Barton J. Hirsch’s research while affiliated with Pennsylvania State University and other places

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Publications (40)


Community contexts for mentoring
  • Article

November 2006

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50 Reads

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37 Citations

Journal of Community Psychology

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Barton J. Hirsch

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[...]

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Kenneth Maton

Mentoring programs attempt to foster a relationship that is too often missing from the lives of disadvantaged children and youth. However, in view of both the power and the limitations of mentoring programs, it is important to understand how mentoring occurs naturally. Assuming an ecological perspective, we examine mentoring in four contexts: classrooms, youth development organizations, work and service-learning, and faith- based organizations. Although none has been studied in sufficient depth, and no research has been found on natural mentoring in faith-based organizations, available evidence indicates that such mentoring adds to young people's intellectual, psychological and emotional, social, and, to a lesser extent, physical assets. This review poses many questions for future research, including fundamental ones about the prevalence of mentoring in these contexts, the circumstances in which it arises, and its risks and benefits. Nonetheless, the evidence is sufficient to encourage practitioners to promote mentoring relationships of youth and adults in all of these contexts. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The Transmission of Values to School-Age and Young Adult Offspring

August 2003

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129 Reads

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26 Citations

Journal of Feminist Family Therapy

The current study explores parental socialization practices and the values transmitted to school-aged and young adult off-spring, focusing on race and gender issues involved in parental teachings. A community sample of 187 black and white mothers and fathers were interviewed with regards to their parenting practices using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Higher levels of social concern and other-oriented themes in teachings were found among black parents, in contrast to a higher prevalence of individualistic themes among white parents. Interactions with child gender and age revealed that parents were more likely to mention individualistic skills and less likely to mention concern for others to older rather than younger daughters, with a reverse pattern found for sons. Parents remain active teachers in the lives of their children beyond the first and second decades of life, instilling skills and values shaped by ethnicity and gender. Comparison of socialization practices between racial groups reveals a notable capacity of black parents to promote personal development as well as societal well-being.


Outcomes of Parent Education Programs Based on Reevaluation Counseling
  • Article
  • Full-text available

March 2003

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223 Reads

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37 Citations

We report two studies in which a parent education program based on Reevaluation Counseling was field-tested on mothers randomly assigned to treatment groups or equivalent, no-treatment comparison groups. The goal was to evaluate the program's viability, whether there were measurable effects, whether those effects were sustained over time, and whether the program was effective among diverse populations. The first study involved middle income, married mothers (n = 25) with at least one child younger than age five. Eleven members of the no-treatment group participated in the program three months later. Pretest, posttest, and follow-up measures included a parental attitude survey and a parenting stress index. The second study involved 18 black mothers with children enrolled in Head Start. Six members of the no-treatment group participated in the program two months later. Added to the pretest, posttest, and follow-up measures were a parent attitude research instrument and a parenting practices questionnaire. Results were replicated within and across studies. Significant effects suggest that the program can reduce parenting-related stress, improve parental attitudes, and encourage authoritative parenting practices, although some effects tend to diminish somewhat over time. The program appears viable with mothers of various social status groups.

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Inner-City Youth Development Organizations: The Salience of Peer Ties Among Early Adolescent Girls

January 2003

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49 Reads

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61 Citations

There has been little research on the importance of adolescent-peer relationships in urban youth-development organizations. Focusing on girls ages 10 years old and up at 4 inner-city Boys and Girls Clubs, this exploratory study employed multiple methods; including ethnography (N = 124), and especially, interview and sociometric techniques (n = 17) to examine the salience of peer ties. Findings reveal that compared to school and other neighborhood settings, the youth club is a powerful context for fostering close friendships. Having fun with friends is a key motivation for participation in youth clubs; the availability of activities that enable such interactions affects the implementation of psychoeducational programs. Despite close peer ties, widespread concerns were expressed about betrayal and duplicity. Implications for youth programming and staff development are discussed.


