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The research finds that children from mixed Malay-Chinese parentage have fewer emotional and behavioural problems than their mono-ethnic peers and could have important implications for child development and interventions in Malaysia.
Inter-ethnic children are one of the fastest growing populations worldwide, and some research have suggested that they have higher risk of poor outcomes, including family breakdown, academic underachievement and psychology maladjustment. Research published this month in the Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities explores whether ethnically mixed children are less well psychologically adjusted when compared to children from mono-ethnic families.
Tan Jo-Pei of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, studied the behavioural adjustments of 218 interethnic Malay-Chinese and 214 mono-ethnic Malay and Chinese families in Malaysia, taking into account the quality of parental relationships, and parenting behaviour. In the study, children from mixed parentage reported fewer emotional and behavioural problems than those from mono-ethnic minority families. This provides evidence for positive adjustment amongst the mixed-parentage children growing up in a multicultural community, and challenges traditional assumptions. The results could in part be explained by parental concern about the social discrimination against children of mixed parentage. The author hopes they could serve as a basis for designing family-specific interventions in Malaysia and other multicultural societies.
For more information about research or to arrange an interview please contact:
Tan Jo-Pei
Department of Human Development and Family Studies,
Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
E-mail: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)1784 414085 (U.K. office)
M: +44(0)755 705 6300 (U.K. mobile)
T: +(603) 8946 7312 (Malaysia)
M: +(6) 016 322 6076 (Malaysia).
About Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities (JSSH)
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Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities (JSSH) is published by Universiti Putra Malaysia in English and is open to authors around the world regardless of nationality. Beginning 2012, it would be published four times a year in March, June, September and December. Other Pertanika series include Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science (JTAS), and Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology (JST).
JSSH aims to develop as a pioneer journal for the social sciences with a focus on emerging issues pertaining to the social and behavioural sciences as well as the humanities. Areas relevant to the scope of the journal include Social Sciences—Accounting, anthropology, Archaeology and history, Architecture and habitat, Consumer and family economics, Economics, Education, Finance, Geography, Law, Management studies, Media and communication studies, Political sciences and public policy, Population studies, Psychology, Sociology, Technology management, Tourism; Humanities—Arts and culture, Dance, Historical and civilisation studies, Language and Linguistics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Religious studies, Sports.
The journal publishes original academic articles dealing with research on issues of worldwide relevance. The journals cater for scientists, professors, researchers, post-docs, scholars and students who wish to promote and communicate advances in the fields of Social Sciences & Humanities research.
For more information about the journal, contact
The Chief Executive Editor (UPM Journals)
Head, Journal Division, UPM Press
Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (R&I)
Tower 2, UPM-MDTC Technology Centre
Universiti Putra Malaysia
43400 Serdang, Selangor
Malaysia.
T: +(603) 8947 1622 | +(6) 016 217 4050
E: [email protected]
