Change and stability on identity and family self indicators, first studied in 1989, are documented among 54 women aged 47.26 (SD=8.44) years; 26 of these women were interviewed in 1997 as well. The present study examined daughters' perceptions of relationships with parents and their influences on women's identities, self-perceptions, and vulnerabilities to distress. Categorizing women by parents' alcoholism status and respondents' concurrent therapeutic activities explained a modest proportion of variance on identity and family self in 1989. By 1997 there were no longer significant differences between alcoholics' daughters and nonalcoholics' daughters. Variance attributable to 1989 group categorization was considerably reduced. Phenomenological themes revealed among daughters' reflections included the importance of parents' time and attention with striking differences on relating with parents in alcoholics' families and nonalcoholics' families. Essential features of perspective taking experiences explain similarities and differences in daughters' felt closeness to parents influencing women's identities, self-perceptions, and therapeutic activities. Incongruity between sociocultural ideals and lived experience evidently exacerbate women's existential struggles. / Ph. D.

The present study employed interpretive phenomenology analysis to explore the lived experiences of young mothers as it pertains to intergenerational family support within the Appalachian context. Informed by symbolic interactionism, the life course perspective, and the kinscripts framework, the present study sought to uncover the meanings attributed to help from family for young mothers. Nine women (ages 18-28; M= 23.33) who had children between the ages of 15 and 19 were interviewed for present study. Through detail-rich narratives, meanings ascribed to help were uncovered. Help was equated with love, and it was presented as a paradox. Help was also conceptualized as a pathway to facilitate young mothers’ autonomy in their new parental roles. Having autonomy, that is defined as the ability to make parenting decisions, along with support from family was associated with feeling confident and adequate as mothers. Mothers who were refused autonomy described distress and struggled with identifying in their new parental role. These findings and their implications are discussed further. / M.S. / The present study explores the experiences of young mothers as it pertains to intergenerational family support, or help from family. Young mothers discussed the ways in which they received or did not receive help from family. Nine women (ages 18-28; M= 23.33) who had children between the ages of 15 and 19 were interviewed for present study. Through detail-rich narratives, meanings ascribed to help were uncovered. Help was equated with many different emotions, including love. Help was also understood as a pathway to facilitate young mothers’ independence in their new parental roles. Having autonomy (i.e., independence), that is defined as the ability to make parenting decisions, along with support from family was associated with feeling confident and adequate as mothers. Mothers who were refused autonomy described distress and struggled with identifying as mothers. These findings and their implications are discussed further.

The empirical knowledgebase of intergenerational programming (IGP) largely relies on anecdotal reports by staff and family members. The lack of concrete knowledge is particularly evident in the literature regarding IGP involving elders with dementia. In an effort to fill some of the voids in the current literature base, observations were conducted for seven weeks at a co-located child and adult day program to determine the effects of IGP on 10 older adult participants (M age =81 yrs., S.D. = 5.21). All participants (5 male and 5 female) were diagnosed with dementia by a physician and attended the adult day program regularly. Intergroup contact theory, which emphasizes interdependence between groups, informed the development and facilitation of the IGP activities. A structured scale was utilized to assess the elders' social behavior and affect during IGP. Control observations were conducted during adult-only activities representative of traditional dementia-care programming, and qualitative data were collected through participant interviews and facilitator journaling to corroborate the quantitative findings. T-test analyses revealed that the older adults exhibited significantly greater levels of group social behavior and significantly fewer instances of unoccupied behavior during IGP as compared to traditional adult-only activities. The adults also expressed significantly more positive affect during IGP than in the control activities. Findings from the qualitative inquiries supported the quantitative results by emphasizing the meaning and purpose of IGP for the elders. Results indicated that effectively planned and facilitated IGP is an appropriate and interesting activity for elders with dementia. / Master of Science

