Family obligations in Micronesian cultures: implications for educators

摘要

Micronesian people, a new group of immigrants to the USA, have a strong system of responsibilities to family members that guides their priorities and actions. When family obligations clash with school priorities, conflicts can occur. I interviewed 26 adults to learn about the relationships and responsibilities of family members to each other in Micronesian cultures and implications for Micronesian parent priorities that may affect their children’s schooling. The system of family obligations in Micronesian cultures is described, and its role in the priorities and behaviors of Micronesian families around schooling of their children is explored through emergent themes of (a) identity, (b) family relationships, (c) family roles, and (d) responsibilities of immigrants. The conventions of family obligations are the core of many cultural traditions from the Pacific. Understanding these traditions may help teachers and administrators better assist immigrant Micronesian families and their children to be successful in American schools.View full textDownload full textKeywordsfamily obligations, immigration, culture, MicronesiaRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09518390903468339