Bertranna Muruthi

Polyamory: Experiences of Power from Without, from Within, and in Between

ABSTRACT This article highlights the ways in which cultural, relational, and therapeutic power can affect polyamorous relationships and the therapeutic process. In therapy, focusing on the power narratives that polyamorous partners might experience can aid in challenging mononormativity while creating space for a variety of relational orientations. Power processes are presented as occurring on three levels: social discourse (without), relational meaning-making (within), and therapeutic practice (in between). A case study is used to evaluate these processes and implications are provided for clinicians working with polyamorous families.

Marital Enqing and Depression in Taiwanese Couples: The Mediating Role of Active and Passive Sacrifice

ABSTRACT Using social exchange and identity theory, the authors examined the association between marital enqing and depression in 372 Taiwanese couples, and the mediating effects of active and passive sacrifice on that association. Marital enqing is a unique form of affection toward the partner in Taiwanese couples. Data was analyzed by using the actor-partner interdependence model to test for actor and partner effects among study variables. Results indicated that husbands, who reported more marital enqing, tended to have lower levels of depression. Partner effects revealed that couples’ marital enqing decreased their spouse’s depressive symptoms. Husbands’ sacrifice behaviors mediated the association between his marital enqing and depression. However, Taiwanese wives’ sacrifice behavior did not mediate the association between her marital enqing and depression. Chinese cultural principles indeed impacted how couples in Taiwan conceptualized marital affection differently from couples in western cultures, and it provided insights into its relationships with couples’ sacrifices and relational and individual wellbeing.

Thank You for Including Us! - Introducing a Community-Based Collaborative Approach to Translating Clinic Materials

When working with clients in another language, having culturally relevant and properly translated clinic materials is vital to effective clinical practice. Not having them presents a barrier for bilingual therapists and their clients. This paper reviews common translation methods and introduces a multi-level, community-based approach for translating clinic materials for non-English speaking clients. Informed by decolonizing practices, this five-tier method includes members from the target community as cultural brokers to verify the accuracy and nuances of language for their cultural group, as well as a constant comparative method to ensure methodological rigor in the process of inclusion. We present community members feedback and recommendations, as well as discuss advantages and challenges of using this collaborative culturally responsive translation method.

Feminist Borderland Theory and Karen Refugees: Finding Place in the Family

ABSTRACT Refugee related issues have become more prominent in Western policy-makers’ discussions as families fleeing oppression and unimaginable violence cross borders seeking safety and are sometimes resettled in host nations. In this paper we ask, how do resettled refugees negotiate their cultural identity in terms of physical and psychological ‘borders’ and subsequent power structures dictated by those borders? We apply a feminist borderlands theoretical lens to critically consider the resiliencies of members of six Karen refugee families (n = 14) resettled in the U.S. Using their words, we illuminate their lived experiences of identity and place, family roles and rules, and personal dissonant emotions of feeling safe and forced to flee their homes and families. We challenge researchers and clinicians to consider refugees’ own explanations for balancing and reconstructing their lives as people living between borders.

‘Se llevaron el padre de mis hijos’: Latina mothers coping with the deportation of their partner

In recent years, Latinos in the US have been significantly impacted by increasing deportation rates. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Latina women whose partners were deported and how women managed these events guided by the double ABCX model of family stress. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were administered to a community sample of eight Latina women from the greater D.C. metropolitan area whose partners had been deported between one and ten years ago. All women had at least one child under the age of 18 years living in the home at the time of the deportation. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings suggest that despite facing numerous stressors, women rely on various resources to overcome consequences resulting from their partner’s deportation, including religious resources, family and friends, and social service agencies. Implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Afro-Caribbean Mothers in the U.S.: An Exploratory Study From a Transnational Feminist Perspective

Afro-Caribbean immigrants are a growing and marginalized population in the U.S. Although they have much in common with African Americans and Latino immigrants, they are a unique and diverse group that is often misunderstood and understudied. This exploratory study highlights the struggles of these mothers as they navigate contrasting parenting values and practices as transnational families. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and a thematic analysis revealed four themes related to culture, discipline, education, and collectivism. Data were interpreted from a transnational feminist lens. Clinical implications are offered to strengthen cultural sensitivity and effectiveness with Afro-Caribbean immigrant mothers and their families.