Familismo in Latina/o Learning Communities: A Study of College Retention and Success

Sandra M. Gonzales, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Bilingual EducationEthriam Cash Brammer, Ph.D., Associate Director, Latino/a StudiesTamara Serrano Chandler, Program Coordinator, Latino/a Studies

MI ACE Women’s Network ConferenceJune 9, 2015

FamilismoSaenz and Ponjuan (2008), describe Familismo as an important and enduring cultural value among Latinos in the United States that:

• Involves the strong identification and attachment to immediate and extended family. • Embodies strong feelings of loyalty, responsibility, and solidarity within the Latino family unit• Is accompanied by a strong desire to provide financial and emotional support for the family, a

quality that holds constant across generational lines and immigrant status.

In many respects, familismo among Latino families serves to define gender roles and expectations for family members such that sacrificing the needs of the individual over the needs of the family is commonplace” (62-63)

FamilismoIn Familismo in Mexican and Dominican Families from Low-Income, Urban Communities, Esther Calzada et’al (2013) describe the concept as two tiered:

1. Attitudinal familismo - refers to feelings of loyalty, solidarity, and reciprocity among family members, comprising four core components:

(a) belief that family comes before the individual (b) familial interconnectedness (c) belief in family reciprocity(d) belief in familial honor.

2. Behavioral familismo - refers to the behaviors that reflect these beliefs, such as (a) family help with childrearing (b) taking care of elders

Empirical studies often fail to distinguish these components, and more often, focus on attitudinal familismo while the behavioral component (e.g., living near or visiting kin, providing support) is neglected” (1697-1698)

Familismo as a Deficit Discourse

Calzada et’al (2013) note:

Family obligations can interfere with academic success as they put a toll on children’s time and energy that can lead to:• School absences • School dropout• Lower rates of college enrollment

Moreover, the intensity of family bonds may actually increase the negative impact of familial conflict when it occurs - conflict within family networks is predictive of individual psychological maladjustment

These studies suggest that familismo has great relevance for understanding not only protective but also risk processes in Latino child development.

Familismo as an Assest-Based DiscourseAccording to Saenz and Ponjuan (2008):

“[T]he notion of familismo among Latino families should not be seen as a negative force working to perpetuate gaps in educational attainment between males and females. Indeed, scholars have noted that familismo can serve as a strong social network and form of social capital that can facilitate lifelong educational success (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 1995; Valenzuela, 1999). Accordingly, familismo can work as a socio-cultural asset to assist young Latino males and females in navigating the educational system. The value of familismo can be an asset because of its correlation with strong social and family networks, which can ultimately be accessed to support their academic achievement (Valenzuela & Dornbusch, 1994)” (63).

The ProblemThe Educational Achievement Gap at WSU

CBS Scholars WSU FTIACs WSU White FTIACs

2004 48.3% 71.7% 77.6%

2005 56.8% 69.2% 74.9%2006 57.5% 68.8% 75.0%

2004 2005 20060.00%

20.00%40.00%60.00%80.00%

100.00%

First-to-Second Year Retention Rates

CBS Scholars WSU FTIACs WSU White FTIACs

The ProblemThe Educational Achievement Gap at WSU

CBS Scholars WSU FTIACs WSU White FTIACs

2004 7.1% 20.8% 32.5%

2005 5.4% 17.8% 28.7%2006 2.5% 19.3% 29.1%

2004 2005 20060.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

Five Year Graduation Rates

CBS Scholars WSU FTIACs WSU White FTIACs

A Possible SolutionClosing the Educational Achievement Gap at WSU

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

CBS Scholars

0.483 0.568 0.57500000000000

1

0.59 0.85300000000000

1

0.813 0.86800000000000

1

0.77500000000000

1

0.85000000000000

1

WSU FTIACs

0.71700000000000

1

0.692 0.688 0.697 0.76100000000000

1

0.77100000000000

1

0.76700000000000

1

0.74800000000000

1

0.74800000000000

1

WSU White FTIACs

0.77600000000000

1

0.74900000000000

1

0.75000000000000

1

0.76500000000000

1

0.79 0.795 0.784 0.805 0.79

10.0%

30.0%

50.0%

70.0%

90.0%

First-to-Second Year Retention Rates

Pe

rce

nt R

eta

ine

d

A Possible SolutionClosing the Educational Achievement Gap at WSU

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

CBS Schol-ars

0.0714 0.0541 0.025 0.0769 0.1176 0.2258 0.1842

WSU FTI-ACs

0.2081 0.1779 0.1926 0.2212 0.2205 0.2423 0.2406

WSU White FTI-ACs

0.3245 0.287 0.2909 0.3262 0.3533 0.3478 0.3371

2.5%7.5%

12.5%17.5%22.5%27.5%32.5%37.5%

Five Year Graduation RatesP

erce

nt

Ret

ain

ed

What was the Catalyst for Change?*Findings indicated that entering ACT scores and H.S. GPAs were not a statistically significant factor in their retention/success.