Ties to Influential Adults Among Black and White Adolescents: Culture, Social Class, and Family Networks

May 2002

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41 Reads

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91 Citations

American Journal of Community Psychology

Although prior research suggests the importance of nonparental adults to adolescents, the ecological context of those relationships has received little attention. This study examined ties to influential adults among 122 adolescents who varied by race, family structure, and gender The strongest effects were for race. Blacks reported stronger ties than Whites to the maternal grandmother as well as more supportive interactions with adult males. While race differences in grandparental ties were robust across social class (SES), ties to an influential adult male became nonsignificant upon controlling for SES. African American girls from divorced families consistently reported the strongest ties. Discussion considers the role of culture versus SES in explaining race differences. Implications for mentoring interventions are proposed, with special attention to the role of actualizing latent ties to already existing network members.


Ties to Influential Adults Among Black and White Adolescents: Culture, Social Class, and Family Networks

April 2002

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11 Reads

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60 Citations

American Journal of Community Psychology

Although prior research suggests the importance of nonparental adults to adolescents, the ecological context of those relationships has received little attention. This study examined ties to influential adults among 122 adolescents who varied by race, family structure, and gender. The strongest effects were for race. Blacks reported stronger ties than Whites to the maternal grandmother as well as more supportive interactions with adult males. While race differences in grandparental ties were robust across social class (SES), ties to an influential adult male became nonsignificant upon controlling for SES. African American girls from divorced families consistently reported the strongest ties. Discussion considers the role of culture versus SES in explaining race differences. Implications for mentoring interventions are proposed, with special attention to the role of actualizing latent ties to already existing network members.


Generativity and Social Involvement Among African Americans and White Adults

June 2001

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513 Reads

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122 Citations

Journal of Research in Personality

The study examined the relation between generativity and social involvement in a sample of 253 community adults, approximately half African American and half White, between the ages of 34 and 65 years. For the sample as a whole, individual differences in generativity were positively asociated with social support from family and friends, involvement in religious activities, and political participation, and generativity among parents was associated with emphasizing prosocial values and viewing oneself as a role model and source of wisdom for one's children. Controlling for mean education and family income differences between Blacks and Whites, African American adults scored significantly higher than Whites on measures of generative concern and generative acts as well as on indices of social support, religious participation, and parenting as a role model and source of wisdom. The results are discussed in terms of contemporary psychological research on the social ecology of generative lives and sociological studies of personal resources and adaptive coping among African American families.


Youth Functioning and Experiences in Inner-City After-School Programs Among Age, Gender, and Race Groups

March 2001

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177 Reads

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68 Citations

Many dangers and challenges face inner-city minority children during their after-school hours. Youth development programs provide an alternative to spending this time unsupervised. We examined the relationship between children's experiences in selected urban Boys and Girls Clubs and child functioning. Because the sample (N = 296) consisted of African American and Hispanic boys and girls, aged 10-18, we were able to compare these relationships across race, gender, and age groups. There was no relationship between simple participation levels and child functioning, but significant linkages were identified between specific elements of the club experience and functioning. Relationships with club staff members and participation in club activities were associated with better functioning for older boys, a subgroup that is at considerable risk for delinquency. In addition, enjoyment of the club and not feeling badly treated there were associated with better functioning for all groups of children.


Inner-City Youth Development Organizations:: Strengthening Programs for Adolescent Girls

May 2000

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197 Reads

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67 Citations

The Journal of Early Adolescence

The challenges of early adolescence are intensified for girls of color who live in disadvantaged urban communities. One response to the needs of these girls comes from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), a youth development organization that has a long-standing presence in inner-city neighborhoods. A gender equity initiative designed to strengthen programming for minority girls at a BGCA affiliate in a major urban center was examined. Drawing on initial qualitative findings, a conceptual framework is presented for understanding the ways in which the clubs can affect urban early adolescent girls' self-esteem. Several strategic choices confronting this initiative then are considered. The authors emphasize the creation of a "home place" that enables the development of self via organizational responsiveness to girls' voices, strong bonds between girls and staff, adaptive peer friendship cliques, and the development of programs that fuse the interests of girls and adult staff.


