For adolescents in foster care progress towards achieving the developmental tasks of adolescence may be more challenging because of the additional stress of being separated from their birth families. Examined in this study is the influence of identification with birth family on the ability of 116 youth in foster care, in a midwestern state, to develop a self-identity and positive self-esteem.Although children in foster care face the same developmental challenges as other children, their struggles for mastery take place within the context of an overwhelming emotional stress--separation from parents (Geiser, 1973). To facilitate a youth's ability to live successfully upon leaving the foster care system, adequate achievement towards accomplishing the developmental tasks of adolescence is necessary. It is adolescence, then, that provides a transitional period to adulthood (Timberlake & Verdieck, 1987) and a time of preparation for life which if not successfully completed could mean failure in one's adult life and successful completion could mean happiness as an adult
This study, based on in-depth qualitative interviews with three Caucasian widows and four African-American widows, describes and compares the women's selection of coping strategies to deal with problems occurring after the death of their husbands. Results of this investigation suggest more similarities than differences in coping strategies adopted to deal with loneliness, difficulties with children, health issues, loss of task support, and the use of social support networks as a coping mechanism. Although the husbands' death was devastating, personal growth experiences were positive results of the loss. This study also suggests implications for professionals working with both Black and white widows.
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