There has been tremendous growth in Latinos across the U.S. in the last two decades. Despite this growth, our understanding of Latino youth development is relatively limited due, in part, to traditional theories of development that emphasize the role of cognitions and parenting. However, contemporary theoretical conceptualizations acknowledge the role of different systems of children's broader social ecology such as their community and culture. Moreover, in the past, models of youth development have been applied to understanding Latino youth (and other ethnic minorities) development without adequate consideration of culture-specific mechanisms of development. Thus, despite the emergence of newer conceptualizations, models and research that integrate the role of culture and ecology are few. The proposed project will use a state-of-the-art approach that treats culture as a dynamic system, specifying intervening processes and structures that impact Latino youth learning and development. One advantage of this approach is that it acknowledges the wide within-culture group variations in behavioral outcomes. As a result, potentially valuable information about different sources of variation can be obtained for use in developing comprehensive models of Latino youth development. To begin to construct developmental theories that are sensitive to culture-specific variables and processes, research is needed that employs multidisciplinary theories and methodology. The goals of the proposed research are to: (a) document the linkages between contextual and individual variables and Latino youth development; (b) investigate the intervening sociocognitive processes that mediate these linkages; and (c) examine the impact of acculturative stress, ethnic identity, and cultural values on Latino youth development. To accomplish these goals, Mexican American youth ages 13-16 years and their mothers will be interviewed. The sample will be recruited from two distinct communities (rural and urban) in an understudied region of the U.S. (Northern Great Plains) that has experienced substantial growth in the Latino population in the last decade. The interview will include questions regarding the community context, family and peer relationships, sociocognitive skills, cultural processes (e.g., ethnic identity, acculturative stress), and positive (e.g., helping behaviors, academic outcomes) and negative (e.g., aggression, depression) developmental outcomes.
The proposed project will have broad impact across several areas. The findings will significantly contribute to the development of scientific theories that integrate culture and ecology in Latino youth development. Furthermore, the project will greatly enhance our understanding of Latino youth development with a sample of Latino families from an understudied region of the U.S. The research will refine and validate age- and ethnic-appropriate instruments to use with Latino youth and their families in future research. Moreover, the project will provide valuable scientific training and professional skill development for junior scientists and students, especially culturally-sensitive training to work with Latino families. Finally, the findings are expected to inform practitioners, program developers, and social policy makers on important conceptual issues relevant to human development in Latino youth and families. The findings will be widely disseminated to community and social service agencies, schools, in research publications, and at national and local professional conferences.