Self-Esteem in Early Adolescence Revisited:A Promising Sequel and a Casting Call for Future Roles

May 2000

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29 Reads

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4 Citations

The Journal of Early Adolescence

In Part 1 of this two-part special issue, a general conceptual model of early adolescent self-esteem was presented. Findings from several empirical studies illustrated differing aspects of the model. The articles included in Part II of the special issue address further significant concerns, including the need to examine self-esteem in the context of other relevant aspects of early adolescent development (e.g., pubertal status) and its reciprocal relation over time to indicators of adjustment (e.g., problem behavior). Implications of theory and research for esteem enhancement in social-community interventions with young adolescents also are considered. It is noteworthy, however, that certain types of research were underrepresented in submissions to the special issue. These include investigations using qualitative sources of data and cross-cultural studies. Both types of research present many possibilities for enhancing understanding of early adolescent self-esteem. The special issue concludes with a commentary that critically evaluates future directions for the field.


Citations (37)


... 1.1 | Physical impairment of chronically ill parents and children's functioning Different types of chronic illness may be accompanied by distinct psychosocial demands on the family and varied effects on an individual's functional independence due to their unique characteristics (e.g., acute or gradual; progressive, stable, or episodic; fatal or nonfatal; predictable or uncertain; degree of direct and sustained impairment) (Rolland, 1999). Some research has suggested that the severity of parental chronic illness, rather than the type of illness (Hirsch et al., 1985;Sieh et al., 2012), is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes in the family and in children and adolescents (e.g., Anderson, 2005;Landi et al., 2021;Pedersen & Revenson, 2012). Irrespective of the category of diagnosis, more severe parental physical impairment due to an illness places greater financial, social, and emotional demands on the family (Chen & Fish, 2013). ...

Reference:

Roles of physical functioning and comorbid mental illness of chronically ill parents and their spouses' health status in adolescent functioning
Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescent Children of a Depressed, Arthritic, or Normal Parent

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

... There is evidence that mothers place higher value on exchanges and influences that occur within their social networks between their children and other nonrelated adults. This can only happen in networks where concordance of values leads nonrelated adults to feel that they have shared stake in the adolescent outcomes of local children and thus take an active interest in their lives (Hirsch et al., 1994). Studies show that social support processes mediate child development, but the characteristics of certain children (poor behavior or lack of respect) receiving such support can affect adults' willingness or enthusiasm to work with them or others. ...

18. The Social Networks of Adolescents and Their Mothers: Influences on Blacks and Whites in Single- and Two-Parent Families
  • Citing Chapter
  • December 1994

... Family dynamics, especially conflict, play a critical role in the emotional well-being of adolescents and have been shown to significantly influence suicide risk (Borowsky, Ireland, and Resnick 2001;Frey and Cerel 2015;Jiang et al. 2022). For Black adolescents, family is often a central source of social and cultural identity, offering both a protective buffer against external stressors and, paradoxically, a source of strain when conflict arises (Carlo et al. 2022;Hirsch, Mickus, and Boerger 2002). Our findings suggest that idioms of distress may overlap with or be exacerbated by family conflict, particularly in contexts where cultural expectations and family roles clash with individual stressors or identity struggles (e.g., race, gender, or sexual orientation). ...

Ties to Influential Adults Among Black and White Adolescents: Culture, Social Class, and Family Networks
  • Citing Article
  • April 2002

American Journal of Community Psychology

... An interesting note about Angel's social support is that there are two instances she described that do not fit into the typical support aspects defined in the field. Rather than negative support (e.g., Hirsch, 1985) or a simple absence of support (La Gaipa, 1990), these two instances are more indicative of something akin to "null" support, in which an individual identifies a need for assistance but is either turned away by a potential source of support or consciously chooses not to approach that source (see Chapter 6 for a more detailed discussion of this phenomenon). ...

