Faculty Articles
“Ayiti Cheri” Cultural Orientation of Early Adolescents in Rural Haiti
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-7-2013
Keywords
cultural maintenance, globalization, remote acculturation, family obligations, Caribbean
Publication Title
The Journal of Early Adolescence
ISSN
1552-5449
Volume
34
Issue/No.
5
Abstract
Adolescents are an emerging population in Haiti, particularly after the deadly 2010 earthquake. The steady penetration of U.S. culture into this poor, disaster-prone country begs the question, Do today’s adolescents possess a similar fondness for their home country, culture, and traditional family values as did Haitians of old? Or are they more oriented toward U.S. culture? Early adolescents (N = 105, 52% female, M = 12.87 years, SD = .86) in rural Haiti reported their cultural orientation toward Haitian culture and U.S. culture as well as their family obligations beliefs. Findings revealed high Haitian orientation, very high family obligations (boys especially), and very low U.S. orientation, although adolescents who interacted more frequently with U.S. tourists and those who consumed more U.S. fast food had higher U.S. culture orientation. Despite severe challenges, rural Haitian early adolescents demonstrate remarkable allegiance to their home country, culture, and traditional family values.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0272431613503214
NSUWorks Citation
Ferguson, Gail M.; Desir, Charlene; and Bornstein, Marc H., "“Ayiti Cheri” Cultural Orientation of Early Adolescents in Rural Haiti" (2013). Faculty Articles. 369.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_facarticles/369
