Abstract
The paper addresses the multivariate nature of research on minority children and families in Israel, and offers an alternative framework for investigation of these families. The ecological approach toward the study of child development is applied in an attempt to identify variables that influence the child and family at various levels of the ecological context. In addition to identifying variables directly related to the child and family, the main contribution of this framework is its focus on wider social and cultural contexts and on interactions at all levels. These dimensions are ignored in many quantitative studies of minority children and their families in Israel. The paper further discusses research methods and data analysis techniques that conform with the proposed écological approach. Most of the cases presented in the paper are drawn from examination of families in cultural transition and perceived risk factors threatening the children’s well being. These examples illustrate the importance of addressing social and cultural contexts and their interactions at different levels. These data show how the significance and interpretations of data change when viewed through this wider lens.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 71-85 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | European Early Childhood Education Research Journal |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1998 |
Keywords
- Cultural transition
- Ecological approach
- Minority families
- Risk
- Well-being