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Multiculturalism and Social Work | San Francisco State University

Friendship patterns among African American, Asian American, and Latino adolescents from low-income families.

Author: Way,-Niobe; Cowal,-Kirsten; Gingold,-Rachel; Pahl,-Kerstin; Bissessar,-Nirvani
Author Background:
Date 2/2001
Type Journal
Journal Title: Journal-of-Social-and-Personal-Relationships.
Volume/Pages Vol 18(1): 29-53
Publisher
Subject Matter friendship patterns, low income, Asian American, African American, Latino, high school students
Population
Pedagogies
Abstract Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the present study sought to explore: the patterns or types of closest, same-sex friendships among ethnic minority, low-income adolescents; the psychological and familial correlates of these patterns; and the adolescents' subjective experiences of each type of closest, same-sex friendships. 213 African American, Latino, and Asian American high school students participated in the study. Results of cluster analyses suggested 4 types of closest, same-sex friendships: (i) ideal; (ii) engaged; (iii) average; and (iv) disengaged. Girls and Latinos were most likely to have ideal friendships, while boys and Asian Americans were most likely to have disengaged friendships. In addition, the disengaged adolescents reported significantly lower self-esteem, higher levels of depressive symptoms, and lower levels of family support than the adolescents in the other cluster groups. The qualitative data suggested across and within group variability in the subjective experiences of closest, same-sex friendships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2000 APA, all rights reserved)
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