Exploring Sibling Relationships in Latino/a/x Immigrant Families

dc.contributor.authorAlmeyda, Patricia Christinaen
dc.contributor.committeechairMuruthi, Bertranna Aleroen
dc.contributor.committeememberShivers, Carolynen
dc.contributor.committeememberLanders, Ashley Laceen
dc.contributor.departmentAdult Learning and Human Resource Developmenten
dc.date.accessioned2021-01-16T09:00:16Zen
dc.date.available2021-01-16T09:00:16Zen
dc.date.issued2021-01-15en
dc.description.abstractSiblings are the longest lasting relationships most individuals may experience in their life. What makes sibling relationships unique is the overlap of both shared and unshared experiences. While there is limited research on the mechanisms behind sibling relationships in general, research on Latino/a/x sibling relationships is even more limited. The limited research on Latino/a/x siblings from immigrant families has found they have an impact on each other's cultural adaptations. The current study explored the influence of the acculturation cultural adaptation processes to the U.S. and how this adaptation may impact Latino/a/x sibling relationships. Semi-structured dyadic interviews were conducted with eight sibling dyads (N = 8) and dyadic analysis methods from Tkachuk et al. (2019) were used to analyze the qualitative data. The findings suggest that the sibling relationship is influenced by parental and cultural expectations, unique experiences pertaining to growing up (e.g., sibling positionality), and their shared experiences of growing up in the United States (i.e., shared cultural navigation). Findings regarding the importance of family are congruent with current literature on Latino/a/x immigrant families and a new finding that emerged related to the validation of younger siblings on the experiences of the older siblings. Clinical implications suggest clinicians familiarizing themselves with cross-cultural sibling relationships and the benefits of having siblings in therapy. Limitations and recommendations for future study are discussed.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralThe Latino/a/x population is among the fastest growing immigrant populations in the United States. There is vast research on immigrant families that emphasize the acculturation processes as crucial to understanding how these families blend multiple cultures. Most of the research of acculturation and its influence on familial relationships focus on parent-child relationships and limited research has been done on the influence of this phenomenon on other family relationships, including sibling relationships. Siblings relationships can be the longest lasting relationship an individual can have in their lifetime and what makes this relationship unique is the overlap of both shared and unshared experiences. The limited research on Latino/a/x siblings from immigrant families has found that siblings have an impact on each other's cultural adaptations. The current study explored the influence of the acculturation cultural adaptation processes to the U.S. and how this adaptation may impact Latino/a/x sibling relationships. Semi-structured dyadic interviews were conducted with eight sibling dyads (N = 8) and dyadic analysis methods from Tkachuk et al. (2019) were used to analyze the qualitative data. The study's findings highlight that the sibling relationship is influenced by parental and cultural expectations, unique experiences pertaining to growing up (e.g., sibling positionality), and their shared experiences of growing up in the United States (i.e., shared cultural navigation). Given these findings, clinical implications suggest clinicians familiarizing themselves with cross-cultural sibling relationships and the benefits of having siblings in therapy. Limitations and recommendations for future study are discussed.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:28967en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/101940en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectLatino/a/xen
dc.subjectsiblingsen
dc.subjectacculturationen
dc.subjectfamilismen
dc.subjectcultural navigationen
dc.titleExploring Sibling Relationships in Latino/a/x Immigrant Familiesen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineHuman Developmenten
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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