Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"Fine Designs" From Italy: Montessori Education And The Reggio Approach, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Italy is not a huge country, nor one that dominates research in scientific areas like biotechnology or computer science; but in the particular field of early childhood, it can be described as a kind of gifted, creative giant. Italians have always revered beauty, architecture, painting, cuisine, and creative design. In a similar fusion of art and science, they have produced two of the 20th century's most innovative and influential leaders in early education, along with their methods of pedagogy and philosophies of education. The two figures were Maria Montessori (1 870-1952) and Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994).

Both Montessori education and the …

Lasting Learning Inspired By The Reggio Emilia Philosophy: Professional Development Experience Within The Chinese Context, Wen Zhao, Carolyn P. Edwards, Joan Youngquist, Wenzuo Xiong

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

In 2000, 1 became the educational program director for Half the Sky Foundation. Half the Sky Foundation was organized by a group of American parents, led by Jenny Bowen, who had adopted Chinese orphans from Chinese Social Welfare Institutions. After seeing their own daughters become happy and healthy in a warm and stimulating environment in the United States, these parents wanted to give something back to the children (predominately girls) who still remained in the institutions in China. Therefore, an educational program called the Little Sisters Program was developed, integrating Reggio Emilia principles, Chinese early childhood practice, and North American …

Child Care Quality Matters: How Conclusions May Vary With Context, John M. Love, Linda Harrison, Abraham Sagi-Schwartz, Marinus H. Van Ijzendoorn, Christine Ross, Judy A. Ungerer, Helen Raikes, Christy Brady-Smith, Kimberly Boller, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Jill Constantine, Ellen Eliason Kisker, Diane Paulsell, Rachel Chazan-Cohen

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Three studies examined associations between early child care and child outcomes among families different from those in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Early Child Care Research Network study. Results suggest that quality is an important influence on children’s development and may be an important moderator of the amount of time in care. Thus, the generalizability of the NICHD findings may hinge on the context in which those results were obtained. These studies, conducted in three national contexts, with different regulatory climates, ranges of child care quality, and a diversity of family characteristics, suggest a need …

Chinese Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices About Sexuality Education For Adolescents In The Family, Wenli Liu, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study used a cross-sectional, multi-site survey design to examine Chinese parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the area of sexuality education for adolescents. Three cities in China were selected for the survey, and the final sample contained 841 parents with children ranged from 11 to 19 years. The majority of Chinese parents were found to have reasonably accurate knowledge about sexuality and positive attitudes toward sexuality and sexuality education. However, most Chinese parents reported that they never talked with their children about sexuality. Parental education was strongly related to both knowledge and attitudes. Gender of parent was a significant …

A Culture Of Relationships: Early Care For Italian And American Children, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

A culture of childhood is a shared vision – an agreed upon vision – of the needs and rights of children, including ideas about how the people of the community can collectively nurture them and at the same time be renewed by them. In other words, it is a set of values, beliefs, and practices that people have created to guide their way of nurturing young children and their families. The vision is about investing in young children and investing in the supports and relationships that children need to learn and grow, both for the reason that children carry our …

Young Children’S Close Relationships Outside The Family: Parental Ethnotheories In Four Communities In Norway, United States, Turkey, And Korea, Vibeke G. Aukrust, Carolyn Pope Edwards, Asiye Kumru, Lisa Knoche, Misuk Kim

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Parents, preschools, and schools in different cultures vary greatly in the extent to which children are encouraged to develop long-term relationships with people outside the family circle—peers and teachers. In contemporary societies, parents face complex choices as they bridge children’s transitions to a wider world. This exploratory cross-cultural study used a newly developed questionnaire, Parental Concerns for Preschool Children Survey, to assess parental beliefs, values, and judgments. The sample included 521 parents from four cities: Oslo, Norway; Lincoln (Nebraska), United States; Ankara, Turkey; Seoul, Korea. Strong cultural community differences were found in parental descriptions of their own child’s friendships and …

"You Just Give Them What They Want And Pray They Don’T Kill You”: Street-Level Sex Workers’ Reports Of Victimization, Personal Resources And Coping Strategies, Rochelle L. Dalla Dr., Yan Xia, Heather Kennedy

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Using both qualitative (in-depth, personal interviews) and quantitative (self-report survey indices) techniques, data were collected from 43 women involved in streetwalking prostitution. The purpose of the investigation was to examine exposure to violence and victimization among a particularly vulnerable female population across the life span. A secondary goal was to apply stress theory as an organizing frameworkfor examining personal resources (e.g., social support, locus of control) and coping behavior. Results from both data collection strategies are presented, and implications for intervention are described.