Browsing by Author "Henderson, Tammy L."

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13
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    An Analysis of Black Partnered and Nonpartnered Mothers' Perceptions of Their Children and Single-Mother Effectiveness
    Cook, Jennifer Latrell (Virginia Tech, 2002-05-20)
    Using the culturally variant perspective and symbolic interaction theory, I examined the perceptions of Black partnered and nonpartnered mothers toward their children and how these perceptions shaped their views toward single-mother effectiveness. I conducted secondary analysis of National Survey of American Families [NSAF] (1999) with a sample of Black, non-Hispanic mothers with children between the ages of 6 to 17 years old. Black mothers significantly differed on age, education, income, and perceptions about their child's psychological and social behaviors, religious service attendance, and mental health. Mothers' age, education level, income, viewing child as having difficulty getting along with others and viewing child as harder to care for were significantly related to mothers' opinions toward single-mother effectiveness. Feeling angry toward their child and mothers' mental health score were moderately and significantly related to single-mother effectiveness.
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    Evaluating the Effectiveness of National Policies Supporting Family Caregivers of Old Adults
    Kemp, Audrey June (Virginia Tech, 2005-05-12)
    Caregivers of family elders have diverse needs, many of which are not being met sufficiently. The purpose of this study was to analyze the congruency between family policy and the needs of family caregivers. Based on the rational policy model, a normative policy analysis of the economics of family caregiving, both its costs and benefits to individual families, corporations, and to society, was provided. A dynamic theoretical framework incorporating the social ecological perspective, role theory, and life course approach, was used to critique the effectiveness of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 (P.L. 103-3) and the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) of 2000 (Title III-E and Title VI-C). Combined, FMLA and NFCSP are effective in meeting the wide range of informal caregivers' financial, training, and support needs. The workplace-related policies of FMLA speak more to the financial assistance - albeit minimal - and work environment-structural components of caregiver support, while NFCSP pertains more to the training and supportive aspects of family caregiving support. However, workplace policies in support of family caregivers should be more individualized and current caregiver support programs should be expanded to align more closely with the needs of employees and citizens.
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    Grandparents raising grandchildren : rights and responsibilities
    Henderson, Tammy L.; Stevenson, Michelle L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2003)
    Most of us eventually become grandparents. Throughout history, grandparents and other relatives have raised children, but more are caring for them now than ever before. The idealized picture of the two-parent family may not reflect today 's families. From 1980 to 1990 there was a 44 percent increase in the number of children living with their grandparents. Just under 5.5 million, or almost 8 percent of all children are living with their grandparents. Over one-third of them are being raised solely by a grandparent.
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    Grandparents raising grandchildren : rights and responsibilities
    Teaster, Pamela B.; Henderson, Tammy L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2001)
    Most of us eventually become grandparents (94%) at some point in our lives (Hooyman & Kiyak, 1996). Throughout history, grandparents and other relatives have raised grandchildren, but more grandparents (and other kin) are caring for them than ever before. The idealized picture of the two-parent family may not reflect families of today. From 1980 to 1990 there was a 44% increase in the number of children living with grandparents. Nearly five and a half (5.4) million, or just under 8% of all children, live with their grandparents. Over 1/3 of them are being raised solely by a grandparent. Five percent of Virginia's households have families providing kinship care, a 16.5% increase from 1980.
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    Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren. Rights and Responsibilities
    Henderson, Tammy L.; Stevenson, Michelle L.; Teaster, Pamela B. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2009-05-01)
    Throughout history, grandparents and other relatives have raised children, but more are caring for them now than ever before. This publications covers the rewards and challenges, court considerations, and other important resources.
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    Multiple Contexts of Violence in the Lives of Adoelscent Females who have been Exposed to Domestic Violence
    Joest, Karen S. (Virginia Tech, 2003-04-08)
    This study explored the multiple contexts of violence in the lives of female adolescents exposed to domestic violence. The research was guided by ecological, critical and postmodern feminist perspectives. Ecological theory embeds individual and familial experiences within the broader social and historical contexts. Critical theory questions often held assumptions and issues of power. Postmodern feminism extended this theoretical lens into a socio-political context that used gender, race, class, and marginalization as central lenses. This perspective emphasized the importance of context, processes, and the subjective experiences of girls. Qualitative methods and a constructivist epistemology were used to understand the experiences of six female adolescents, between 14 and 19 whose mothers had experienced domestic violence. I explored how participants reflected on and made sense of their exposure to violence in their families, the multiple contexts of violence to which they were exposed, and the protective factors they had or employed. Four interviews were conducted with each participant, totaling 24 interviews. Poetry was used to gain trust and begin the process of sharing intrapersonal feelings, to externalize thoughts and expressions, and share lived experiences. Two mothers completed lengthy questionnaires. Participants were recruited through an insider's knowledge of multiple agencies, and using snowballing. No participants ever resided in a domestic violence shelter. This study contributed to our understanding of the lives of adolescent females exposed to domestic violence by elucidating the complexity of the experiences of participants and their families. It reminded us of the contextual importance of describing violence and the ever-changing experience of children exposed to domestic violence. Children learned to cope in multiple ways, but felt alone and powerless. Systems developed to assist youth and families were unable to intervene in a meaningful way, thus extending the feelings of abandonment and powerlessness. Children learned to hide from their feelings and put on a mask to the world. This mask hid the child safely beneath, and ultimately served to distance her from the realities in her midst. But, at what expense? I discuss findings in terms of current resilience theory and provide suggestions for future research and intervention based on these findings.
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    Older Adults' Self-Assessments of Health: Personal and Contextual Influences Throughout the Life Course
    Kretzer, Sara Elizabeth (Virginia Tech, 2002-04-22)
    The purpose of this study was to examine older adults' perceptions of health by exploring life course factors perceived as shaping the meanings of health in their daily lives. Using life course and life span perspectives as the theoretical framework to guide this mixed method study, I identified the contextual factors that influence older adults' health perceptions and behaviors. Through self-report questionnaires from 111 individuals (M age = 74 yrs., S.D. = 5.64) and in-depth interviews with 30 of the older adults from the larger sample (11 women and 19 men), I gained an understanding of how individual experiences and societal expectations influence the meanings older adults attach to health. Results indicated that being female and having more years of formal education were associated with higher health ratings. Findings from the qualitative inquiry enhanced the quantitative results by highlighting the contextual factors that influenced older adults' health ratings. Examination of how the older adults came to their health rating provided definitions of health based on physical status, activity level, and social comparisons. Life course influences emerged as the older adults described what their health means to them. Activity level, independence, and age prescriptions were reflections of childhood health experiences that the older adults used to relate their present meaning of health in their everyday lives.
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    The Power of Pets: How Animals Affect Family Relationships
    Geller, Krista Scott (Virginia Tech, 2002-05-10)
    This study was designed to explore the importance a pet can have on someone's life, including ways a pet affects the relationships an individual has with other family members. This study assessed how pets can be influential in people's lives, especially with regard to the cultivation of family relationships and the development and maintenance of emotional stability. The opinions of pet owners were reviewed with regard to whether they felt their pets loved them and considered a family member. Also evaluated was how a relationship with one's pet might have been similar to any other relationship within one's family, along with the extent one's pet added harmony or discomfort to family relationships.The following research questions guided this exploratory and qualitative study: (a) In what ways can a pet influence a person's life regarding family relationships? (b) In what ways can a pet replace or act as a beneficial substitute for other interpersonal and significant relationships? Specific attention was paid to how pets affect individuals in their family and various relationships between the family members, including the different roles the pet plays within family circumstances.An open-ended, 12-question survey was distributed to six undergraduate classes, two at Radford University and four at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Individuals identified different pets in their lives, and in some cases, described several positive attributes about their pets in the context of a personal anecdote about their pets and certain family relationships.The results of this study showed that pets are an important aspect to many families, and in several cases represent another "family member," or another "sister or brother." Pets often serve as a relief of distress for families by listening to verbal behavior, providing a best friend, encouraging family bonding, and acting as a protector.
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    A Qualitative Approach Toward Understanding the Transition from Career to Fulltime Motherhood
    Vejar, Cynthia Marie (Virginia Tech, 2000-11-02)
    The dissertation begins by discussing the essence of the current study, which sought to accurately portray the experiences and realities of fulltime mothers, followed by a comprehensive literature review surrounding issues pertinent in motherhood. Subsequently, an explanation of the methodological approach utilized in the current study is provided, in addition to the overview of a pilot study which exemplified potential themes, obstacles, and assets anticipated within the actual research. The case studies of four women chosen to represent issues relevant to fulltime mothers are presented. Finally, the creation of a substantive Stay-at-home-mothering (i.e., SAHM) Model is offered, along with two SAHM portraits and a conclusion section, which includes an implications section along with an exploration of the personal discoveries made by the current researcher.
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    Surviving Hurricane Katrina: Resilience and Resources of Aging Families
    Roberto, Karen A.; Henderson, Tammy L.; Kamo, Yoshinori (Center for Gerontology and Dept. of Human Development Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universi, 2006-11)
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    Survivors of Hurricane Katrina: Losses, Hopes & Dreams of Displaced Older Adults
    Henderson, Tammy L.; Roberto, Karen A.; Kamo, Yoshinori; Penugonda, Kavitha (Virginia Tech, 2010)
    The purpose of this presentation is to conceptualize the losses of older adults displaced by Hurricane Katrina and to understand their resilience as described in their hopes and dreams.
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    Theorizing and Testing Models of Community Capacity and Acculturation
    Lee, Soyoung (Virginia Tech, 2006-11-01)
    The primary purpose of this research project was to explain how Korean immigrants develop acculturation attitudes toward Korean and American culture and how these attitudes are related to their experiences within their community in America. In order to achieve this goal, this project consisted of two empirical studies. In Study 1, the model of community capacity and acculturation was tested using structural equation modeling and the model fit the data very well. The results of the hypotheses tests in Study 1 were as follows: Sense of Community, Community Provisions, and Community Engagement were positively correlated with each other. Sense of Community and Community Provisions directly influenced acculturation attitudes toward American culture. Community Capacity directly influenced acculturation attitudes toward Korean culture. Sense of community and Community Provisions had significant indirect effects on acculturation attitudes toward Korean culture. In Study 2, using structural equation modeling, the model of community adjustment was tested across three groups (INTEGRATION, ASSIMILATION, and SEPARATION) who had developed different acculturation attitudes and the model fit the data well except for ASSIMILATION. The results of the tests of the hypotheses in Study 2 were as follows: Sense of Community and Community Capacity were positively correlated with each other in all groups. Only INTEGRATION did Sense of Community directly influence Community Provisions. However, Community Capacity directly influenced community provisions in all three groups. In INTEGRATION and SEPARATION, Community Engagement directly influenced Community Provisions. Community Capacity indirectly influenced Community Provisions in both INTEGRATION and SEPARATION. Finally, I concluded that Korean immigrants experienced the process of community adjustment differently regarding acculturation attitudes. Results from these investigations explicitly reveal that the application of community capacity in research on acculturation was valuable for explaining some individual and contextual variations in acculturation. Acculturation was a complex, multi-dimensional process. Korean immigrants developed different attitudes and their attitudes impacted differently on their lives within their larger community. The theoretical concept of community capacity has much promise as a guide for future theory and research on acculturation.
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    Toward A Greater Understanding of Fathering: Five African American Fathers' Experiences Parenting Their Children With Chronic Illnesses
    Colquitt, Symone (Virginia Tech, 2002-09-05)
    Five African American fathers participated in a qualitative study that examined how fathers experience their children who live with chronic illnesses. The examination of their strengths and resiliencies revealed 10 factors that enhanced involvement and were incorporated into fathers' overall approaches to parenting: clear paternal definition; strong parenting alliance; gains experienced through father/child relationship; strong spiritual foundation; responsive social support systems; strategies for managing employment and illness demands; confidence in ability to navigate health care structure; attitude of self-sacrifice and flexibility; strategies for managing perceived disparities; and maintenance of future focus. In addition, fathers defined coping and advised professionals involved with families who have children diagnosed with chronic illness. In doing so, they revealed challenges to participation, potential constraints to involvement, and suggestions for productive encounters with systems of care and collaborative exchanges on behalf of children engaged in treatment.