This study examined the developmental value of Japanese student intercultural interaction during short-term study abroad in the United States. It utilized a modified version of the Study Abroad Social Interaction Questionnaire for data collection and an approach to analysis framed by Bronfenbrenner and his colleagues’ bioecological theory of human development. Past research framed by the bioecological theory has identified sojourner personal characteristics as the most significant factors influencing the amount and quality of intercultural interaction that students experience during study abroad; this study, which included participants of two different programs, found characteristics of context and time to be equally if not more significant. Implications are presented as practical recommendations for programs, participants, policymakers, and other stakeholders in intercultural development during study abroad.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:38:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao de Elisa Mercon-Vargas.pdf: 756202 bytes, checksum: 1c4d0297b512f2287de45793e3bb0bff (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-23 / As pesquisas no âmbito da adoção vêm chamando cada vez mais a atenção de pesquisadores, propiciando maior visibilidade a esta temática. Apesar dos avanços, permanecem muitas lacunas a serem preenchidas, principalmente com relação às dinâmicas, estratégias de interação e adaptação que podem propiciar um ambiente familiar saudável. Tendo como base a Teoria bioecológica do desenvolvimento, o objetivo geral da dissertação foi estudar os processos proximais e os aspectos macrossistêmicos de famílias adotivas em período de convivência, através de um estudo de casos múltiplos - um caso nacional e outro internacional. Utilizou-se a metodologia da Inserção Ecológica com entrevistas, observações, visitas às famílias (no Brasil e no país de acolhida), escola e instituições de acolhimento, realizados em cerca de quatro meses. A dissertação está dividida em dois estudos. O primeiro estudo investigou os aspectos macrossistêmicos em processos de adoção. Os dados foram organizados em eixos temáticos pré-estabelecidos: significados, motivação, e processo de habilitação na adoção. Nos dois casos a adoção era percebida como uma ação voltada para o bem da criança. A motivação no caso nacional estava ligada ao conhecimento anterior das adotadas e no internacional a problemas de infertilidade. Foi necessário um maior tempo e mais documentos para habilitação na adoção internacional, além de uma maior preparação do que na nacional. Já o segundo estudo investigou os contextos e os processos proximais vivenciados pelas famílias participantes. Os dados foram organizados baseados no modelo PPCT, proposto pela Teoria bioecológica. Na adoção nacional os processos proximais foram facilitados pelo conhecimento anterior da criança/adolescente, e na internacional pela percepção do engajamento das crianças na adoção. Os processos disfuncionais no caso nacional estavam ligados a mudança de comportamento da criança mais nova, enquanto no internacional ao fato do casal italiano estar em um ambiente desconhecido. Conclui-se que os processos de adoção envolvem uma complexa inter-relação entre vários contextos e que as questões tanto macrossistêmicas, quanto dos microssistemas têm um papel importante nas crenças e práticas concernentes à adoção, o que torna o período de convivência essencial para a construção dos relacionamentos, bem como para que se propicie a criação de estratégias de interação visando uma boa adaptação familiar / Research into adoption is increasingly drawing the attention of the scholars, promoting more visibility to this thematic. Despite advances, there are still many gaps to be filled, mainly regarding dynamics, interaction strategies and adaptation that can provide a healthy family environment. Based on the Bioecolgical Theory of Development, the general aim of this dissertation was to study the proximal processes and macrosystemic aspects of adoptive families in the period of cohabitation, through a multiple case study a domestic and an international case. The methodology used was the Ecological Engagement with interviews, observations, visits to the families (in Brazil and in the host country) and visits to the shelter s institutions, carried out in about four months. The dissertation is divided into two studies. The first study investigated the macrosystemic aspects in adoption processes. Data was organized in pre-established themes: meanings, motivations and qualification processes of adoptions. In both cases adoption was perceived as an action directed to the children s welfare. The motivation in the domestic case was linked to a prior knowledge of the adoptees, and in the international case to an infertility problem. It took more time and documentation to the qualification in the international adoption, as well as more preparation than in the domestic case. The second study investigated the context and the proximal processes experienced by participating families. Data was organized into themes based on PPCT model, proposed by the Bioecological Theory. In the domestic adoption the proximal processes were facilitated by the prior knowledge of the child/adolescent, and in the international adoption by the adopters perception of children s engagement in the adoption. The dysfunctional processes in the domestic case were related to the youngest child s behavioral change, while in the international to the fact that the Italian couple was placed in an unfamiliar environment. It can be concluded that adoption processes involve a complex interplay between different contexts and that macrosystemic aspects, as well as aspects from the microsystem play an important role in the beliefs and practice concerning adoptions, which makes the period of cohabitation essential to the establishment of relationship, and to the creation of interaction strategies aiming towards a good family adaptation

Divorce is a potentially destructive reality in society. According to the bio-ecological model of Bronfenbrenner, the development of the child takes place within two micro family systems when a family is reconstituted following divorce: the primary micro family system, where the child resides permanently with his/her biological parent who has parental rights and responsibilities, as well as the secondary micro family system of the other biological parent who also has parental rights and responsibilities, where the child visits periodically. Challenges that the child faces in the context of the reconstituted family thus include shared membership of the two micro family systems and the complexity of the mesosystem. Resilience can be defined as a process of the inborn ability to achieve positive outcomes and to adjust successfully despite challenges and adverse living conditions. The purpose of the study was twofold: firstly, to achieve understanding of the way in which middle-adolescents of divorced parents, in moving between the two micro family systems of their reconstituted families, utilise their resilience to develop optimally in spite of a probably dysfunctional relationship between their biological parents at the mesosystemic level and secondly, to contribute to the fields of knowledge on resilience and bio-ecological theory in order to enhance educational psychology praxis with regard to the adaptation of adolescents of divorced parents in reconstituted families. The study was qualitative, and conducted in the interpretive paradigm. A multiple case study with a purposeful sampling of four participants was used. Unstructured narrative conversations were conducted, which included a resilience-based therapeutic intervention to facilitate sensitisation regarding personal strengths and assets in accordance with the assetbased approach. The format of the data description and analysis was defined by the narrative way of working. The participants’ utilisation of resilience qualities was evaluated in accordance with a definition of resilience which had been newly constructed by means of a synthesis of the bio-ecological model, positive psychology and the focuses of the first three waves of resilience research. The findings of the study indicated that the way in which middle-adolescents utilise their resilience depends on a therapeutic process (a personal, controlled process) as well as the nature of the mesosystem in their developmental context (a factor that can only be controlled by the divorced biological parents). In respect of a therapeutic process, the utilisation of the middle-adolescents’ resilience depends on their emotional security to make conscious choices to mobilise their resilience and consequently change their behaviour in order to cope effectively with difficult family circumstances in both their micro-family systems. In respect of the nature of the mesosystem, the utilisation of the middle-adolescents’ resilience depends on the effectiveness of the relationship between their divorced biological parents at the mesosystemic level. The utilisation of resilience per se is apparently dependent on some consistent systemic foundation in the developmental context of the child, which is, in the case of divorce, the mesosystem. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted