DOCSLIB.ORG

Effective Child Welfare Practice with Hispanic Children and Families

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Effective Child Welfare Practice with Hispanic Children and Families Effective Child Welfare Practice with Hispanic Children and Families University of Kansas Final Evaluation Report Prepared by: December 2007 2148 S. High St.| Denver, CO 80208 www.thebutlerinstitute.org Table of Contents Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 3 Background Information............................................................................................................. 3 Program Model ........................................................................................................................... 4 Overview of the Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 5 Process Evaluation.......................................................................................................................... 7 Implementation/Activity #1: Develop Assessment and Planning Process to Inform Training, Create Agency Support, and Institutionalize Learning............................................................... 7 Implementation/Activity #2: Conduct Literature Review .......................................................... 9 Implementation/Activity #3: Develop Curriculum and Design Training Methods.................... 9 Implementation/Activity #4: Pilot Test Curriculum, Conduct Workshops, and Implement Mentorship Program and Practice in Field ............................................................................... 13 Implementation/Activity #5: Collaborate with Other Grantees................................................ 18 Outcome Evaluation...................................................................................................................... 19 Immediate/Intermediate Outcome #1: Agency Assessment Plan Completed and Implemented, Policy and Practice Improved ................................................................................................... 19 Immediate/Intermediate Outcome #2: Increased Knowledge, Attitudes and Skill in Working Effectively with Hispanic Families........................................................................................... 21 Immediate/Intermediate Outcome #3: Training Products Are Disseminated and Shared........ 24 Long-Term Outcome #1: An Established and Ongoing Training Program That Continually Advances the Effectiveness of Practice with Hispanic Families.............................................. 25 Long-Term Outcome #2: Increased Cultural Competence of Child Welfare Staff.................. 25 Long-Term Outcome #3: Improved Outcomes for Safety, Permanency, and Well-Being of Hispanic Families...................................................................................................................... 25 Conclusions................................................................................................................................... 26 Implications of Results and Recommendations............................................................................ 27 Recommendations to Program Administrators......................................................................... 27 Recommendations to Program Funders.................................................................................... 27 Recommendations to Relevant Field ........................................................................................ 28 i 2148 S. High St.| Denver, CO 80208 www.thebutlerinstitute.org Executive Summary Cultural competence in frontline staff is critical to assessing safety and providing effective services to ensure permanence and well-being in Hispanic families. Numerous training and program initiatives have laid the groundwork for important family centered values, yet many workers remain frustrated by the cultural barriers to implementing the skills they have learned. They have not had the training and supervision to understand how to apply those skills when helping families from a minority culture. Furthermore, many child welfare workers and supervisors, as well as community service providers, are confused about recent immigration policies and laws. They lack a clear understanding of how to educate and advise Hispanic and Latino families about new policies, and how best to ensure safety and provide effective services within the new guidelines. The purpose of the project is to increase the effectiveness of child welfare professionals with Hispanic families through the development and implementation of a comprehensive, research based and practical training model. The University of Kansas, Child Welfare Training Network at the School of Social Welfare, will collaborate with training projects at New Mexico State University and University of Denver to: 1) develop, test, implement, evaluate, and disseminate a competency-based training program to enhance the effectiveness of child welfare practice with Hispanic families, and 2) identify and promote systemic responses to barriers to the transfer of this training to practice. The three-year plan includes training 300 students, workers, supervisors, and administrators. The University of Kansas contracted with the University of Denver’s Butler Institute for Families to conduct a process and outcomes evaluation to examine implementation of project activities, such as the development of a comprehensive training program and improved outcomes for participants regarding improved attitudes, knowledge, and skills in working effectively with