Self-Reflexive Journal: This Week's Journal Entry

Self Reflexive Journalin This Weeks Journal Entry You Will Criticall

Self-Reflexive Journal In this week’s journal entry, you will critically reflect on your own beliefs and biases about your Final Research Paper topic by using the concept of self-reflexivity. Paraphrasing Crapo (2013), self-reflexivity is the process of confronting one’s own preconceived notions and examining how these may influence how one understands (or misunderstands) others. Understanding biases and beliefs about other cultures helps researchers apply cultural relativism to their work. For this journal, consider the sources that you summarized for Part I and Part II of your paper in your “Week Three Assignment Worksheet.

Part I Summary and reference: The article, The mediating role of maternal warmth in the associations between harsh parental practices and externalizing and internalizing behaviors in Hispanic American, African American, and European American families by Yildirim and Roopnarine, discusses parenting among several cultures of ethnicity and the associations between positive and harsh maternal practices and children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors.

1,922 low-income Hispanic American, African American, and European American families were involved in the research (Yildirim & Roopnarine, 2015). European Americans presented links between maternal psychological aggression and hostility and children’s externalizing behaviors were direct (Yildirim & Roopnarine, 2015). Hispanic Americans had links between maternal psychological aggression, physical assault, and hostility and externalizing behaviors were direct, as was the link between maternal physical assault and internalizing behaviors (Yildirim & Roopnarine, 2015). African Americans presented maternal warmth partially mediated the links between maternal hostility and physical assault and externalizing behaviors (Yildirim & Roopnarine, 2015).

Reference Yildirim, E. D., & Roopnarine, J. L. (2015). The mediating role of maternal warmth in the associations between harsh parental practices and externalizing and internalizing behaviors in Hispanic American, African American, and European American families. Cultural Diversity And Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(3), . doi:10.1037/a

Part II Summary and reference: The article, An exploration of Australia's stolen generations and their journey into the past by Murphy, examines the role of the archive in the lives of Australia’s Stolen Generations, pertaining to Aboriginal Australians who were removed from their families and institutionalized from 1910 until the mid-1970s.

This article argues that returning to the archive is both an attempt to confront and negotiate past traumas and one’s relationship to unknown worlds (Murphy, 2011). The author discusses details of the important links between returning to the archive and ideas of healing, and moving forward from past circumstances of hurt and grief (Murphy, 2011).

Reference Murphy, F. (2011). Archives of sorrow: An exploration of Australia's stolen generations and their journey into the past. History and Anthropology, 22(4), . Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.

· What was your initial response to what you read? · Can you identify any biases that you might have about the cultural practices you will discuss in either Part I or Part II of your Final Research Paper? · Identify any problems you might be having in looking at your own culture from an etic perspective or the other culture from an emic perspective. The journal entry should be at least 250 words in length.

Paper For Above instruction

Initial reactions to the readings by Yildirim and Roopnarine (2015) and Murphy (2011) elicited a mixture of empathy and curiosity. The first article shed light on the complex ways different cultural practices shape child behavior, emphasizing the significance of understanding the nuances of parenting across ethnic groups. As someone from a Western background, I initially perceived certain disciplinary practices, such as physical assault, as inherently negative. However, reading about their contextual significance within specific cultural frameworks challenged my assumptions and called for a more culturally sensitive approach.

Similarly, Murphy's exploration of Australia's Stolen Generations evoked a profound sense of grief and a recognition of the importance of archiving traumatic histories. It prompted reflections on the ways collective memory and historical narratives play critical roles in healing and identity reconstruction for Indigenous communities. My initial response was one of sorrow for the injustices faced by Aboriginal Australians and an awareness of the importance of respecting their stories and experiences.

Reflecting on my biases, I recognize that my cultural lens has influenced how I interpret the practices discussed in both articles. For instance, in Part I, I might have an unconscious bias favoring more lenient parenting styles rooted in my cultural background, tending to view harsher practices as inherently abusive. This bias can lead to an oversimplification and potential misinterpretation of culturally embedded disciplinary methods. In Part II, I might have initially viewed the trauma of the Stolen Generations solely as a historical atrocity, without fully appreciating how narratives surrounding trauma and healing are deeply personal and community-specific.

Looking at these cultures from an etic perspective—the outsider’s view—poses challenges in fully understanding their internal meanings and significance. My tendency to interpret practices based on my cultural standards risks overlooking their contextual justifications and emotional complexities. Conversely, adopting an emic perspective—an insider’s view—would require me to immerse myself more deeply into the cultural histories and perspectives of others, which may be difficult due to my lack of lived experience.

In conclusion, critically reflecting on my biases and preconceived notions highlights the importance of cultural relativism in research. It underscores the need to approach cultural practices with humility and openness, recognizing that my own cultural background shapes my interpretations. Developing self-awareness about these biases is essential in ensuring that my research remains respectful, empathetic, and culturally sensitive, particularly when exploring sensitive topics such as parenting practices and historical trauma.

References

• Murphy, F. (2011). Archives of sorrow: An exploration of Australia's stolen generations and their journey into the past. History and Anthropology, 22(4). Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.
• Yildirim, E. D., & Roopnarine, J. L. (2015). The mediating role of maternal warmth in the associations between harsh parental practices and externalizing and internalizing behaviors in Hispanic American, African American, and European American families. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.1037/a