The overall goal of this project is to gain a more comprehensive understanding of culture and cultural identity influences on romantic relationship development for Mexican-American youth. The current project will answer questions about the roles of culture and cultural identity in understanding relationship development for Mexican-American youth in two phases. Phase 1 involves a broad examination of the associations among cultural factors and psychosocial and relationship adjustment in a sample of approximately 300 Mexican- American high school students. Students' self-reports of cultural identity development, acculturation, enculturation, and their experiences of prejudice and discrimination from dominant society members will be used to predict youths' adjustment in three important domains: school functioning (e.g., school performance and school belonging), psychological and behavioral health (e.g., depression, self-esteem, substance use), and relationship development (e.g., relationships with parents, peers, and romantic partners). Phase 1 will provide preliminary information about the impact of cultural factors in this particular population and will provide important information to local educators and policy makers in their efforts to improve services and maximize outcomes for Latino youth. Phase 2 of the proposed study involves repeated administration of the survey from Phase 1 to examine longitudinal associations among cultural factors, experiences of discrimination and adjustment. In addition, a sub-sample of participants from Phase 1 will be recruited for participation in a more intensive examination of romantic relationship processes for Mexican-American youth. Fifty adolescents will be recruited for a qualitative interview aimed at understanding adolescents' subjective understanding of the influence of culture and family on their behaviors, goals, and values in romantic relationships. In addition, fifty randomly selected adolescents who are currently involved in a romantic relationship will be invited to participate with their partner in a video-recall procedure designed to capture couple members' subjective views of their interactions during a problem solving conversation. With this combination of qualitative, observational, and survey methodologies, the current study will examine associations among cultural identity, acculturation, and relationship processes in Mexican-American adolescent romantic couples, examine associations among romantic relationship functioning and other indices of psychosocial adjustment, and gain a more sophisticated understanding of Mexican-American adolescents' subjective understandings of culture and its impact on relationship development and expectations. The proposed project is the first to use a multi-method, longitudinal strategy to examine the roles of cultural and cultural identity in the development of romantic relationships among Mexican American youth. Although research has begun to address the developmental importance of romantic experiences during adolescence, few studies have addressed cultural issues directly. Mexican Americans comprise the largest segment of the most rapidly growing ethnic group in the United States and understanding predictors of optimal psychosocial functioning and development in this prominent minority population is important. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter