The present study examined Mexican American females’ perspectives on childbearing and marriage and the role of cultural influences on their perspectives given high rates of pregnancy and early marriage among Mexican and Mexican American females in the U.S. and worldwide. Participants were ten Mexican American females between 20 and 22 years of age who participated in qualitative interviews about their perspectives on marriage and childbearing and how their Mexican cultural background, including their upbringing, family members, peers, and the media influenced their perspectives. Findings highlight that there is indeed a connection between Mexican culture and perspectives on marriage and childbearing amongst participants, and participants particularly noted the role of female family members, stereotypes, and educational pursuits in shaping their perspectives.

A qualitative study with 20 board-certified forensic psychologists was followed up by a mail survey of 351 forensic psychologists in this mixed-methods investigation of examiner bias awareness and strategies used to debias forensic judgments. Rich qualitative data emerged about awareness of bias, specific biasing situations that recur in forensic evaluations, and potential debiasing strategies. The continuum of bias awareness in forensic evaluators mapped cogently onto the “stages of change” model. Evaluators perceived themselves as less vulnerable to bias than their colleagues, consistent with the phenomenon called the “bias blind spot.” Recurring situations that posed challenges for forensic clinicians included disliking or feeling sympathy for the defendant, disgust or anger toward the offense, limited cultural competency, preexisting values, colleagues’ influences, and protecting referral streams. Twenty-five debiasing strategies emerged in the qualitative study, all but one of which rated as highly useful in the quantitative survey. Some of those strategies are consistent with empirical evidence about their effectiveness, but others have been shown to be ineffective. We identified which strategies do not help, focused on promising strategies with empirical support, discussed additional promising strategies not mentioned by participants, and described new strategies generated by these participants that have not yet been subjected to empirical examination. Finally, debiasing strategies were considered with respect to future directions for research and forensic practice.

This qualitative research study’s main objective is to explore how Latinas/os in South Phoenix, Arizona perceive the impact of the light rail construction. This phenomenological study utilizes three data sources: pláticas (individual interviews), intergenerational pláticas (focus groups), and a mapping exercise. The theoretical framework is composed of three theories—Ecological Systems Theory, Critical Race, Theory, and Latina/o Critical Theory—which serve as the basis for analyzing the co-collaborators’ lived experiences in relation to the light rail. They view this ongoing development project as symbolic of changes that have taken place in South Phoenix that do not take into account the will of the residents, but rather emphasize the ways that city officials disregard the opinions of residents. Co-collaborators’ experiences related their perceptions, decision-making, and the coping skills they have developed during the construction of the light rail, which I consolidated into five themes: 1) Conexión Emocional con el Sur de Phoenix/Emotional Connection to South Phoenix, 2) Conexión Histórica con el Sur de Phoenix/Historical Connection to South Phoenix, 3) Esperanza y Miedo/Hope and Fear, 4) Movilidad/Mobility (Movilidad Social/Social Mobility y/and Transportación/Transportation), and 5) El Derecho a Quedarse en un Vecindario Transformado/The Right to Remain in a Transformed Neighborhood. The study concludes with implications for social work praxis and recommendations for further study and strategies derived from these findings.