Home - the universally understood and desired state of being that is existing naturally, harmoniously, familiar, and whole. What does it mean to leave home and to seek refuge? And how do we find home again? Throughout history and today, communities across the globe have either suffered in or been plagued with a refugee crisis in some form. Laos is the most bombed country per capita in history. During the American Secret War on Laos, 270 million tons of cluster bombs were dropped on Laos from 1964-1973: equivalent to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24 hours per day, for 9 years. Today, over 265,000 Lao Americans live in the United States with a majority of them arriving as refugees in the 1980s as a result of the Secret War. Lao Americans forced from their homes have since found refuge but what does it look like for them to come home? Understanding home as not only defined as a physical geospatial location, what creates the physiological sense being at home in one's body and one's mind? These are the questions underpinning this thesis. They necessitate an understanding of psychology, sociology, and neurology in a way that has traditionally not been a framework of architectural education and design process thinking. As the broader mental health crisis and concern for well-being continues to dominate societal struggles, architecture and design are called upon to evolve their methodologies. Making Space: Refuge to Home presents a design methodology that focuses on cultivating an informed and empathic client relationship in order to drive intentional design choices based on desired physiological outcomes. In doing so, this thesis offers an approach of how to navigate the complexities of place, home, safety, and identity in order to make space that shifts from providing refuge and safety, to being home and whole. By utilizing participatory story-telling, psycho-social outcome identification, and empathic imagination, this thesis develops a trauma-informed and well-being centric design approach for cultivating resilience and making space to come home. This methodological rigor is applied specifically to the Lao American community and their experience of forced resettlement and intergenerational trauma. Making Space: Refuge to Home challenges traditional architectural approaches that often lean on cultural appropriation, iconographic motifs, or traditional programmatic understandings of what a cultural center is and instead, crafts a new design language. The result is a design approach that places the lived emotional and physiological experience of the user group first. The result is an attempt at a more authentic and complex understanding of home that straddles a multiplicity of cultures and lived realities. / Master of Architecture / Home - the universally understood and desired state of being that is existing naturally, harmoniously, familiar, and whole. What does it mean to leave home and to seek refuge? And how do we find home again? Throughout history and presently, communities across the globe have either suffered in or been plagued with a refugee crisis. Laos is the most bombed country per capita in history. During the American Secret War on Laos, 270 million tons of cluster bombs were dropped on Laos from 1964-1973: equivalent to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24 hours per day, for 9 years. Today, over 265,000 Lao Americans live in the United States with a majority of them arriving as refugees in the 1980s as a result of the Secret War. Lao Americans forced from their homes have since found refuge but what does it look like for them to come home? Understanding home as not only defined as a physical geospatial location, what creates the physiological sense being at home in one's body and one's mind? These are the questions underpinning this thesis. The direct connection of the built environment and individual well-being has only become more apparent in the past two years as a widespread societal awakening towards systemic issues around public health have been illuminated during the global pandemic. As the mental health crisis and concern for well-being continues to dominate societal struggles, Making Space: Refuge to Home presents a design methodology that focuses on using psychology, sociology, and neurology to inform an empathic client relationship that is better equipped to drive intentional design choices. In doing so, this thesis offers a trauma-informed and well-being centric design approach of how to navigate the complexities of place, home, safety, and identity in order to make space that transforms from simply offering refuge to being home. This method is applied specifically to a study of the Lao American community and their lived experience of forced resettlement and intergenerational trauma. Although the thesis focuses on the Lao American community, Making Space: Refuge to Home, speaks to all communities and individuals navigating multiple identities and cultures, seeking wholeness - seeking home.

Though research on fathering and fatherhood has grown significantly over the past few decades, a persistent emphasis involves father involvement and its relationship to child outcomes. Far fewer studies have explored the intrapersonal processes of fatherhood, such as what it means to be a father in diverse contexts. Rural contexts, specifically within Appalachia, remain understudied and may present specific challenges or strengths that influence the development of fathering identities. The current study employed interpretive phenomenological analysis to explore the lived experiences of fathers who live and parent in rural Appalachia, an area and identity that is often stereotyped and marginalized, and to highlight these fathers’ strengths despite challenges. Informed by symbolic interactionism, this study sought to examine the social and cultural symbols that shape the meanings Appalachian fathers ascribe to fatherhood and explore how those meanings shape their own perceptions of themselves as fathers. Fathers residing in Appalachia were interviewed to gain insights into the lived experiences, meaning making processes, and strengths of Appalachian fathers. Findings show that Appalachian fathers seek to embody and preserve multigenerational values such as work ethic, community, and providing and protecting, while grappling with tensions between preserving traditions and adapting to change. Appalachian fathers negotiated identities against the backdrop of historical hardship and exploitation, which threatened their internal sense of agency and contributed to their feeling left behind in a changing world. Nonetheless, fathers actively negotiated their sense of self and found creative ways to (re)create Appalachian fathering to fit their unique context and lived experiences. / Master of Science