CBS Scholars Cohort Year Average H.S. GPAs Average ACT Composite

2004 2.85 17.152005 2.86 17.312006 3.06 16.812007 2.86 18.082008 3.01 17.972009 3.11 18.252010 3.01 19.892011 2.99 19.072012 2.98 19.42

What was significant?Latino/a Learning Communities and Familismo

Gabelnick, MacGregor, Matthews and Smith (1990) define a learning community as:

“Any one of a variety of curricular structures that link together several existing courses—or actually restructure the material entirely—so that students have opportunities for deeper understanding and integration of the material they are learning, and more interaction with one another and their teachers as fellow participants in the learning enterprise.” Astin (1985) defines a learning community to be:

“Such communities can be organized along curricular lines, common career interests, avocational interests, residential living areas, and so on. These can be used to build a sense of group identity, cohesiveness, and uniqueness; to encourage continuity and the integration of diverse curricular and co-curricular experiences; and to counteract the isolation that many students feel.”

Cultivating “Familismo” throughHigh Impact Practices

High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them,

and Why They Matter

1) First-Year Seminars and Experiences 2) Common Intellectual Experiences 3) Learning Communities 4) Writing-Intensive Courses 5) Collaborative Assignments and Projects 6) Undergraduate Research 7) Diversity/Global Learning 8) Service Learning, Community-Based Learning 9) Internships 10) Capstone Courses and Projects

(Kuh, 2008)

Ensuring Quality & Taking High-Impact Practices to Scale

1) Performance expectations are at appropriately high levels.

2) Significant investment of time and effort by students over an extended period of time.3) Interactions with faculty and peers

about substantive matters.4) Experiences with diversity, wherein students

are exposed to and must contend with people and circumstances that differ from those with which students are familiar.

5) Frequent, timely, and constructive feedback.6) Opportunities to discover relevance of learning through real-world applications.7) Public demonstration of competence.

(Kuh and O'Donnell, 2013)

Cultivating “Familismo” and Latina Student Outcomes

2010 Educational Attainment Rates

Region H.S. Diploma Bachelor’s Degree

United States 84.6% 27.5%

State of Michigan 87.4% 24.5%

City of Detroit 32.6% 3.7%

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey, only 32.6% of Detroit’s 18-24 year old residents have a high school diploma or GED. Furthermore, only 3.7% of this same demographic in the city of Detroit, went on to earn a four-year college degree (4% women and 2.5% men).

Cultivating “Familismo” & Latina Student Outcomes

  Gender N MeanStd.

Deviationt df P Effect Size

HS GPA Male 153 2.88 .52       .34

Female 195 3.05 .49 -3.06 346 .002*

ACT Math Male 146 18.94 4.10 4.75 337 .000* .52

Female 193 17.12 2.95      

Expected Family

Contribution

Male 140 $8,765.89 15,586.14 2.34 214.9 .020 .28

Female 176 $5,274.09 9,278.74      

Number of Development

Courses

Male 156 1.28 .82 -2.09 351 .038 .23

Female 197 1.46 .75      

There were twenty-four independent variables. Five variables surfaced indicating a statistical significant difference between females and males at the nominal alpha = 0.05 level. (A Bonferroni correction, based on the number of t-tests, adjusts nominal alpha = .002, and are identified in the Table with an asterisk.) At this level, there was a statistically significant gender difference for High School GPA and ACT math. Cohen’s d, a measure of effect size, are reported in the table. All effect sizes were of moderate or moderately low magnitude.

Cultivating “Familismo” and Latina Student Outcomes

• Regardless of incoming challenges, women were retained and graduated at the same rate as men

• Learning Community model/Familismo helped to mitigate whatever challenges were faced at entrance

Cultivating “Familismo” throughPeer Mentors

Creating Learning Communities: A Practical Guide to Winning Support, Organizing for Change, and Implementing Programs, Shapiro and Levine (1999)

Addition of Peer Mentors to help new students with their transition, as well as provide leadership opportunities and increase the self-efficacy of advanced students serving as mentors.

Cultivating “Familismo”

Challenges FTIAC Latinas face:• Taking care of siblings• Taking care of household• Domestic responsibilities• Balancing work with school• There is a need to challenge

traditional assumptions with regards to under-preparedness.

Cultivating “Familismo”

Student Narratives• Student M• Student R• Students G & C

Cultivating “Familismo” through Mentoring

• Prevailing stereotype of submissive, quiet Latinas• Traditional narratives – supposed no support from families• Counternarratives – significant linguistic and culturally

appropriate wrap-around family support services.• Peer mentors• Strong Latina Role Models• Professional Mentoring

Cultivating “Familismo” in Learning Communities with High Impact Practices Helps to Bridge the Traditional

with the Contemporary and Create Partnerships for Student Success