Hispanic families. Evaluation methods included qualitative interviews and focus groups, review of administrative data, analysis of training satisfaction survey data, and administration of a web- based follow-up survey to measure competency gains and transfer of learning. The project team used a collaborative, research-based model to develop the effective practices training framework, content, and delivery. The training was informed by: • Organizational assessments in each targeted community • Comprehensive literature search, annotated bibliography, and literature review • National Advisory Committee with content experts in the field • Local Advisory Boards in Kansas and Colorado • In-depth formative review process using feedback and data for ongoing revisions The Effective Practices for Latino Families Training was comprised of the following modules: • Module I - El Jardin: A Simulation Highlighting Latino Families’ Experience with Community Based Services & Foundations for Culturally Responsive Practice with Latino Families (1 day) Effective Practices for Latino Families Butler Institute for Families Final Evaluation Report, December 2007 1 University of Denver, GSSW 2148 S. High St.| Denver, CO 80208 www.thebutlerinstitute.org • Module II - Core Skills of Culturally Responsive Practice with Latino Families (2 days) • Module III - Developing a Culturally Responsive Team (1-day workshop for supervisors and mentors) • Advanced Topics includes video productions designed to be used for in-service, classroom, or “brown bag” presentations to be facilitated by local/regional “experts” • Module IV - Teaching Effective Practice with Hispanic Families: Curriculum Modules for Social Work Departments • The Resource Guide is a compilation of the best resources available. Topics covered include community resources, demographics and culture, domestic violence, substance abuse, health and mental health, immigration laws, language, service delivery, and state- specific resources. The Effective Practices Training series was piloted in Garden City, Kansas, and then extensively revised. The training series was then delivered in Wichita, Kansas, Garden City, Kansas, Alamosa, Colorado, and Greeley, Colorado. A total of 317 participants filled 471 training slots , including both child welfare agency staff and community providers, participated in the training. Elements of the training models were also adapted for select Kansas State University and Wichita State University social work classes and taught by faculty to approximately 150 social work students. Satisfaction ratings from participants who completed satisfaction surveys after the training, follow-up surveys at the end of the grant, and responses from those who were interviewed in focus groups were overwhelmingly positive about the training. Almost 85% of participants strongly agreed on the training satisfaction survey that the training was important to their job, that they were motivated to use what they learned in training, and that they could see how they would transfer the learning to their job. Further, 82% strongly agreed that the training would make them more effective in their practice. The trainers also received high satisfaction ratings, with 95% of participants strongly agreeing that they trusted the trainers, the trainers sought their opinions and feedback, and they felt involved in the training. Participants found the simulation to be the most beneficial aspect of the training. They also appreciated the opportunity to network and receive information on community resources and immigrations. What they liked best were also those things that they requested more of: time for skills development and more information about community resources and immigration. Aggregated responses from the training satisfaction survey administered at the end of each training module suggest that participants
Load more

Recommended publications
  • EXTENSIONS of REMARKS February 22, 1973
    5200 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 22, 1973 ORDER FOR RECOGNITION OF SEN­ be cousin, the junior Senator from West DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ATOR ROBERT C. BYRD ON MON­ Virginia (Mr. ROBERT c. BYRD)' for a James N. Gabriel, of Massachusetts, to be DAY period of not to exceed 15 minutes; to be U.S. attorney for the district of Massachu­ Mr. ROBERT c. BYRD. I ask unani­ followed by a period for the transaction setts for the term of 4 years, vice Joseph L. mous consent that following the remarks of routine morning business of not to Tauro. exceed 30 minutes, with statements James F. Companion, of West Virginia, to of the distinguished senior Senator from be U.S. attorney for the northern district of Virginia (Mr. HARRY F. BYRD, JR.) on therein limited to 3 minutes, at the con­ West Virginia for the term of 4 years, vice Monday, his would-be cousin, Mr. RoB­ clusion of which the Senate will proceed Paul C. Camilletti, resigning. ERT C. BYRD, the junior Senator from to the consideration of House Joint Reso­ lution 345, the continuing resolution. IN THE MARINE CORPS West Virginia, the neighboring State just The following-named officers of the Marine over the mountains, be recognized for not I would anticipate that there would Corps for temporary appointment to the to exceed 15 minutes. likely be a rollcall vote--or rollcall grade of major general: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without votes--in connection with that resolu­ Kenneth J. HoughtonJames R. Jones objection, it is so ordered. tion, but as to whether or not the Senate Frank C.
