Ozge Sensoy Bahar

Mentalization in children exposed to parental methamphetamine abuse: relations to children's mental health and behavioral outcomes

This study examined the mentalization capabilities of children exposed to parental methamphetamine abuse in relation to symptom underreporting, mental health, and behavioral outcomes. Twenty-six school-aged children in foster care participated in this study. Mentalization was assessed using the My Family Stories Interview (MFSI), a semi-structured interview in which children recalled family stories about a happy, sad or scary and fun time. An established scale of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), a self-report measure, provided information on childrens symptom underreporting. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), completed by the childrens foster caregivers, assessed childrens mental health and behavioral outcomes. Children with higher mentalization were significantly less prone to underreport symptoms. These children had fewer mental health problems and were rated by their foster caregivers as more socially competent. The findings underscore that mentalization could be an important protective factor for children who have experienced parental substance abuse.

Holler, Run, Be Loud: Strategies for Promoting Child Physical Activity in a Low-Income, African American Neighborhood

This article identifies and describes child management practices among a sample of African American caregivers in a low-income, inner-city neighborhood. Caregivers responded to low levels of neighborhood collective socialization, collective efficacy, social control, and institutional resources by using strategies that protected children and promoted physical activity. Using diverse qualitative methods (interviews, observations) and demographic data on neighborhood disadvantage and family and household characteristics, the research revealed seven caregiver management strategies that promoted child physical activity, despite multiple neighborhood barriers. These included ecological appraisal, boundary enforcement, chaperonage, kin-based play groups, collective supervision, local resource brokering, and extralocal resource brokering. These findings provide important substantive and theoretical insights on the relationship between caregiver practices, neighborhood social context, and child physical activity.

Self-Perceived Emerging Adult Status and Substance Use

Very little research exists on how self-perceived emerging adult status is associated with substance use among low-income emerging adults. The Inventory of Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA) was administered to emerging adults (EAs) ages 18-25 screened for substance use problems (n = l05) in a state-subsidized, not-for-profit treatment agency. We examined whether the defining dimensions of Arnetts (2000a) emerging adulthood theory were associated with substance use frequency and substance-related problems, including: identity exploration, self-focus, possibilities, optimism, negativity/instability, and feeling in-between. In multivariate models, feeling in-between was positively associated with substance-related problems. An interaction term between minority status and feeling in-between approached statistical significance (p = .057). Further, IDEA scale score means were comparable to those found in college student samples. Implications for theory revision are discussed.

Should They Work or Should They Not? Low-Income Kurdish Migrant Mothers’ Beliefs and Attitudes About Child Labor

PurposeAs part of a larger ethnographic study, this article explored Kurdish mothers’ beliefs and attitudes about child labor.MethodsTwenty-seven low-income Kurdish migrant mothers in an inner-city neighborhood of Istanbul in Turkey were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through demographic surveys, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and participant observations. Demographic surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Through repeated readings of transcribed interviews and field notes, themes and patterns were identified using analytic induction techniques.FindingsThe findings suggested that mothers’ views on child labor in the community were not homogenous. While the majority of the mothers considered child labor as a viable option, there were also mothers who opposed child labor. Mothers’ main reasons for being in support of child labor included financial constraints, protection of children from inner-city dangers, and teaching children about work and life. Those mothers who were against child labor asserted that it was the parents’ responsibility to take care of children and that children should not be adultified by sending them to work. Other concerns included interference with education and loss of children’s control.Conclusion and ImplicationsThese findings provide insights into the dynamics of urban child labor in low-income Kurdish migrant families in Turkey. The study concludes by discussing policy and practice implications for preventive measures against child labor.

“When We Do Sit Down Together” Family Meal Times in Low-Income African American Families With Preschoolers

Regular family meal times have been associated with enhanced family cohesion and positive developmental outcomes for children–youth, especially in White and/or middle-class families. Less is known about the meal time experiences of low-income African American families. Guided by a family resilience perspective, this study examines meal times among a sample of low-income African American caregivers of preschoolers in an inner-city neighborhood. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews and a photo elicitation interview with 11 low-income African American caregivers about their family meal time experiences. We found that caregivers valued family meal times and acknowledged their benefits for family life. However, competing demands such as family schedules, household configurations, chores, time pressures, fast food restaurants, and low-wage work affected the schedule and structure of meal times. This study adds to discussions of family meal times among low-income African American families and provides suggestions for enhancing mealtimes through culturally and developmentally appropriate interventions.

