Towards Cultural Competency with a Latino Community: A Cross-Cultural Teaching Model

Social work programs that prepare students for culturally competent practice rely on the principle that cultural identity and differences are positive; and that social work services need to be delivered in ways which are culturally acceptable to clients and enhance their ethnic group participation and power. Cross-cultural experiences facilitate the development of cultural competence. Equipping students in the necessary affective, cognitive, and behavioral areas for cross-cultural learning and competent practice call for teaching approaches that capitalize on the adult learning process; and where meaningful learning can be transformed to a learning process beyond the academic experience. This paper presents a cross-cultural teaching model designed to facilitate a culturally transformative learning process within the classroom and with the Hartford Latino Community in Connecticut.     

Supporting the Vulnerable Child: Engaging Fathers in the Home–School Dimension of Pastoral Care

Abstract

Drawing on findings from a recent study of pastoral care within a primary school, this article highlights the role of fathers as a key factor in a range of successful interventions. While gains can be made in work with vulnerable children, the home–school dimension of pastoral care deserves far greater attention by schools, educationalists and researchers than it has so far received. The English government has a strategy to promote a closer relationship between parents and primary schools: much depends upon the resources available to schools and the commitment of staff.     

‘People are suspicious of us’: a critical examination of father primary carers and English early childhood services

Positive father involvement and investment in the early years is of importance for children's later emotional, cognitive and social well‐being. This article critically examines the multiple motivations and barriers experienced by the growing number of father primary carers. The small‐scale research study presented suggests that for a ‘positive culture shift’ towards fathers in the UK to occur, early childhood services need to question the extent to which they are ‘father friendly’. Research suggests that policy initiatives such as a ‘Daddy month’ (found in Canada and most Nordic countries) may encourage much needed attitudinal shifts towards fathers by legitimising their caring activities. Other initiatives that encourage father primary carers in their role may include the recruitment of professional male early childhood workers.     

New Resources for Childbirth Educators and Parents

In this column, reviewers offer perspectives and comments on a variety of new media resources for childbirth educators and expectant and new parents. The books, CDs, DVDs, and kits reviewed in this issue''s column include the following topics: the birth experiences of mothers who survived childhood sexual abuse; lively teaching techniques and ideas to help energize and enhance childbirth education classes; breastfeeding in the workplace; expectant fathers; perspectives on motherhood; unique, helpful tools for childbirth educators to use in designing their class content, addressing the stages of labor, and discussing planned cesarean birth; exercises for pregnant women on bedrest; and a compilation of presentations featured at Birthing the Future''s international symposiums.     

The relationship between GEAR UP program involvement and Latina/o students’ performance on high-stakes tests

To assess the impact of a college preparation program, district-wide changes in high-stakes test pass rates are examined, followed by an examination of specific program elements that are associated with students’ score changes. Changes in pass rates for districts with and without services are compared for the Latina/o and overall student populations. This study also examines the relationship between hours of participation in various elements of the college preparation program and changes in test scores of low-income Latina/o students. Results indicate that key program elements related to improvements in test scores include participation in mentoring and summer programs.     

Fostering the academic success of their children: Voices of Mexican immigrant parents

Latinos, particularly Mexican immigrants, are the fastest-growing population in the United States but lag behind others in educational attainment. Parent involvement in their child's education has been linked to positive student academic outcomes, but few studies have focused specifically on Latino/a parents. To identify and promote culturally salient parent involvement approaches for Mexican immigrant parents, this qualitative strength-based study investigated motivations, actions, and culture of 11 Mexican immigrant parents of students who attended a selective college preparatory high school. The study found that a parent's effort to help their children succeed is not dependent on high levels of parent education or income. Rather, the home-based strategies, many of which are rooted in the Latino culture, and specific outreach by educators influenced parent involvement.     

Heirs and Spares: Elite Fathers and Their Sons in the Literary Sources of Umayyad Iberia

ABSTRACT

In the medieval Islamic world, elite men were the benchmark of hegemonic masculinity and social power. A presumption of masculine authority within the household shaped the way early medieval rulers were described by chroniclers, and how medieval fathers related to their sons. The formal and informal ways in which they interacted with lower status men – whether their clients, their courtiers, or their sons – were hedged about with the symbolic language of gender. The article focuses on the ways in which certain Andalusī literary sources talk about relations of fathers and their sons with the ruling Umayyad family, to offer an additional dimension to our picture of how the dynasty conceptualised and legitimised its power.     

An English-Speaking Prekindergarten Teacher for Young Latino Children: Implications of the Teacher–Child Relationship on Second Language Learning

This case study was designed to describe how an effective English-speaking prekindergarten teacher develops strategies for communicating with and teaching young English language learners. The teacher’s classroom practices to enhance her own relationship with the children promoted opportunities for the Latino children to become full participants in the classroom community. At the end of the year, the Latino children showed progress in formal and informal measures of receptive vocabulary in both English and Spanish. Findings from the study suggest the importance of the affective and social nature of second language learning in young children. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Dismay and Disappointment: Parental Involvement of Latino Immigrant Parents

Parental involvement in schools has become more popular over the past decade due to Goals 2000 and research suggesting that student academic success increases when parents are included in the education of their children. Although researchers have examined the issue of parents and schools, limited research on parental involvement has been conducted within immigrant communities. Latino immigrant parents within a predominantly Latino community in California were interviewed. Although the community has strong Latino roots, these immigrant parents believed the schools do not listen or care to listen to their needs as parents. The parents in this study desired to be a part of their children's education, but forces within their children's school prevented them from doing so. The parents wished that teachers would be available to speak about grades, be able to find interpreters during open house and at other times throughout the school day, and communicate with the parents when their child is in need of assistance. Due to the apparent walls that had been established within the school's structure, the parents in this study felt abandoned and helpless while trying to gain information regarding their children's education. Parents in this study were so passionate about their stories that they pleaded with the researcher to let their story be heard in the researchers' teacher education courses so future teachers would know how immigrant parents felt.     

A System at Risk: College Outreach Programs and the Educational Neglect of Underachieving Latino High School Students

This literature review examines the ways in which college and university outreach programs impact Latino (and other minorities) high school students. This article demonstrates that the outreach programs outlined do aid in closing the gap of college enrollment for Latinos. However, a review of three representative programs—AVID, the University of California's Early Academic Outreach Program, and Upward Bound—reveals that the Latino students who exhibit the most need are summarily excluded from participating in the programs, thus leaving them on the margins of the educational system. One of the conclusions of this study is that the problem lies with the political nature of the programs, which causes them to have stringent eligibility criteria.