    [Show full text]
  • A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Orange County Addresses This Critical Challenge by Doing Two Things
    2014 A COMMUNITY Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation OF CONTRASTS Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Orange County ORANGE www.calendow.org COUNTY This report was made possible by the following sponsors: The Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation, Wells Fargo, and The California Endowment. The statements and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors. CONTENTS ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTIONS TECHNICAL NOTES Welcome 1 Introduction 2 Executive Summary 3 Map 5 Measuring the characteristics of racial and ethnic groups Demographics 6 Since 2000, the United States Census Bureau has allowed those responding to its questionnaires to report one or more Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Orange County Economic Contributions 9 racial or ethnic backgrounds. While this better reflects America’s diversity and improves data available on multiracial popula- The mission of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (“Advancing Civic Engagement 10 tions, it complicates the use of data on racial and ethnic groups. Justice”) is to promote a fair and equitable society for all by Immigration 12 working for civil and human rights and empowering Asian Language 14 Data on race are generally available from the Census Bureau in two forms, for those of a single racial background (referred Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) Education 16 to as “alone”) with multiracial people captured in an independent category, and for those of either single or multiple racial and other underserved communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Family Values, Social Needs and Preferences for Welfare
    IZA DP No. 6977 Family Values, Social Needs and Preferences for Welfare Claudio Lucifora Dominique Meurs October 2012 DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit Institute for the Study of Labor Family Values, Social Needs and Preferences for Welfare Claudio Lucifora Università Cattolica and IZA Dominique Meurs Université Paris-Ouest Nanterre and INED Discussion Paper No. 6977 October 2012 IZA P.O. Box 7240 53072 Bonn Germany Phone: +49-228-3894-0 Fax: +49-228-3894-180 E-mail: [email protected] Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The IZA research network is committed to the IZA Guiding Principles of Research Integrity. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author.
    [Show full text]
  • Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Sacramento
    2000 & beyond Asian & Pacific islander americans in sacramento: A COMMUNITY PROFILE, 2000 AND BEYOND a message from President Alexander Gonzalez ne hallmark of excellence in a public university is a willingness to fully engage in the surrounding community, Odedicating the talents of faculty and student researchers to the task of enhancing the overall quality of life. With this groundbreaking report, the Asian American Studies Program at California State University, Sacramento sets a perfect example of merging applied research capabilities with an acute need for information on a particular population. Sacramento State’s Asian American Studies Program is dedicated to examining the diverse experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and their contributions to our society. The program’s faculty members are committed to providing a rigorous academic environment, developing future leaders, and creating co-curricular and service learning activities. With Sacramento State’s proximity to the California Legislature, state and federal government agencies, and numerous community-based organizations, we can provide unparalleled opportunities for faculty and students to participate in applied policy research, internships and community service projects. I hope you find this report both useful and compelling. I am certain it will inform public policy discussions in this region for years to come. Alexander Gonzalez President 2 | CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO PHOTO COURTESY SACRAMENTO BEE/BRIAN BAER Introduction n August 2002, the City of Sacramento was Contents hailed as “America’s Most Diverse City” by Time IMagazine for being an integrated melting pot of 2 A Message from President Alexander people, cultures, and languages. According to Census Gonzalez 2000, there are 407,018 residents in Sacramento.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook for Teachers of Samoan Students in Western Schools. PUB DATE 1999-03-00 NOTE 81P.; Page Numbers in Table of Contents Are Incorrect
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 431 573 RC 022 011 AUTHOR Vaipae, Sharon Siebert TITLE Handbook for Teachers of Samoan Students in Western Schools. PUB DATE 1999-03-00 NOTE 81p.; Page numbers in table of contents are incorrect. Videotape not available from EDRS. PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Classroom Communication; *Cultural Background; *Cultural Differences; Cultural Traits; Elementary Secondary Education; English (Second Language); *Intercultural Communication; *Samoan Americans; Second Language Learning; *Socialization IDENTIFIERS Samoa ABSTRACT This handbook provides classroom teachers with information to assist them in enhancing Samoan students' social adjustment and academic achievement in U.S. schools. The information complements the 25-minute videotape, Samoa, which is designed for student viewing. The handbook provides background information on the Samoan people, their islands, and Samoan schools and discusses reasons given by Samoans for migrating to Hawaii or the mainland. A chapter examines differences in culture between middle-class European Americans and traditional Samoans. Middle-class American family structure typically consists of a nuclear family with two children, while traditional Samoan families consist of an extended family structure with an average of seven children. A chapter on intercultural communication pragmatics describes principles of Samoan communication and provides context markers in Samoan communications such as eye gaze, posture, and gesture. A chapter focusing on linguistic considerations outlines differences encountered when using the Samoan language and lists problem sounds for Samoans in oral English. Contrasts in socialization between the two cultures are discussed. Using the framework suggested by Ogbu and Matute-Bianci, Samoans may be described as displaying primary differences of cultural content as well as secondary differences of cultural style.
