"The complexities of culturally responsive organized activities: Latino parents’ and adolescents’ perspectives"

Professor Sandra Simpkins (right) published an article in Journal of Adolescent Research exploring culturally responsive organized activities. The title of the article is “The complexities of culturally responsive organized activities: Latino parents’ and adolescents’ perspectives.” Co-authors are Andrea Vest Ettakal (first author, Texas A&M University), Cecilia Menjivar (UCLA), and Melissa Y. Delgado (University of Arizona, Tucson).
 
Simpkins is a developmental psychologist, studying child and adolescent development. She researches how families, friendships, and social position factors (such as ethnicity and culture) shape adolescents’ organized after-school activities and motivation. She is currently working on research focused on the positive outcomes of youth’s participation in activities as well as the predictors and correlates of high school students’ STEM motivational beliefs. Simpkins is co-PI on grants from the John Templeton Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation that study how organized after-school activities support positive development from childhood through young adulthood. Simpkins directs the Center for After School and Summer Excellence (CASE) and Project REACH and co-directs the After School Activities Project.​​

Abstract
 
Grounded in bioecological theories, this mixed-method article examines aspects of culturally responsive organized activities. Study 1 used path analysis to quantitatively test relations between ethnic cultural features of activities (ways of integrating ethnic culture) and concurrent experiences (N = 150 Latino adolescents). Findings were mixed, such that some features (e.g., teaching ethnic culture) predicted positive (e.g., increased autonomy) and negative (e.g., emotional) experiences. Study 2 disentangled the nuances of ethnic culture by qualitatively exploring perspectives on three features (N = 34 Mexican-origin adolescent-parent dyads): ethnic cultural content, same-ethnic leaders/peers, and Spanish language use. Thematic analysis revealed the complexities of ethnic culture. Some parents and adolescents wanted activities that represented mainstream American culture; others wanted Latino ethnic culture, but were unhappy with the ways it was integrated into activities. Parents and adolescents thought their ethnic culture was misrepresented (e.g., Cinco de Mayo was celebrated as Mexican Independence Day) or represented narrowly (e.g., La Bamba was the school band’s only Mexican song). Findings suggest that integrating ethnic cultural features is not an “all or nothing” decision, and how it is done matters considerably. Families’ perspectives and voice would help ensure ethnic culture is integrated in authentic, preferred ways.