China is entering a new historical era that has as its demographic hallmark an ageing population. The fact that China is ageing before it becomes a modernised, wealthy country, presents serious challenges, one of the most direct and important of which relates to support for older members of society. This thesis concerns the way in which different factors affect intergenerational transfers from adult children to their old parents, with particular focus on living arrangements and parental income. The core question this thesis aims to address is: If public transfers increase, would this crowd out private transfers? The results of the estimated association between living arrangements and intergenerational transfers are also used to improve the robustness of the test of crowding-out effect. This study is based on empirical analyses of two waves of nationally representative datasets, covering adult individuals aged 60 and over from 20 provinces in urban and rural China. Living arrangements are vital to intergenerational transfers and welfare in old age, especially in China where the family-based support mechanism by which the young cared for the old was traditionally through coresidence. The descriptive statistics show that though coresidence is still the predominant living arrangement in rural areas, older Chinese people are increasingly less likely to co-reside with children. Such changes in living arrangements, however, do not leave older people isolated over time. Investigation of the determinants of older people’s coresidence decisions shows that older people with more financial or instrumental needs are more likely to live with children. Analysis of the determinants of parents’ living distance from children finds that in urban areas, old parents with higher pensions are more likely to live far away from children, although insignificant effects are found for rural samples. Finally, this study finds weak evidence that parents living far from children receive more intergenerational transfers. Overall, it has been found that family support, including intergenerational monetary transfers, is still prevalent in China; particularly in rural areas. Although a pattern of declining intergenerational transfers began to emerge during the period between 2000 and 2006, the family unit, and traditional family support, appear likely to remain an essential pillar of security in old age. Through the use of a variety of quantitative methodologies this thesis is able to provide robust estimates of how the increase in public programmes is influencing private transfers in China. Analysis of the factors that determine the incidence of receipt of transfers from children suggests that intergenerational transfers in China tend to target old parents that are in greater financial need. Moreover, the analysis of determinants of the size of transfer suggests that although altruism and exchange motives co-exist, the exchange motive dominates inter-generational transfers in urban China. This study does not find statistically significant estimates of transfer derivatives for older people in rural areas. The emerging pattern of support for older people indicates the pursuit of a new balance between formal and informal support. This thesis argues that a gradual increase in public transfers will not crowd out private transfers, and, in cities, may actually strengthen private transfers.