    [Show full text]
  • THE CULTURE of HOMELESSNESS: an Ethnographic Study
    THE CULTURE OF HOMELESSNESS: An ethnographic study Megan Honor Ravenhill London School of Economics PhD in Social Policy UMI Number: U615614 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615614 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 I V|£:S H S f <§195 I O I S S 4 -7 ABSTRACT The thesis argues that homelessness is complex and synergical in nature. It discusses the life events and processes that often trigger, protect against and predict the likelihood of someone becoming homeless (and/or roofless). It argues, that people’s routes into homelessness are complex, multiple and interlinked and are the result of biographical, structural and behavioural factors. This complexity increases with the age of the individual and the duration of their rooflessness. The thesis explores the homeless culture as a counter-culture created through people being pushed out of mainstream society. It argues, that what happened to people in the past, created the nature of the homeless culture. Furthermore it is argued that any serious attempt at resettling long-term rough sleepers needs to consider what it is that the homeless culture offers and whether or how this can be replicated within housed society.
    [Show full text]
  • A Statistical Profile of Samoans in the United States. Part I: Demography; Part II: Social and Economic Characteristics; Appendix: Language Use Among Samoans
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 264 331 UD 024 599 AUTHOR Hayes, Ge'ffrey; Levin, Michael J. TITLE A Statistical Profile of Samoans in the United States. Part I: Demography; Part II: Social and Economic Characteristics; Appendix: Language Use among Samoans. Evidence from the 1980 Census. INSTITUTION Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, Oreg. SPONS AGENCY Employment and Training Administration (DOL), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE Dec 83 CONTRACT 99-3-r946-75-075-01 NOTE 117p.; A paper commissioned for a Study of Toverty, Unemployment and Training Needs of American Samoans. For related documents, see UD 024 599-603. PUB TYPE Reports - Research/Technical (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Birth Rate; Census Figures; *Demography; *Educational Attainment; *Employment Level; Family Characteristics; Income; *Language Proficiency; Migr.tion Patterns; Population Growth; Poverty; *Samoan Americans; *Socioeconomic Status IDENTIFIERS California; Census 1980; Hawaii; *Samoans; Washington ABSTRACT This paper provides a broad overview of the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of Samoans in the United States, focusing particularly on the Samoan populations of Hawaii, California, and Washington, where 85% of Samoans reside. The data is derived from the "race" question on the 1980 Census and other local statistical materials. Demographically, the population is found to be highly urbanized, young (average age 19.5 years) and with a high fertility rate (averaging 4.3 children per adult woman). The total U.S. Samoan population projected for the year 2000 is most realistically estimated at 131,000. Among the three States, Hawaii's Samoans are youngest, with a higher dependency ratio and lower sex ratio than elsewhere in the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • A Growing Diversity
    A Growing Diversity 1993–2017 In late April 1975, eight-year-old Anh (Joseph) Cao’s long and improbable odyssey to the halls of Congress began as North Vietnamese communists seized the southern capital city of Saigon.1 The trajectory of the soft-spoken, bookish Cao toward Capitol Hill stands out as one of the most remarkable in the modern era, even as it neatly encapsulated post-1965 Asian immigration patterns to the United States. Still, the origins of Cao’s story were commonplace. For three decades, conflict and civil war enveloped his country. After the Vietnamese threw off the yoke of French colonialism following World War II, a doomed peace accord in 1954 removed the French military and partitioned Vietnam. The new government in South Vietnam aligned with Western world powers, while North Vietnam allied with communist states. Amid the Cold War, the U.S. backed successive Saigon regimes against communist insurgents before directly intervening in 1965. A massive ground and air war dragged on inconclusively for nearly a