Thank you for your interest in this research project. Data collection for this project has been completed and some results are available below.  Other results will be added to this webpage as available.                      Future studies may be planned to follow-up on these findings.

CFLS Press

NEW Papers and Presentations!

Ferguson, G. M., & Bornstein, M. H. (in press). Remote acculturation: The "Americanization" of Jamaican Islanders. International Journal of Behavioral Development. Contact first author for copy (gmfergus@knox.edu)

Kumar, A., & Ferguson, G. M. (September, 2011). CFLS Brief #2:  Understanding ‘Americanized Jamaicans’: Consumption and Communication Habits. 

Ferguson, G. M., Bornstein, M. H., & Pottinger, A. M. (in press).Tridimensional acculturation and adaptation among Jamaican adolescent-mother dyads in the United States. Child Development, Special Section on children in immigrant families. Contact first author for copy (gmfergus@knox.edu)

Ferguson, G. M., Bornstein, M. H., & Pottinger, A. M. (April, 2011).Tridimensional acculturation and adaptation among Black U.S. immigrants: The case of Jamaican adolescents and their mothers. In R. Dimitrova, & G. M. Ferguson (Co-chairs), The influence of immigration in children and youth: Evidence from Europe, Canada and USA. Symposium conducted at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Ferguson, G. M., & Bornstein, M. H. (April, 2011). Remote acculturation in the 21st Century. Poster presentation at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Ferguson, G. M., (April, 2011). Using the BACAH with Black immigrants: Behavioral adaptation of Jamaican adolescent-mother dyads living in the United States. In G. M. Ferguson (Chair), Culturally appropriate assessment of behavioral and emotional functioning in North American and Caribbean Adolescents. Symposium conducted at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Ferguson, G. M., (January, 2011). The BIG Difference a small Island Can Make: A Paradigm Shift in 21st Century Acculturation Theory. Faculty "Fridays at Four" presentation at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois.

Culture and Family Life Study - In the Field

Study participants complete questionnaires at a Caribbean Festival in Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2009

Principal Investigator, Dr. Ferguson, takes a break from from data collection at a high school in Kingston, Jamaica, 2009

Ferguson, G. M., Bornstein, M. H., & Pottinger, A. M. (July, 2010). Acculturation and adaptation of Jamaican Immigrant families in the U.S.  Poster presentation at the 21st Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development, Lusaka, Zambia.

Ferguson, G. M., & Bornstein, M. H. (July, 2010). Remote acculturation: The "Americanization" of native Jamaican adolescents and their mothers. In J. Santo (Chair), An ecological systems theory approach to child and adolescent development. Symposium conducted at the  at the 21st Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development, Lusaka, Zambia.

Culture and Family Life Study - In the Lab

Dr. Ferguson and research assistants Aparna Kumar (bottom) & Joyce Lee discuss progress, 2011

Research assistant Joyce Lee (L) shares a secret for speedy data entry with Aparna Kumar (C) and Dr. Ferguson (R), 2011

What is the Culture & Family Life Study? 

The Culture & Family Life Study is a survey of family life and parent-teen relationships in Illinois and New York, USA and Kingston, Jamaica.  This study is headed by an international research team based in the USA and in Jamaica (see contact information below). Our aim is to learn more about what teenagers and mothers from different cultures  find important and how they relate to each other.  Interested and eligible teenagers and their mothers are invited  to participate after learning more about the study by reading through this page.  

Who can participate?

This study is for male and female teenagers between 11 and 17 years old and their mothers. Only one mother-teen pair from each family is eligible to participate. 

Gift for participating

Participants who complete surveys will each receive a gift or have a chance to win a larger gift.

How can I be sure this is not an internet scam?

How will my privacy be protected?

We take your privacy very seriously. The principal investigator will ensure that each participant’s survey results will be kept private and confidential. Your answers will not be shown to other family members, teachers, pastors, or friends. That means parents will not see their teenagers' answers and teenagers will not see their parents ' answers. Any personal information you provide, such as your name, will be stored separately from you answers entered in the survey. Only members of the research team and our assistants will have access to the data , which will be stored on password protected computers. Results from all participants will be grouped together and analyzed to produce group results. Results from individual participants will not be singled out. Again, this study will NOT ask you about your legal immigration status or such personal information. Your responses will be used strictly for internal research purposes; we guarantee that they will NOT be shared with any other organization, solicitor or government agency.

What are the pros and cons of participating?