Kelly F. Jackson

TEACHING EMPATHY: A FRAMEWORK ROOTED IN SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

We propose that a targeted and structured explication of empathy is a useful, if not essential, foundation for social work theory and practice. We outline a social work framework for empathy, one that is rooted in an interdisciplinary context, emphasizes recent findings in the field of social cognitive neuroscience, and yet is embedded in a social work context. The framework lends itself to identifiable education components that social work educators can implement across the curriculum. We can help students understand the basic process of neural path-way development that determines their affective empathic responses and develop and maintain cognitive empathic abilities. In addition, students can learn to use their knowledge, values, and skills, informed by empathy, to take empathic action consciously.

Native American Youth and Culturally Sensitive Interventions: A Systematic Review

Objective: A systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of culturally sensitive interventions (CSIs) with Native American youth was conducted. Method: Electronic bibliographic databases, Web sites, and manual searches were used to identify 11 outcome studies that examined CSI effectiveness with Native American youth. Results: This review found general improvement in the employment of rigorous evaluative methods in CSI research with Native American youth. Conclusion: Despite recent progress, CSI research remains in its infancy and more rigorous outcome studies are needed in order to determine if CSIs are more effective than standard treatments with Native American youth. Such research is necessary for professional competent practice with Native American youth and families.

The Influence of Race and Ethnicity on Substance Use and Negative Activity Involvement among Monoracial and Multiracial Adolescents of the Southwest

This study examined predictors of substance use and negative activity involvement among a diverse sample of European American, African American, Hispanic, Native American, and multiracial early adolescents (n = 749) living in a large urban city in the Southwest United States. This study investigated a broad set of predictor variables that tap sociodemographic, peer, family, community, and school influences. Overall, findings from this study confirm that lifetime substance use remains high among youth of color. Of particular concern is this studys finding that multiracial adolescents are at elevated risk to use substances and engage in negative activities. The implications of this study for understanding how risk factors are influenced by race and other variables on different measures of problem behavior are discussed.

Living the Multiracial Experience: Shifting Racial Expressions, Resisting Race, and Seeking Community

The growing presence and visibility of mixed race persons in the US demands that social workers critically examine and understand the complexity of multiracial identity. This qualitative investigation examined the narratives of ten multiracial adults about their identity experiences living as multiracial persons. Utilizing paradigmatic analysis of narratives, five major themes emerged. Four of these themes correspond to categories found in existing multiracial scholarship, and include: (1) Shifting racial/ethnic expressions; (2) Racial/ethnic ambiguity; (3) Feeling like an outsider; and (4) Seeking community. The final theme, (5) Racial resistance, contributes new knowledge to our understanding of how multiracial individuals respond to societal pressures to conform to traditional means of categorizing others by race. Findings from this study confirm a collective multiracial experience; one with direct ties to the social and environmental pressures associated with having a multifaceted identity in a color-conscious society. Practice implications and directions for future research are offered.

Beyond Race: Examining the Facets of Multiracial Identity Through a Life-span Developmental Lens

Using a social work developmental lens, this qualitative study explored some of the numerous social and environmental factors that shape a multiracial individuals cultural identity. Results from transcript analysis portray the cultural identity of multiracial persons as significantly influenced by (1) personal experiences of racism and discrimination; (2) social interactions and relationships with peers and family; and (3) the racial climate of the school and community. The findings from this study support more fluid, ecological models of multiracial identity development that are more effective at explicating some of the highly complex and influential contextual factors that impact a multiracial persons cultural identity development.

A Meta-Analysis of Culturally Sensitive Interventions Designed to Reduce High-Risk Behaviors Among African American Youth

ABSTRACT This study sought to determine the effectiveness of culturally sensitive interventions (CSIs) in reducing high risk behaviors with African American youth. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of CSIs across seven studies. African American youth who participated in CSIs were less likely to engage in high risk behaviors compared to those who did not participate. The effect size was moderate (g = .35). Although the findings should be considered tentative, the results provide an initial quantitative assessment of CSI effectiveness that future evaluations and meta-analyses can build upon as CSI research expands.

Participatory diagramming in social work research: Utilizing visual timelines to interpret the complexities of the lived multiracial experience

The purpose of this article is to present an illustrative example of the analytic potential of image-based research in social work. Insight gained from a qualitative research study that used a novel form of participatory diagramming to examine the racial identity development of ten multiracial individuals is referenced and critiqued. Utilizing a critical visual methodological framework to analyze visual timelines, this article offers insight into the contextually rich and dynamic processes comprising the multiracial experience. This article concludes with an informative discussion of how visual methods support key social work values, including commitment to clients and understanding the person-in-environment, and how participatory diagramming in particular can enhance culturally sensitive and responsible research and practice with multiracial individuals.

Content and Process in a Teaching Workshop for Faculty and Doctoral Students

Teaching in higher education is often not addressed in doctoral education, even though many doctoral graduates will eventually teach. This article describes a biweekly teaching workshop, presents pitfalls and challenges that beginning instructors face, and advocates pedagogical training for doctoral students. Led by a well-known social work scholar Lawrence Shulman, the workshops were a place for participants to share their concerns and process solutions. Here, each student’s scenario serves as a backdrop for Dr. Shulman’s explanation of classroom content and process, for which the workshop served as a parallel process. This discussion is framed by the extant literature on preparing higher education instructors during the course of doctoral education.

Parental Ethnic-Racial Socialization in Multiracial Mexican Families

ABSTRACT Empirical studies of parental ethnic-racial socialization are constricted to single-race or monoracial youths. This has led to a monocentric conceptualization of ethnic-racial socialization, one that negates the experiences of the growing population of multiracial youths. This exploratory qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) examined messages of ethnic-racial socialization present in multiracial Mexican families. These messages were compared and contrasted to existing conceptualizations of parental ethnic-racial socialization, those more representative of single-race or monoracial youths. In addition, this study utilized an ecological model of multiracial identity development to examine how parental ethnic-racial socialization messages inform different identity types associated with the multiracial experience. Findings generated from this study extend the field of familial racial-ethnic socialization to further encompass and more accurately represent the growing population of multiracial youths and their families. Implications for future research and practice with multiracial individuals and families are discussed.

Cancer risks and Native Americans: The "Healthy Living in Two Worlds" study

Objective: This project collected data on cancer risk factors among urban Native American youth in the northeast to inform development of a prevention initiative. Design: Face to face interviews were conducted. Setting: Interviews were conducted in homes, at a social service agency, and in a private space at a Native American cultural event in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York. Methods: Forty-one youth (ages 9–13) and 17 caregivers were interviewed about their health behaviours. Results: Poor dietary choices and a sedentary lifestyle places these youth at risk for developing cancer later in life. Many of these youth’s family members and some of their peers smoke, thus exposing them to the temptation to initiate smoking and the effects of second hand smoke. Conclusion: This data informed development of a curriculum designed to reduce the cancer risk factors of poor diet, recreational tobacco use, and limited physical activity.