decade. More than 58,000 American troops were killed, and more than three million South and North Vietnamese perished.2 Public opposition in the United States eventually forced an end to the intervention. America’s decision to withdraw from Vietnam shattered Joseph Cao’s family just as it did many thousands of others as communist forces soon swamped the ineffectual government and military in the South. In 2011 Japanese-American veterans received the Congressional Gold Medal for their valor during World War II. The medal included the motto of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, “Go for Broke.” Nisei Soldiers of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Obverse © 2011 United States Mint 42940_08-APA-CE3.indd 436 2/13/2018 12:04:16 PM 42940_08-APA-CE3.indd 437 2/13/2018 12:04:17 PM Just days before Saigon fell, Cao’s mother, Khang Thi Tran, spirited one of her daughters and two sons, including Anh, to a U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring Intergenerational Social Assistance Participation in Ontario, Canada
    The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 46 Issue 1 March Article 8 2019 Myth or Reality? Exploring Intergenerational Social Assistance Participation in Ontario, Canada Tracy A. Smith-Carrier King's University College at Western University, [email protected] Amber Gazso York University, [email protected] Stephanie Baker Collins McMaster University, [email protected] Carrie Smith King's University College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw Recommended Citation Smith-Carrier, Tracy A.; Gazso, Amber; Baker Collins, Stephanie; and Smith, Carrie (2019) "Myth or Reality? Exploring Intergenerational Social Assistance Participation in Ontario, Canada," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 46 : Iss. 1 , Article 8. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol46/iss1/8 This Article is brought to you by the Western Michigan University School of Social Work. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Myth or Reality? Exploring Intergenerational Social Assistance Participation in Ontario, Canada Cover Page Footnote We gratefully acknowledge the valuable research assistance of Paige Miltenburg, Nicole Van Oss, and Christopher Saxby. This article is available in The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol46/ iss1/8 Myth or Reality? Exploring Intergenerational Social Assistance Participation in Ontario, Canada Tracy A. Smith-Carrier King's University College at Western University Amber Gazso York University Stephanie Baker Collins McMaster University Carrie Smith King's University College at Western University Is there an intergenerational causal link in social assistance (SA) partic- ipation? There is a dearth of research addressing this question, yet the belief in ‘welfare dependency’ is unreservedly embraced.
    [Show full text]
  • Looking Behind the Culture of Fear. Cross-National Analysis of Attitudes Towards Migration
    Vera Messing – Bence Ságvári Looking behind the culture of fear Cross-national analysis of attitudes towards migration 1 ABOUT THE AUTHORS VERA MESSING sociologist, senior research fellow CEU, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Social Sciences Vera Messing is a research fellow at the Center for Policy Studies at CEU, and at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Social Sciences. She earned her PhD studies in Budapest, Corvinus University in 2000. She has over 15 years of experience in empirical research on ethnicity, minorities, social exclusion, media representation of vulnerable groups and ethnic conflicts. Her work focuses on comparative understanding of different forms and intersections of social inequalities and ethnicity and their consequences. BENCE SÁGVÁRI sociologist, senior research fellow Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Social Sciences, International Business School (IBS) Bence Ságvári holds a PhD in Sociology. His interests lie in: youth and youth policy, empirical research methods on values and attitudes, social aspects of digital technology, use of big data and network analysis in social sciences, cross-national survey research methods. Currently he is the national coordinator for the European Social Survey (ESS) in Hungary. MESSING - SAGVARI: LOOKING BEHIND THE CULTURE OF FEAR - CROSS-NATIONAL ANALYSIS OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS MIGRATION 2 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 3 HOW TO MEASURE ATTITUDES TOWARDS MIGRANTS? 