Jim Keenan, SJ, of the Theology Department spoke on "Family Dynamics of the Church: Love and Disagreement." Father Keenan addressed the topic of disagreement through the concept of family and church community. He discussed how to manage these tensions and real difficulties that are faced on a constant basis, while maintaining a sense of love and respect for one another. / with Rev. Jim Keenan, SJ / Hillside Cafe

This study of the process of readjustment for secondary students returning home after twelve months abroad was investigated from a family perspective. Although researchers suggest that interactions between the student and others in the home environment facilitate smooth readjustment, little is known about how the family relates during this transition period. In this study, the interactional dynamics within the family during the student's readjustment were explored. Theoretical concepts from systems theory and family developmental theory were used to further understanding of the interactional processes within the family system. A multiple single-case study research design was employed, where eight families were interviewed at three points in time: one month before the student's return; one month after the student's return: and at four to five months after return. All family members were interviewed at each stage, using a semi-structured interview guide designed to gather data about family relationships during this period. Changes in family dynamics between siblings, the returnee student, and parents, were a significant finding of this study, although these changes varied across families. A family perspective of the readjustment process was collated from descriptive accounts from family members, where four phases of the family experience could generally be described: excitement, uncertainty, rediscovery and reorganisation of the family system. It was concluded that the study showed evidence that the readjustment process was influenced by the interactions and interrelationships within the family, where not only the student had changed but also the family.

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The purpose of this research was to conduct an exploratory study of parental involvement in youth sports. The Flow Model developed by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi is used as the basis of my theory behind the research. Although there has been recognition that it is important to study young athletes, little is known about parental involvement. Thus, my three main research questions are: (a) How do adolescents experience their participation in soccer? (b) What are the family dynamics, as expressed by parents, related to challenging and supporting their children? And (c) How do adolescents experience the relationship between these family dynamics and their participation in soccer? My methods of inquiry of this study included collecting data through two questionnaires: (a) Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and (b) Support/Challenge Questionnaire (SCQ). I also conducted in-depth interviews. My participants included 11 males and 10 females 14-15 years of age. Each of these participants were administered the two questionnaires. Of these 21 participants, eight adolescent athletes and their parents were followed up with in-depth interviews. The results of this research are organized into four main categories including communication, family interaction, goals and beliefs, and expectations. From these themes, three categories for implications were developed to encompass soccer implications, therapy implications, and research implications. Ultimately, acknowledging how adults affect the outcomes of children's stress and enjoyment, parents can deal more successfully with the social, emotional, and psychological needs of their young athletes (Scanlan & Lewthwaite, 1986). / Ph. D.

For many years the focus of research on child well-being and development has been primarily on the dynamics of the mother-child relationship. The mother was seen as the more influential parent as she spends more time with the children. The father’s role in the development process was thus undermined. Fortunately research on the father’s involvement in a child’s life has improved over the past thirty years. Where previously fathers were mostly perceived as the breadwinners and providers they are now also considered as being caregivers who are more closely involved with their children and the accompanying responsibilities. Research indicates the importance of a father’s role in child development and has found that the intellectual, emotional and social development of a child is influenced by the father. The most beneficial circumstances for children to grow up in is where both of the biological parents are part of the household, satisfied with their marital relationship and loving towards their children. Unfortunately there is a significant increase in South African families where the father is absent and where the mother is burdened with additional responsibilities. However, a father can be emotionally absent despite physical proximity and emotionally absent fathers can be included when describing fatherlessness due to the destructive effect it has on children. Some research indicates that a father is the most significant factor in his daughter’s life and the quality of their relationship influences her personality and general well-being in life. Most literature focusing on the paternal parenting role is more focused on the father-son dyad, the least studied parent-adult child dyad is that of adult daughters and fathers. A great number of research studies on the subjects of divorce, single parents, physically absent fathers and the resulting effects on males are available. Much less literature, especially in the South African context, can be found to focus on and explain the experiences of young adult women who grew up with an emotionally absent father. The aim of the study was thus to explore the subjective experiences of young adult women who grew up with an emotionally absent father. A qualitative research method was used with a phenomenological approach as research design. Eleven voluntary, 20-31 year old adult women, participated in the study and were recruited by word of mouth. Data were collected through in-depth interviews that were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Transcribed data were analysed by means of thematic analysis from which themes and sub-themes were derived. Two main themes with sub-themes were identified. It was found that the participants experienced their fathers as emotionally absent because it was difficult to share their emotions with them, the participants' fathers did not show affection or express their love. They showed no interest, approval or acknowledgement and the participants found it difficult to trust their fathers. According to the participants their relationships with other men were influenced because of this. They further struggled with trusting other people and suffered from a low self-esteem. Due to repressed emotions they did not portray their true self and sought their fathers’ approval by doing things he liked. / MA (Clinical Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

