Adaptation to Stress: A Common Model and Method to Facilitate Within- and Cross-Cultural Evaluation of Foster Families

Abstract

Studies meant to allow “cross-cultural” comparisons may be fatally flawed by the concepts, instruments, and discoveries of one culture being applied uncritically to another (namely, “etic” errors; cf. current discussions and examples in Chand, 2008; Durrenberger and Erem, 2007). Moreover, studies of foster families often disregard the unique ecosystemic environments in which those families are embedded (Lee, 2008). Therefore, this paper describes an overarching family adaptation model meant to resolve the foregoing problems. Secondary analysis of data describing urban Egyptian foster families (Megahead, 2008; Megahead and Cesario, 2008) illustrates the application of this model and suggests its heuristic value: Use of this model and method will allow common understanding of commonalities and differences within and between cultures, while respecting the uniqueness of each. The Family Stress and Adaptation Model focuses on family adaptation as a function of family stressors interacting with family coping resources. Although the framework is thought to apply to all cultures involving families, the variables—adaptation, stressors, and resources—are defined and operationalized emically (that is, the cultural insider’s perspective determines what is to be considered, its nature, and size).