<p> Research has examined psychological symptoms, communication patterns from parent to child, parenting style, and protective and resiliency factors in descendants of Holocaust survivors. The current study explored intergenerational trauma and resilience in second- and third-generation Holocaust survivors as compared to a matched comparison group. Four groups were studied based on the participants&rsquo; Holocaust background and demographics: second generation (2GH; <i>n</i> = 7) and third generation survivors (3GH; <i> n</i> = 45) who self-identified as having at least one parent or grandparent, respectively, who is/was a Holocaust survivor interned during the war, and a matched comparison group (2GM; <i>n</i> = 22, 3GM; <i>n</i> = 13) for each generation consisting of non-Jewish descent who had one parent or grandparent who emigrated from the same European countries between 1945&ndash;1952. Ten 2GH and 3GH participants opted to complete the additional qualitative interview in which they were asked questions about their experiences as a descendant of a Holocaust survivor. Results showed that third-generation survivors endorsed more symptomatology than the matched comparison group; however, second generation survivors did not endorse more symptomatology than second generation match comparisons. Additionally, when descendants reported less adaptive family communication, affect responsiveness, and family cohesion, they reported higher levels of symptomatology. Lastly, we found that descendants who reported turning toward religion during times of stress (positive religious coping) endorsed higher levels of obsessive-compulsive and anxiety symptoms and those who endorsed turning away from religion in times of stress (negative religious coping) reported more depressive symptoms. A conceptual model is presented that includes vulnerability and resilience factors related to the intergenerational effects of Holocaust exposure.</p><p>

<p> In 2011, the Head Start Office introduced the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework to all Head Start programs (Department of Health and Human Services, 2011a). This framework was developed to increase parent involvement in getting children ready for kindergarten. The goal of the framework was to provide technical resources and skills to improve the parent involvement level in Head Start parent involvement activities. The goal of this study is to explore the perception of the role of the father and Head Start programs&rsquo; father involvement facts at eight selected Head Start programs. </p><p> Interview, survey, and activity observation were used. Specifically, the Paternal Involvement in Child Care Index (PICCI) score and father/father figures&rsquo; demographic information, family/community coordinator interview answers were gathered from the Head Start programs that participated in the study. Three statistical techniques, independent <i>t</i>-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and multiple-regression were used for quantitative data analysis, and qualitative data was generalized into a flow chart and a father involvement model based on Bronfenbrenner&rsquo;s ecological system theory. </p>

<p> Relations between parents and children play an essential role across the life course. A vast number of studies provide empirical evidence for the link between parental attachment and the psychological well-being of children. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore how American and American Lebanese parents perceive the influence of parent-child relationships on their children&rsquo;s well-being. Bowlby&rsquo;s attachment theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. A qualitative descriptive design was used in which 100 parents were sampled to complete a mostly open-ended online questionnaire. Additionally, 12 parent participants were interviewed by phone. Questionnaire results were presented in percentages and summary format. Interview results were deductively summarized. Main codes for the first research question were parent/child bonding, reciprocal communication patterns and connectedness. Main codes for the second research question included barriers to parent/child relationships and changes that occurred in the relationship over time. Findings did not reveal culture significantly influenced parent/child relationships in this sample. In conclusion, the study identified that closeness and communication are related to family the parent/child relationship. Due to limited analysis strategy and limited variation in the sample, more research is recommended. </p><p>

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The present study explores the experiences of 12 gay and queer males within the sport of marathoning. Working within an anti-positivist paradigm that draws on queer and poststructuralist gender theories, as well as a Foucauldian perspective of the body, I investigate subjects' discursive constructions of sexuality, gender, and the body within the context of this individual sport milieu. Gathered through guided conversations, written personal stories, and my reflexive research journal, subjects' narratives were analyzed thematically and then submitted to a discourse analysis. While revealing the subjects' recitation of dominant discourses regarding gay sexuality, the analysis also suggested marathoning as a "queer positive" space for the participants. Analysis also uncovered some resistance to dominant constructions of sporting masculinity, but also an emergent masculinity specific to the marathon context that re/produced a traditional gender order. Though interpellated by dominant discourses, subjects also "blurred" the traditional rigid boundaries of sexuality and gender binaries. Finally, the subjects' discursive constructions of their bodies and marathon practices were also considered. I have suggested that queer marathon bodies can be considered as "hybrid" creations through the adoption of subject positions within dominant discourses of physical activity, running, and popular representations of gay male physicality. In focusing specifically on an individual sporting space, this study adds a unique perspective to the growing body of knowledge related to gay men in sport.

Empathy is a prominent component of social competence and is believed to foster effective communication, promote successful conflict management, and improve social relationships quality (Davis, 1994). The role of empathic responses in the romantic context, however, was overlooked in past literature, hence limiting our understanding of its contribution to global marital functioning. Dyadic empathy is the focus of this thesis and is examined through two articles. The first article is concerned with the measurement of dyadic empathy. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1980), a measure of general cognitive and emotional empathy, was adapted to assess empathy expressed toward the partner specifically and was validated in three independent samples of romantically involved individuals and couples. Confirmatory factor analyses yielded a two-factor structure (dyadic perspective taking and dyadic empathic concern), statistically invariant across gender and relationship type (heterosexual versus same-sex). Evidence of convergent, discriminant, concurrent, predictive, and incremental validity, as well as reliability and stability of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index for Couples is also provided. In sum, this measure appears valid for the assessment of cognitive and emotional dyadic empathy in diverse types of couples. The second article presents a theoretical model in which dyadic empathy mediates the relationship between romantic attachment and psychological and physical intimate violence. Attachment was assessed through self-report and behavioural observation in 193 couples recruited in the general community. Results from multilevel analyses generally support the theory. Attachment anxiety and avoidance negatively predicted dyadic empathy and positively predicted intimate partner violence in both men and women. Dyadic empathy in partners also predicted psychological and physical partner violence. Dyadic empathy mediated the relationship between avoidance and the use of psychological violence in women. Contrary to predictions, however, behaviourally observed attachment was unrelated to dyadic empathy or partner violence. This study has clinical implications and suggests that both romantic attachment and empathy expressed toward the partner may be valuable points of intervention for understanding and preventing the occurrence of violence within intimate relationships.