Prevention Research in Multiethnic Communities: Developing Community Support and Collaboration, and Adapting Research Methods (From Drug Abuse Prevention With Multiethnic Youth, P 193-214, 1995, Gilbert J. Botvin et al, eds. - See NCJ 159983)

• NCJ Number: 159991
• Author(s): M A Pentz
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Prevention research in multiethnic communities is discussed, with emphasis on the development of a theoretical framework that considers personal, situational, and environmental factors in these communities.

Abstract

The discussion focuses on general models that are mainly rational decisionmaking models built on culture- adaptable concepts of behavior change, particularly behavior modification concepts from social learning theory. Research findings are increasingly supporting the adaptations of these types of general models to multiethnic communities. However, in multiethnic communities with perceptions about drug abuse, prevention, and treatment that differ radically from the rational theory of white Western culture, some of these models may not hold. Therefore, researchers trying to work in such communities should conduct a thorough formative evaluation before determining whether any rational, deterministic, sequential models can be applied to prevention. If the formative evaluation produces findings that do not fit current theoretical and research approaches to drug abuse prevention, the researcher's subsequent role may be as an observer and documenter of a community process that may or may not develop into organizational models and may or not generalize to other communities. Figures, tables, and 55 references