Cultural Adaptation of Family-Based Intervention Programs
Open Access
- Author:
- Forsberg, Carrie Ellen
- Area of Honors:
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- J Douglas Coatsworth, Thesis Supervisor
J Douglas Coatsworth, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Kathryn Bancroft Hynes, Thesis Honors Advisor
Scott David Gest, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- cultural adaptation
cultural sensitivity
intervention - Abstract:
- There is a lack of research done on cultural adaptation of intervention programs, and across the United States, programs that are designed to be implemented with homogeneous samples are being delivered to culturally diverse populations. This literature review looks at cultural adaptation of family-based intervention programs. First, prior research describing when and how programs should be culturally adapted will be discussed. Following this, a discussion of the LifeSkills Training program will provide a counterargument against the need for cultural adaption. Next, the importance of culturally adapting family-based programs is discussed. After this, the current state of intervention programs, with a focus on family-based programs, will be examined. Following all of this review on the cultural adaptation, five intervention programs will be examined and discussed. The discussion for each program will include: 1) a description of the logistics of the program, 2) the theory behind it, 3) how the developers integrated culturally sensitive ideas and activities into the program, 4) evaluation of the program on specific target groups, and; 5) a discussion of what can be taken from these programs to aid in cultural adaptation in the future and how they overcame or succumbed to challenges. Following these program evaluations, some limitations and challenges to cultural adaptation will be discussed. The review concludes with the ideas that more cultural adaptation of programs should be done, more research must be done on cultural adaptation and cultural groups, family-based programs require more cultural sensitivity, and some suggestions to consider when culturally adapting. Program creators can use prior adaptations as models and implement research into their cultural adaptations or creation of culturally sensitive programs to provide more adequate services for families across the United States.