Project Mentor
Dr. Annamaria Csizmadia
Department: Human Development & Family Sciences
Research Project Overview:
Multiracial Parenting Study. Multiracial youth belong to the fastest growing racial group in the United States, yet they experience social challenges inside and outside their families due to their Multiracial background. They may face different forms of racism and daily hassles related to their status as persons of color and as Multiracial people. As a result, Multiracial youth have unique needs that their parents and caregivers may or may not be able to attend to given that monoracial parents do not share the same racial reality as their Multiracial child. Put differently, monoracial parents may not be able to draw on their own experiences to support Multiracial youth as they navigate their social world. Little research has focused on understanding how parents and caregivers in Multiracial families support and transmit messages about race and ethnicity to Multiracial youth although parents play an important role in youth’s healthy development. To better understand how families can best support Multiracial youth development, Dr. Csizmadia is developing a research study to examine how parents support and socialize Multiracial youth around race and their Multiracial identity, and how these parenting strategies shape Multiracial youth identity and psychological well-being.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
The research apprentice will assist in developing the IRB protocol, an online survey and interview questions, and other study materials. The apprentice will also be expected to complete the human subjects training (CITI training) and develop recruitment strategies using social media (e.g., Instagram). The research apprentice will attend weekly research team meetings with Dr. Csizmadia and/or other project staff (undergraduate and graduate students).
By working on this project, the research apprentice will learn about the research design process, IRB applications, how to use social media as an effective tool for research study recruitment, how to construct and deploy an online survey using Qualtrics, and how to develop an interview protocol. The apprentice will also learn how to conduct effective database searches and read and analyze the scientific literature on multiracial youth and families.
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
The apprentice will be expected to devote about 10 hours per week for nine weeks to the project with some some flexibility in the work hours, for example, for vacation.The hours are expected to be spread across the period of the apprenticeship; outside the weekly meeting time, the apprentice may create their own work schedule to work around other commitments. The apprentice is expected to meet with Dr. Csizmadia and/or other project staff weekly. Meetings will be held at a specific time each week and scheduled in consideration of the availability of all team members including the apprentice. The work is expected to commence the week after final exams and last at least 9 weeks (depending on the number of hours per week the apprentice works from week to week).
Preferred Qualifications:
This project would be well suited for students who have completed some, at least introductory level, social science coursework either in Human Development & Family Sciences (HDFS), Psychological Sciences, or Sociology. Completed coursework in Statistics and/or Research Methods, although not required, is a plus. The apprentice does not need to have prior knowledge of Multiracial youth and families but should be open to learning about this population.
To Apply:
Applications are closed for this apprenticeship.
Click here to view an outline of the application questions. There are no additional questions specific to this apprenticeship application.