本論文收錄了三篇有關婚姻和代際關係的研究論文。 / 第一篇文章探討人們如何加強隱性契約。本文在理論分析中引入了情感關係生產函數和假定兒子是老年父母的主要贍養者。我們發現獲得更高的合同金額和加強合同是重男輕女的動機，孝順是為了獲得成人子女的贍養，偏愛孫子體現了祖父母希望向子女提供及時的支援來鞏固合同關係的企圖。我們的經驗分析結果表明，男孩得到更多的投資，男性兒童能激勵他們的父母向祖父母表明其孝道，而有更多兒子的人可以從父母那得到更多的轉移支付。 / 第二篇文章討論人們在不同的資訊條件下如何做出婚姻決策。我們利用同卵雙胞胎與異卵雙胞胎之間的差異來確認整個能力效應，然後利用結婚時的工資與當前工資之間能力效應的構成差異來區分能力的收入效應和能力的信號效應。我們的經驗分析結果表明：（1）第一, 在資訊不對稱的情況下，幸運地擁有高工資的人將結婚較早，而具有美好前景的人將結婚較晚；（2）考慮到能力具有不可觀測性，在資訊不對稱的情況下，能力高的人更容易被低估因而結婚晚；（3）在資訊對稱的情況下，能力高的人結婚早；（4）工資與男子的初次結婚年齡之間存在很強的關係，然而這種關係在女性樣本中很弱。 / 第三篇文章探討婚姻中的討價還價和代際之間的互動的關係。本文強調議價能力不僅影響資源配置，還會影響心理狀態。我們發現情緒效應對代際間的互動有顯著的影響。本文使用夫妻間的相對收入作為議價能力的測量，得到以下結果。非互動式支援：（1）隨著自己的議價能力的提高，人們會更多地支援自己的父母和配偶的父母；（2）隨著子女的議價能力的提高，父母會提供較少的支援給子女，而提供更多的支援給子女的配偶。互動式交流：（1）隨著議價能力的提高，人們會增加與自己的父母的互動交流；（2）議價能力和與配偶的父母的互動溝通的關係是不確定的。我們用中國成人雙胞胎的資料核對我們的理論，獲得的結果與我們的理論預期一致。 / This dissertation is composed of three essays on marriage and intergenerational relationship. / The first essay explores how people enforce implicit contracts. By introducing the production function of the emotional relationship and assuming sons are the main support forces of the elder parents, we provide several strategies to identify the motives behind son preference, filial piety, and grandson preference. Our altruism-assumption and selfishness-assumption models suggest that first, to enhance the contract value and to enforce the implicit contract are two possible motives for son preference; second, one of motives behind filial piety is to gain children’s support in old age; third, grandson preference reflects that the old intends to reinforce the implicit contract by providing increased support to the middle who is more in need of help. Using two Chinese twins datasets, we find that first, parents invest more resources on the son rather than the daughter; second, the male child can motivate his/her parents to demonstrate their filial piety to grandparents; third, individuals with sons can obtain added transfers from parents. / The second essay discusses how individuals make marriage decisions under different information situations. Using Chinese adult twins dataset, we employ the difference between identical and non-identical twins to identify the entire ability effect, and then utilize the different compositions of ability effects between wedding-time wages and current wages to distinguish ability income effect from ability revelation effect. Our empirical results suggest the following findings. First, with information asymmetry, a high-wage individual will marry early, whereas an advantageous-prospect individual will marry late. Second, given that ability is barely noticeable, individuals with high abilities are easily underestimated and generally postpone marriage with imperfect information. Third, under information symmetry, the smartest individual who has the promising future will first of all gain the favor of potential mates. Finally, a strong relationship exists between the wages and men’s age at first marriage; however, such a relationship is weak for females. / The third essay investigates the relationship between bargain within marriage and intergenerational interactions. We emphasize that bargaining power influences not only the resource distribution within marriage but also the personal psychological status. We find that the emotional effect significantly influences intergenerational interactions. Given that several significant differences between non-interactive support (e.g., transfers) and interactive communications (e.g., visitations) exist, and by using the relative incomes of partners as a measure of bargaining power, we obtain the following findings. For non-interactive support: (1) as a child’s bargaining power increases, he/she will offers more help to both parents and parents-in-law; (2) as the increase of own child’s bargaining power within marriage, parents will provide less help to their own child while more to their child’s spouse. For interactive communications: (1) the interactive conversations with parents definitely increase with own bargaining power; (2) the relationship between own bargaining power and the interactive communications with parents-in-law is ambiguous. Using Chinese adult Twins dataset, we obtain results that provide consistent evidence for our theoretical predictions. / essay one. Implicit contract commitment: the motives for son preference, filial piety, and grandson preference -- essay two. Information asymmetry, ability, and age at first marriage -- essay three. Bargain within marriage and intergenerational interactions. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Deng, Weiguang. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstracts also in Chinese.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2006. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 260-274)

The aim of this diploma thesis is the characterization of matches and differences representing everydayness within selected pairs; seniors and their descendants. Based on qualitative in- depth interviews, agreements and disagreements are found in the ideas of everyday life and their own presentation. These agreements or disagreements are further analyzed using the theories of everyday life that are presented in this thesis. Findings about ideas of everyday of each pair is further discussed with existing literature dealing with motives that play a crucial role in deciding of moving a senior, who is no longer able to take care of himself completely, into institutional or home care. Based on literature and research findings, it is discussed whether an interperspective idea of everyday life can be one of the other reasons for choosing home or institutional care for the elderly.

Through a storytelling/yarning methodology (Bessarab & Ng'andu, 2010) and experience centered narrative research (Patterson, 2008), three Indigenous followers of Jesus and original inhabitants of the lands currently known as Canada, shared their stories of healing. The storytelling/ yarning method (Bessarab & Ng'andu, 2010) is rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing and fit seamlessly with the participants diverse Indigenous backgrounds and shared oral traditions. Through the experience centered research model, each participant engaged in meaning making of their personal narratives, reconstructed and presented their stories as their human lived experience, and finally, revealed their metamorphosis (Patterson, 2008) and contributions to Indigenous knowledges. The experience centered research framework utilized for knowledge gathering worked concertedly with the storytelling/yarning methodology as the healing stories presented here evolved not as stories of defeat, but of strength (Bessarab & Ng'andu, 2010). Some key teachings and themes arising from their stories include trauma, forgiveness, resilience, family, healing, and hope. This study aims to reveal Indigenous stories of healing and cease the perpetuation of harm to Indigenous peoples who have declared Jesus as their source of healing. Furthermore, this study aims to situate the knowledges gathered through these healing stories within the academic body of Indigenous knowledges. / Graduate