“You Just Have to Build a Bridge and Get Over It”: Low-Income African American Caregivers’ Coping Strategies to Manage Inadequate Food Supplies

This article examines the experiences of food shortages among a sample of low-income, African American caregivers of preschoolers and how they coped with the risk of inadequate food supplies. Data derived from qualitative interviews identified multiple food-based, social network-based, and institution-based strategies that caregivers used to alleviate or prevent food shortages. The configuration of strategies varied among households and reflected different approaches for coping with inadequate food supplies. Highlighting the resilience of low-income families, these findings expand on current research that misses the complex and diverse ways households coped with food shortages. The research also suggests strength-based interventions grounded in the firsthand experiences of households.

“The Name Says It All, It’s Saraybostan”: Low-Income Kurdish Migrant Women’s Experiences with Life in a Poverty-Impacted Urban Neighborhood

ABSTRACTAs part of a larger ethnographic study on low-income Kurdish mothers’ reconstruction of their lives after rural-to-urban migration, this article explored how they experienced life in a poverty-impacted neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. Twenty-seven Kurdish mothers were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through demographic surveys, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and participant observations. Women’s narratives focused primarily on three aspects, namely financial challenges, crime, and neighbor relations. Participants discussed both challenges and coping strategies pertaining to each aspect. Study findings underlined similarities and differences in life experiences of families living in poverty-impacted urban communities across the global context.ABSTRACT As part of a larger ethnographic study on low-income Kurdish mothers’ reconstruction of their lives after rural-to-urban migration, this article explored how they experienced life in a poverty-impacted neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. Twenty-seven Kurdish mothers were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through demographic surveys, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and participant observations. Women’s narratives focused primarily on three aspects, namely financial challenges, crime, and neighbor relations. Participants discussed both challenges and coping strategies pertaining to each aspect. Study findings underlined similarities and differences in life experiences of families living in poverty-impacted urban communities across the global context.

An overview of the risk factors that contribute to child labor in Turkey: Implications for research, policy, and practice:

Child labor is a serious issue in Turkey. This article provides a review of the current literature on risk factors associated with child labor in Turkey. Emphasizing their multilayered nature, the article examines risk factors contributing to child labor in Turkey by clustering them under individual, family, and structural factors. Recommendations for future research, policy, and practice are also discussed.

“Feeling Less Than a Second Class Citizen”: Examining the Emotional Consequences of Poverty in New York City:

It has been argued that individuals living in poverty are shamed, and thus, experience it in various social and institutional spaces. However, little is known about this dynamic in the United States. This study examined the relationship between poverty and shame among individuals living in poverty. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 60 participants in New York, NY. The results reveal that participants experience shame, anger, and frustration in their roles as (a) caregivers when being unable to provide material items and trying to keep up with others in society and (b) social welfare recipients when at the welfare office and accessing welfare benefits. Despite experiencing such debilitating emotions, participants formulated and used strategies to manage these feelings and situations. These findings point to the role of social and institutional practices in shaping emotions.

A Promising Partnership: Uncovering the Middle Ground Between Social Innovation and Social Work Response to Dr. Marilyn L. Flynn’s Remarks

This response article discusses opportunities to bridge social work and social innovation as a promising partnership to address the issues impacting vulnerable populations across the global context...This response article discusses opportunities to bridge social work and social innovation as a promising partnership to address the issues impacting vulnerable populations across the global context. It starts by revisiting the conceptualization of innovation in social work and continues by considering factors that contribute to the growing interest in social innovation and related concepts. This article concludes by discussing differences in social work and social innovation and how these differences can be turned into opportunities for a fruitful partnership that can push both fields forward.