Social Networks and the Ecology of Human Development: Theory, Research and Application
  • Citing Chapter
  • January 1985

... Interviewees in this study did not reference specific activities, suggesting that more intentionally facilitating such conversations as part of the programming could have been even more beneficial for culturally similar and culturally different youth-adult relationships. Third, external support beyond individual-level efforts, such as culturally responsive program policies and practices, inclusive and safe environment, and initial and ongoing staff training, must come in tandem with fostering cultural dialogues between youth and adult program leaders, which will further yield optimal youth development (Hirsch et al., 2011;Simpkins et al., 2017;Yu et al., 2021). Researchers have underscored the need for ongoing cultural humility training (Outley et al., 2018;Redd et al., 2020;Richmond et al., 2018;Sánchez et al., 2021) and on how to have culturally sensitive conversations with youth (Albright et al., 2017). ...

After-School Centers and Youth Development: Case Studies of Success and Failure
  • Citing Article
  • January 2011

... There are many different types of after-school programs that offer various opportunities for tutoring and instruction. After School Matters, in Chicago, offers project-based learning designed to enhance students' soft skills, as well as produce a final product based on activities conducted with the students (Hirsch, 2011). This program is run by instructors with expertise in the discipline; soft skills learned include teamwork and communication in order for the project to be completed (Hirsch, 2011). ...

Learning and Development in After-School Programs
  • Citing Article
  • February 2011

Phi Delta Kappan

... The PSI-SF has been used extensively in a variety of contexts and samples in the US (Haskett et al., 2006;Reitman et al., 2002;Smith et al., 2001), with good test-retest reliability (average score of 0.76) and high internal consistency (0.85) in the original validation study in rural and urban areas of Virginia (Abidin, 1990). Moreover, the PSI-SF has been found to have high test-retest reliability and validity in a sample of parents of South Africa children (Potterton et al., 2007) and sensitivity to change after parenting programs (Cowen & Reed, 2002;Wolfe & Hirsch, 2003). ...

Outcomes of Parent Education Programs Based on Reevaluation Counseling

... Internal assessments can yield information that is critical for a successful alliance. Your organization can gain a clear understanding of its strengths and assets, of what it is seeking from partners, and of possible benefits of the arrangement for each potential partner (Klein, 2012). For example, assessing your organization's strengths and opportunities for growth can help choose alliances that will add the most value to your organization's initiatives. ...

Building business‐community partnerships to support youth development
  • Citing Article
  • June 2012

New Directions for Youth Development

... Age is an important component of intersectionality, with some critical social scientists arguing that the U.S extension of a lengthy period of adolescence may be explained through the political economy model (Côté and Allahar, 1996). For instance, governmental policies about legal age requirements for entering the labor force, the low standards for minimum wage, and business practices requiring more educational credentials for jobs for technical or professional work are beneficial to middle-aged workers (Côté & Allahar, 1996;Dornbusch, 1989;Hynes & Hirsch, 2012;Shanahan, 2000;Shanahan et al, 2005;Vondracek et al, 2003). The result is that the ever-widening category of youth can be construed as relegated to a disenfranchised class (Arnett, 2002;Côté & Allahar, 1996;Hertz, 2005). ...

Issue editors' notes
  • Citing Article
  • June 2012

New Directions for Youth Development

... To put things into perspective, there is a large body of literature eliciting information about problems and challenges faced by first year college students such as depression, anxiety, searching for new social support, making decisions, isolation, academic pressure, etc. associated with life adjustments (Reischl and Hirsch, 1989;MacLennan and Dies, 1992;Feldman, 2005), managing the transition (Steltenpohl and Shipton, 1986) improving learning skills and the ability (Kuh et al., 1991;Hattie et al., 1996;Leamnson, 1999), increasing retention (Astin, 1975;Beal and Noel et al., 1980), etc. Yet, despite the range of literatures that exist, very few have emanated from emerging/developing countries with emphasis on engineering students. ...

Identity commitments and coping with a difficult developmental transition
  • Citing Article
  • February 1988

Journal of Youth and Adolescence