Browsing by Author "Gassman-Pines, A"
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Item Open Access How Economic Downturns Affect Children's Development: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Pathways of Influence(Child Development Perspectives, 2015-01-01) Gassman-Pines, A; Gibson-Davis, CM; Ananat, E© 2015 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.To understand how economic downturns affect children's development, scholars have concentrated on how parents' loss of a job affects children's well-being, but have largely ignored the potential effects of downturns on children whose parents remain employed. In this article, we review research across disciplines to demonstrate that economic downturns should be conceptualized as a community-level event that affects all children in a community, not just those whose parents have lost jobs. We focus on three mechanisms linking downturns to children's developmental outcomes: structural changes to communities, the economic and psychological effects on individuals who are continuously employed, and the strain of job loss on social networks. We conclude by discussing ongoing research and looking at implications for public policy.Item Open Access Young Adolescents’ Endorsement of Restrictive Gender Norms: Evidence From a Community-Based Intervention in Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone(The Journal of Early Adolescence) Leer, J; Gassman-Pines, A; Djé Blé, E; Kainessie, J; Kennedy, C; Press, S; Schubert, HThis study investigated attitudes toward restrictive gender norms among adolescents in Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone (pooled N = 1,793, M age(baseline) = 10.3, M age(follow-up) = 11.6, 50% boys/girls). We examined individual and contextual predictors of gender attitudes, assessed change in gender attitudes over 2 years, and estimated the effect of a community-based norms diffusion intervention. Multiple regression analyses revealed that being a boy, exposure to violence against women, and restrictive norms among same-gender peers predicted support for a patriarchal division of adult roles, lower educational status for girls, and acceptance of gender-based violence. In contrast to evidence from Western contexts, we found limited evidence of increased flexibility in gender attitudes during early adolescence. However, the intervention significantly reduced support for restrictive gender norms, especially among boys. Findings reveal novel pathways through which young adolescents acquire beliefs about gender, and provide encouraging evidence regarding community-based approaches to shifting adolescents’ gender attitudes.