Leiden University Student Repository

Heidar, Jailan (2012)

Sensitivity Beliefs of Egyptian Immigrant Mothers in the Netherlands

Master thesis | Education and Child Studies (MSc)

The current study examined the contributing role of ethnic background and family income in mothers’ beliefs about the ideal sensitive mother across Egyptian, Moroccan and Dutch mothers living in the Netherlands. A total of 75 mothers with at least one child between 6 months and 6 years participated. The Maternal Behavior Q-Sort was used for mothers to describe their views of the ideal mother. Maternal views of the ideal mother were very similar across the different cultural groups, and very similar to the construct of sensitivity. Mothers from ethnic minorities showed the lowest sensitivity belief scores, meaning that their views of the ideal mother were least similar to the construct of sensitivity. However, family income, not education, mediated the relationship between ethnic background and sensitivity belief scores. Families with lower income had lower maternal sensitivity belief scores. The findings add evidence to the effect of family economic stress on parenting across...Show moreThe current study examined the contributing role of ethnic background and family income in mothers’ beliefs about the ideal sensitive mother across Egyptian, Moroccan and Dutch mothers living in the Netherlands. A total of 75 mothers with at least one child between 6 months and 6 years participated. The Maternal Behavior Q-Sort was used for mothers to describe their views of the ideal mother. Maternal views of the ideal mother were very similar across the different cultural groups, and very similar to the construct of sensitivity. Mothers from ethnic minorities showed the lowest sensitivity belief scores, meaning that their views of the ideal mother were least similar to the construct of sensitivity. However, family income, not education, mediated the relationship between ethnic background and sensitivity belief scores. Families with lower income had lower maternal sensitivity belief scores. The findings add evidence to the effect of family economic stress on parenting across cultures more so than ethnicity. Our findings emphasize the importance of measuring multiple socioeconomic status indicators in cross-cultural studies.Show less

sensitivty

Egyptian

mothers

immigrant

the Netherlands

Author

Heidar, Jailan

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Child and Family Studies

Supervisors

Mesman, J.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en