For many years the focus of research on child well-being and development has been primarily on the dynamics of the mother-child relationship. The mother was seen as the more influential parent as she spends more time with the children. The father’s role in the development process was thus undermined. Fortunately research on the father’s involvement in a child’s life has improved over the past thirty years. Where previously fathers were mostly perceived as the breadwinners and providers they are now also considered as being caregivers who are more closely involved with their children and the accompanying responsibilities. Research indicates the importance of a father’s role in child development and has found that the intellectual, emotional and social development of a child is influenced by the father. The most beneficial circumstances for children to grow up in is where both of the biological parents are part of the household, satisfied with their marital relationship and loving towards their children. Unfortunately there is a significant increase in South African families where the father is absent and where the mother is burdened with additional responsibilities. However, a father can be emotionally absent despite physical proximity and emotionally absent fathers can be included when describing fatherlessness due to the destructive effect it has on children. Some research indicates that a father is the most significant factor in his daughter’s life and the quality of their relationship influences her personality and general well-being in life. Most literature focusing on the paternal parenting role is more focused on the father-son dyad, the least studied parent-adult child dyad is that of adult daughters and fathers. A great number of research studies on the subjects of divorce, single parents, physically absent fathers and the resulting effects on males are available. Much less literature, especially in the South African context, can be found to focus on and explain the experiences of young adult women who grew up with an emotionally absent father. The aim of the study was thus to explore the subjective experiences of young adult women who grew up with an emotionally absent father. A qualitative research method was used with a phenomenological approach as research design. Eleven voluntary, 20-31 year old adult women, participated in the study and were recruited by word of mouth. Data were collected through in-depth interviews that were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Transcribed data were analysed by means of thematic analysis from which themes and sub-themes were derived. Two main themes with sub-themes were identified. It was found that the participants experienced their fathers as emotionally absent because it was difficult to share their emotions with them, the participants' fathers did not show affection or express their love. They showed no interest, approval or acknowledgement and the participants found it difficult to trust their fathers. According to the participants their relationships with other men were influenced because of this. They further struggled with trusting other people and suffered from a low self-esteem. Due to repressed emotions they did not portray their true self and sought their fathers’ approval by doing things he liked. / MA (Clinical Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study investigates the influence of family structure during adolescent on college entry and success using the more recently available Postsecondary Education Transcript Study (PETS) data of the High School and Beyond (HS&B) sophomore cohort to predict college entry, baccalaureate degree completion, and persistence in the science, math, technology, and engineering pipeline at the collegiate level. I propose that family structure not only influences adolescents' preparation for higher education, but also their ability to commit to and persevere within higher education. While traditional studies of student achievement and persistence have focused on socioeconomic status or academic ability, I explore family dynamics in attempting to explain the disadvantage adolescents from non-intact families experience within higher education. While controlling for family income and parents education, this study specifically explores parental involvement, parent's educational aspirations, and family disruption as potential mechanisms that might account for the disadvantage adolescents from non-intact families experience in terms of higher education. The findings in this study indicate that single parent families and stepparent families should be analyzed as distinct groups for greater accuracy and understanding. Moreover, parental involvement, turbulence, and parental expectations as measured in high school influence the life course of young adults in their postsecondary pursuits. The present study contributes significantly to our understanding of families, family processes and higher education conceptually, and its findings have implications for education policy. / text

Many studies have interpreted the positive and negative consequences of China's One-Child Policy on Chinese women, but few have relied upon contribution from Chinese women and only children themselves. However, by valuing personal, lived experience, researchers may discourage the propagation of Western media stereotypes of what it means to be a young Chinese woman in urban China. The use of an intersectionality framework showcases how Chinese women's lived experiences must be framed more widely than a single aspect of their identity and that gender, educational experiences, family dynamic, and single child status (among other identity markers) form a more complex and holistic identity than any marker considered individually. This thesis argues that the intersectionality of lived experience makes it necessary to consider each individual's story as valuable and that commonalities and differences are both crucial to understanding how individual's lives intersect in the context of this complex birth policy

The purpose of this research is to measure the social shifts that take place in a home where artificial intelligent (AI) devices like Echo Dot and Google Home are fully integrated into their everyday life. Research is currently limited, being that the widespread use of these devices is roughly seven years old. Three main outcomes of this study were related to how often Alexa is being used in homes to solve everyday problems, the lack of overall privacy and security concerns users had, and the level of integration into the home as a member of the family. Some limitations and challenges are my ability to compare the households before and after installing these devices in the home; pinpointing when and where the device is used (i.e., room placement); collecting data on whether the device is used often or sparingly; and the depth of interactions these families actually have with the device on a whole. The broader implications behind the increased integration of AI devices is centered around health, labor, social inequality and ethics.

Mexican-American adults and adolescents in general have been reported to have high levels of anxiety symptomatology. In our study of a tri-ethnic sample of 2528 junior and senior high school students, the Youth Self Report (YSR) version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a sociodemographic questionnaire was used to assess the anxiety symptoms of Hispanic youth. We compared the ratings on anxiety symptoms, using Achenbach's anxiety subscale on the YSR, between two populations. The anxiety levels of youth in coastal southeast Texas (Galveston County) were compared to the anxiety levels of youth in the lower Rio Grande Valley. We found that Mexican-Americans of the Lower Rio Grande Valley scored higher on anxiety symptoms than the tri-ethnic population of Galveston County. Other factors associated with higher anxiety scores for Mexican-American youths included being born outside the US, linguistic fluency, father absent from the home, mother's education, and household size. Multiple regression analyses showed that socio-economic status (SES), family composition, and linguistic fluency had a greater relative impact on anxiety symptomatology than all other factors, both for the total sample as well as for the Mexican-American sample. These results parallel previous findings, with Mexican-American adults, which suggest either higher risk for anxiety symptomatology or a culturally related bias in the reporting of such symptoms.