4 2. OVERVIEW OF THE METHODOLOGY 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPLEX INDEXES MEASURING ATTITUDES TOWARDS MIGRATION USED IN THE ANALYSIS 6 SOCIAL DISTANCE INDEX 6 FEAR INDEX 7 REJECTION INDEX 9 3. COUNTRY (MACRO) LEVEL FACTORS BEHIND ATTITUDES TOWARDS MIGRATION 11 COUNTRY LEVEL FACTORS 13 ECONOMIC FACTORS 13 FACTORS RELATED TO THE POTENTIAL OF SOCIETY TO RECEIVE MIGRANTS 15 FACTORS RELATED TO MIGRANTS AND THEIR POTENTIAL TO INTEGRATE 18 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Needs and Experiences of Samoan Breast Cancer Survivors In
    Needs and Experiences of Samoan Breast Cancer Survivors in Southern California Sora Park Tanjasiri DrPH, MPH; Sala Mata’alii, RN, MSN, MBA/HCM; Marion Hanneman; and Melanie D. Sabado MPH, BA, BS Abstract between two entities: the Samoan National Nurses Association Objective: Breast cancer rates are increasing among Samoan and other Pacifi c Islander women, yet studies of their social support (SNNA) and the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). needs are nearly non-existent. The purpose of this paper is to report SNNA is a nonprofi t organization founded in 1996 by a group on the cultural dimensions of social support among Samoan breast of Samoan nurse professionals to promote health education and cancer survivors in Southern California. services, including monthly cancer social support groups, for the Methods: Data for this paper came from a larger one-and-a-half Samoan community. CSUF is a teaching university, and members year study of the social support needs of Samoan breast cancer of both SNNA and CSUF had successfully collaborated on two past survivors and their family and friends. In-depth, retrospective, CBPR efforts, with the principles and activities described in previous qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample 12,13 of 20 Samoan survivors who were recruited from an existing social publications. In addition, a Community Advisory Board (CAB) support program as well as the general community. comprised of eleven leaders (including ministers, social workers, Results: We documented important informational needs and behav- health professionals, and breast cancer survivors) was convened by iors, social support needs and experiences, and spirituality issues SNNA and met quarterly with community and academic researchers for the Samoan breast cancer survivors.
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from the Pacific Islands
    THE INDIGENOUS PUBLIC SPHERE Articles Keeping public cyberspace open: Lessons from the Pacific Islands ABSTRACT A number of empirical and conceptual lessons can be drawn from a closer look at atypical, non-western uses of the internet. Drawing on a study of two pioneering discussion forums, the Kava Bowl (KB) and the Kamehameha Roundtable (KR), maintained by diasporic Pacific Island communities, this article celebrates the existence of open, accessible cyberspaces in an increasingly privatised internet environment. The day to day operation of the KB/KR fora are argued to demonstrate the limita- tions of classical ‘public sphere’ thinking. In particular, the way in which power and influence is rendered in these online formations calls for a new conceptualisation of ‘public-ness’. Michel de Certeau’s concept of ‘eve- ryday life’ is argued to provide a fertile link between Pacific Island internet practices and broader internet debates. In conclusion, it is argued that the way in which the ‘public’, the ‘private’, and ‘technology’ are construed in Western literatures, leaves non-western internet practices subsumed un- der ethnocentric and techno-determinist assumptions about the interrela- tionships between technology, culture and society. MARIANNE I. FRANKLIN University for Humanist Studies, Utrecht Introduction: Welcome to the Pacific Islands Online We use volunteers and nobody is paid to do this. In fact you will find admin are students or fulltime workers who take care of the kavabowl on their own time. Sometimes reading every single message over a slow connection can be quite an effort … Basically, personal messages can 60 PACIFIC JOURNALISM REVIEW 11 (1) 2005 THE INDIGENOUS PUBLIC SPHERE be sent by email, messages with Loooong titles will be deleted since they clutter the board.
    [Show full text]