Family Diversity

American Families have changed Agrarian Society Industrial Societies: mobility, promotions, living away from extended family, more formal relationships more workplace related, diverse culture Postindustrial Society or Information Economies: global economy, flexibility in work, education for life rather than one field, decision-making skills, decentralization (schools), networking as employment concept

21 st Century American Families Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Socio-Economic Diversity Families in Particular Circumstances Divorce Single-parent Blended Religious/Moral Beliefs Geographic Region

Diversity Red Share a way that you were different from other children in your K-3 classrooms Purple Share an experience from childhood where a child’s differences were made fun of or where he was treated poorly by other children GreenShare an experience where a teacher was not understanding or supportive of a child’s difference YellowShare an element of diversity in your life today: ethnicity, religion, marital status, area of country you are from, parenthood, hobby, anything! Orange Share a favorite ethnic food and a country you would like to visit someday and why!

What is your cultural background? What are traditions in your family that are similar to other families in your religion, geographic area, ethnic origin? What do you have in your home that reflects your cultural or ethnic background?

Definitions Culture: Unique experiences and history of various groups. The language, artifacts, understandings, values, traditions, ways of living of a group. Provides a set of rules for behaviors Cultures borrow and share rules Individuals are embedded to different degrees within a culture Race: Physical Characteristics that define a group: Negroid Mongoloid Caucasoid Defined by skin tone, facial structure, and geographic origin Bi-racial and other combinations of heredity

Definitions Ethnicity: defining characteristics of physical characteristics, beliefs or geographic location over time Combination of race, religion, cultural history, commonalities, geography. Fulfills deep need for identity and historical continuity. Family ethnicity kept through Family customs Family stories Traditions Celebrations Food Religious ceremonies

Projections of the U.S. Population Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Subcultures Groups of individuals with certain patterns of behaviors or characteristics that set them apart from the major culture Based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, geographical area, occupation, socioeconomic status, or many others What subcultures are you part of? Parenting differences in subcultures? Are all subcultures the same?

Culture Quiz Derman-Sparks, Chud. Fahlman Do you remember the first time you met someone from another culture or ethnic group? Do you remember how you first learned about your own ethnic identity? What is important to you about your culture? What makes you proud, what gives you pain?

Culture Quiz cont’ Have you experienced prejudice or discrimination for any reason? How did it make you feel? What did you do? Thinking about it now, would you change your response? Do you and your parents agree about ethnic, cultural and religious issues? If not, how did your beliefs evolve? What will you teach your children? If you’re traveled to another country, how did you feel in those strange surroundings?

Cultural Presentation Planning Topics Context (group or individual priority?) Communication Parenting Groups Asian American Hispanic African American European-American

Economic Diversity Ruby Payne Economic class is a continuous line, not a clear-cut distinction. Poverty is relative Generational poverty Situational poverty Poverty occurs in all races and in all countries

Percentage of Children Under 18 Living in Poverty Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Texas Statistics

Child Poverty and Birth Circumstances Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Ruby Payne & Generational Poverty Relationships and entertainment are more important than achievement Hidden rules of generational poverty cause students to react in inappropriate ways Schools = middle-class values Can you survive outside your “class”? Video Clip Hidden rules of economic class Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Hidden Rules: Driving Forces Poverty Survival Relationships Entertainment Middle Class Work, achievement Wealth Connections – financial, political, social

Hidden Rules: Time Poverty Present most important Decisions made for the moment/surviving Middle Class Future most important Decisions made against future remifications Wealth Traditions and history most important Decisions partially on tradition/decorum

Hidden Rules: Power Poverty Linked to personal respect, ability to fight Can’t stop bad things from happening Middle Class Power/respect separated Power in information and institutions Wealth Power in expertise, connections Influences policy and direction

Marriage and Divorce (2003) 60 million married couples in US 40-50% of all marriages end in divorce  Annually 2,187,000 marriages  7.5 marriages per 1000 total population  1.25 million divorces annually  3.8 divorces per 1000 total population

Economic consequences Impoverishment of women Changed female employment patterns Fewer financial resources for family – often leading to moves to cramped apartments and less desirable neighborhoods Consequences of Divorce

Non-economic consequences include: More psychological distress, lower levels of happiness, more social isolation, more health problems. Divorced people are three times as likely to commit suicide. Some divorced people experience higher levels of personal growth and greater autonomy. Consequences of Divorce

Children of divorce suffer: Reduction of income Weakening ties with fathers Deterioration in family life Loss of “residential stability” Problems in school Lower self-esteem Increased likelihood of drug abuse Greater likelihood of becoming teen parents Children and Divorce

Religious Diversity Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life 2007 Christian78.4% Protestant 51.3% Catholic 23.9% Jewish1.7% Buddhist.7% Muslim.6% Hindu.4% Unaffiliated16.1%

“Knowledge about religions is not only characteristic of an educated person, but is also absolutely necessary for understanding and living in a world of diversity.” National Council for the Social Studies

How do people of varying faith traditions respond to “poverty”? Christian What you do to the least of these, you do to me Jewish What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly with God. Muslim Alms Giving (Al-Zakat) 2.5% wealth given to needy Hindi Giving to the poor builds Karma, giving rewards in later lives Buddhist Distributive justice/Greatest wealth is contentment