A University of Alberta study suggests minority youths have higher educational goals due to their families' values.
Sociologist Harvey Krahn, along with Alison Taylor from the university's department of educational policy studies, used Statistics Canada data from the Youth in Transition Survey to examine differences in goals for postsecondary education among 15-year-old students.
Previous studies showed immigrant youth try to be successful in the education system, and their parents are aware of the need to do well in school. But other research has shown language and cultural barriers can stand in the way of immigrant youth.
"It is possible that such barriers might dampen educational aspirations," said Krahn. "So we were surprised by just how resilient these young visible minority immigrant youth really were, despite such barriers, and by how much higher their aspirations were compared to those of Canadian-born non-visible minority youth."
Krahn and Taylor found 79 percent of visible-minority immigrant youth -- people not of the majority race in a given area -- hope to earn at least one university degree in their future, compared with 57 percent of Canadian-born non-visible minority students.
The research is published in the Journal of International Migration and Integration.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
Recreation and park agencies play a key role in promoting healthy lifestyles
When community leaders brainstorm ways to improve the health and well-being of youth and families, a team usually brings together doctors and health care professionals, hospitals, public health organizations and schools. But recreation and park agencies are another key player in the fight against childhood obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and chronic diseases says a new report.
Diversity in primary schools promotes harmony
For the first time, children as young as 5 have been shown to understand issues regarding integration and separation. The research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), confirms that the ethnic composition of primary schools has a direct impact on children's attitudes towards those in other ethnic groups and on their ability to get on with their peers.
Tobacco industry manipulated cigarette menthol content to recruit new smokers among young people
Menthol cigarette brands have been rising in popularity with adolescents, and the highest use has been among younger, newer smokers. Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) explored tobacco industry manipulation of menthol levels in specific brands and found a deliberate strategy to recruit and addict young smokers by adjusting menthol to create a milder experience for the first time smoker. Menthol masks the harshness and irritation of cigarettes, allowing delivery of an effective dose of nicotine, the addictive chemical in cigarettes. These milder products were then marketed to the youngest potential consumers.
Most ethnic minority teens don't hang out with ethnic school crowds
Peer relationships are an important part of adolescence for most American adolescents. As teens find their places in the peer system in most high schools, crowds define most students’ status and reputation. Today, schools and communities are growing more ethnically diverse and types of crowds have expanded to include ethnically oriented groups. A new study finds that ethnic minority teens tend not to hang out with crowds made up of their ethnic peers.
Active living in diverse and disadvantaged communities
About 25 million US children and adolescents are overweight or obese. As obesity continues to increase while physical activity continues to decline in the United States, the disparity between the general population and low-income and minority populations continues to grow larger. These issues are addressed in a special issue of the
American Journal of Preventive Medicine (April 2008), Active Living in Diverse and Disadvantaged Communities.
Alcohol and malt liquor availability and promotion higher in African American inner cities
It appears that living in a poor neighborhood with a high concentration of African Americans is associated with greater alcohol availability and promotion – especially malt liquor – according to a recent study by University of Minnesota researchers.
As graduation rates go down, school ratings go up
A new study by researchers at Rice University and the University of Texas-Austin finds that Texas' public school accountability system, the model for the national No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), directly contributes to lower graduation rates. Each year Texas public high schools lose at least 135,000 youth prior to graduation -- a disproportionate number of whom are African-American, Latino and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students.
Eating disorders in adolescents
Eating disorders in the U.S. among ethnic groups were thought to be rare, but recent studies have shown that many cultures are now exposed to the thin beauty ideal. As a result, experts expect to see an increase in eating disorder symptoms among ethnic groups. It is also suspected that eating disorders and weight control behaviors may be increasing among adolescent boys. Although research has shown that eating disorders begin during adolescence, few epidemiological studies have been conducted with teens and those that have examined weight control practices among adolescents are too varied to be able to discern trends.