suggest that while developmental
features of child care were central to all parents'
concepts of quality, the issues of accessibility,
relationships with carers, and sensitivity to cultural
background also ranked highly. Some cultural differences
were found. Overall, parents perceived that their
childcare arrangement matched the quality features
they considered important. However, this differed
according to parent culture, with Somali parents
most likely and Vietnamese parents least likely
to report that their childcare arrangement matched
the quality features they considered important.
The research, policy and practice implications are
discussed. (Journal abstract)
Primary preventative intervention in a
modern and diverse society.
Mesuraco, B
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
v.23 no.1 Mar 2002: 33-37
The realisation that cultural contexts were impeding
access to services for many disadvantaged families
and hindering the disclosure of child sexual abuse
prompted two agencies to organise collaborative
primary prevention strategies. Family groups were
convened from the local Cambodian, Vietnamese, Latin
American and Arabic-speaking communities. Focus
groups were attended by one or more members of each
family. Participants contributed to the formation
of a collective understanding that could then be
adapted and passed on to other families in their
communities. It was observed that once individual
families entered this process, isolation diminished
and steps towards exploration of the issues could
be taken. This paper outlines a process through
which family therapists can use primary prevention
strategies to reach NESB groups. (Journal abstract)
Raising children in Chinese immigrant
families: evidence from the research literature.
Guo, Karen
Australian Journal of Early Childhood v.31 no.2
Jun 2006: 7-13
Children of Chinese culture are raised differently
from children of other cultural groups. There is
research evidence that contends that, regardless
of where they live, the child rearing practices
within Chinese immigrant families are still influenced
by Chinese traditional culture. Some studies also
point out that Chinese immigrant parents modify
the traditional way of raising children in accordance
with the new way of life. This article explores
the literature on the parental beliefs and practices
of Chinese new immigrant parents and discusses the
factors that help Chinese parents raise their children
in the countries to which they migrate. In line
with the literature, Chinese immigrant parents referred
to in this study are those who have moved from China,
Hong Kong and Taiwan to non Asian countries within
the past ten years. (Journal abstract, edited)
The I do's and don'ts of intercultural
marriage.
Kahlenberg, Rebecca R
Threshold no.84 Jul 2005: 11-13
Spouses in intercultural marriages can be faced
with additional challenges in their relationship
that derive from cultural differences. This article
discusses some aspects of intercultural marriages,
and offers suggestions for dealing with specific
difficulties arising from differing cultural attitudes
towards child rearing, in laws, religion, and other
issues.
Towards developing a family therapy for
Melanesia.
Orathinkal, Jose; Vansteenwegen, Alfons
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
v.25 no.3 Sept 2004: 148-154
Our principal objective is to call the attention,
primarily of Australian-New Zealand family therapists,
to the relevance and the urgency of developing,
promoting and providing family and/or couple therapy
in the Melanesian context. We emphasise the need
to take into consideration Melanesian worldviews,
values and social systems. We discuss a traditional
'mediation reconciliation ritual' model of solving
family or couple conflicts, and also point to some
of the immediate situations in which a family therapist
could intervene. A few recommendations are also
made for how the academic context could be utilised
to develop Melanesian family therapy. (Journal abstract)
Transcultural differentiation: a model
for therapy with ethno-culturally diverse families.
Khisty, K
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
v.22 no.1 Mar 2001: 17-24
This article evolved out of the writer's experience
of being an immigrant, a systemic thinker, and a
therapist involved in working with individuals and
families from many different cultures. It proposes
a model of 'transcultural differentiation', drawing
on Western notions of separation-individuation (Mahler)
and differentiation of self (Bowen), but arguing
that these concepts may have equivalents within
non-Western philosophies (e.g. Indian cultural beliefs).
The model suggests that families co-existing with
both a culture of origin and an adoptive culture
must inevitably change, and that in this process,
they necessarily evolve into entities which transcend
both culture of origin and adoptive culture. Implications
for therapy are explored; in particular, it is argued
that the therapist's awareness of, and sensitivity
to, the transcultural experience may be more crucial
than whether or not she/he shares the client's culture
of origin. (Journal abstract)
Working cross culturally.
Wigzell, C
Relatewell v.5 no.3 Sept 2001: 5-7
Requirements of multicultural awareness are itemised
in this article which defines culture and outlines
the challenges parent educators may face in inter
cultural interactions, discussing issues of: overcoming
personal ethnocentric attitudes; understanding attribution;
cross cultural communication; presenting parenting
education to culturally and linguistically diverse
audiences; and culturally and linguistically diverse
communities and family issues.
Working with CALD families: learning from the
experience.
Young, Sally
Synergy: Newsletter of
the Australian Transcultural Mental Health Network no.2 2005: 6-7, and
Online (whole issue PDF 876K)
Key themes to be aware of when
working with culturally and linguistically diverse families in mental
health services are discussed in this article. These issues include:
strengthening of family ties; children; the meaning of language; the
importance of homeland; communication with other family members; post
traumatic stress; cultural understanding of mental health; spirituality;
generational attitudes to assimilation and the culture of origin; and
family and cultural life.
Working with men
from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Yong, Arthur; Majeed, Khairy
In: People, Partnerships and Performance - Family
Services Australia National Conference 2003 - FSA
Conference proceedings. Deakin, ACT: Family Services
Australia, 2003, 4p, Online only (PDF 94 KB)
The authors describe the strategies employed in
the Men and Family Relationships Program piloted
by the Northern Migrant Resource Centre. The program
works with individual Arabic and Chinese born men
in addressing individual family counselling needs,
as well as providing community education, skills
development training, socialization and groups based
activity programs. One of the strategies adopted
by the project is to provide social and sporting
activities to large groups of recently arrived males
from Iraq. Another is Karaoke on regular Friday
nights at a neighbourhood centre.