Papers by ozge sensoy bahar
This case example illustrates different aspects of ethnographic methods of inquiry using my disse... more This case example illustrates different aspects of ethnographic methods of inquiry using my dissertation fieldwork experience in a poverty-impacted Kurdish migrant community in Istanbul, Turkey. First, a background to the study is provided. Second, four main characteristics of ethnographic inquiry are described with examples from my research study. Finally, two main data collection methods, namely, in-depth interviews and participant observations, are discussed and examples of the process by which these methods were developed and used in the context of my study are provided. Overall, this case study exemplifies the importance of preparing thoroughly for fieldwork while being ready to be flexible and adaptable as a field researcher.
As part of a larger ethnographic study on low-income Kurdish mothers’ reconstruction of their liv... more As part of a larger ethnographic study on low-income Kurdish mothers’ reconstruction of their lives after rural-to-urban migration, this article explored how they experienced life in a poverty-impacted neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. Twenty-seven Kurdish mothers were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through demographic surveys, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and participant observations. Women’s narratives focused primarily on three aspects, namely financial challenges, crime, and neighbor relations. Participants discussed both challenges and coping strategies pertaining to each aspect. Study findings underlined similarities and differences in life experiences of families living in poverty-impacted urban communities across the global context.
Background
The process to seek for care by patients who experience episodes of mental disorders m... more Background
The process to seek for care by patients who experience episodes of mental disorders may determine how and where they receive the needed treatment. This study aimed to understand the pathways that people with mental disorders traversed for psychiatric services, particularly where these individuals will first seek treatment and the factors that influence such pathways to mental health care.
Methods
A cross-sectional study conducted at Pantang psychiatric hospital in Accra, Ghana involving 107 patients of ages 18 and older and their family members. The study adapted the World Health Organization’s (WHO) pathway encounter form to collect information about patients’ pathway contacts for psychiatric care. Chi Square test was done to determine patients’ first point of contact and any association between the independent variables (clinical diagnosis and socio-demographic factors) and first pathway contact. Multiple regression analyses were also done to estimate the odds of patients’ first pathway contact.
Results
Overall, nearly 48 % of patients initially contacted non-psychiatric treatment centers (faith-based, traditional healers and general medical practitioners) as their first point of contact for treatment of mental disorders. A little more than half of the patients went directly to the formal public psychiatric facility as their first point of contact for care of their mental disorders. Patients’ occupation was significantly associated with their first point of contact for psychiatric care (χ 2 = 6.91; p < 0.033). Those with secondary education were less likely to initially seek care from the formal public psychiatric hospital compared to those with no formal education (uOR = 0.86; 95 % CI 0.18–4.08).
Conclusion
Patients used different pathways to seek psychiatric care, namely direct pathway to a psychiatric hospital or through transition from informal non-psychiatric service providers. Since nearly half of patients do not initially seek mental health care directly at the formal psychiatric facility, it is important for the government of Ghana to increase funding to the mental health authorities in Ghana as a matter of priority so that more individuals can be identified and integrated into mainstream psychiatric treatment and general health facilities where there are trained Community Mental Health Officers (CMHO) and Clinical Psychiatric Officers (CPO) to provide early intervention and treatment.
As part of a larger ethnographic study, this article explored the ways lowincome Kurdish families... more As part of a larger ethnographic study, this article explored the ways lowincome Kurdish families negotiated child characteristics identified as determinants in child labor decisions. Of the 27 Kurdish mothers who participated in the larger study, 18 were included for the purpose of this article. Data for this article primarily relied on demographic surveys and indepth interviews. Mothers’ accounts showed that children’s age, birth order, gender, and school success/continuation were critical factors in the decision-making process for child labor. Older children were more likely to work. Birth order was moderated by children’s educational prospects. Gender was more critical in determining appropriate workplaces for girls and not whether they could work. In contrast to the existing literature, findings of this study showed that the relationship between child labor and education was bidirectional. More specifically, while child labor affected education, children’s school success/attendance also shaped child labor decisions. Mothers’ accounts also pointed to the complex and dynamic family processes that took into account children’s and families’ unique circumstances. As a result, this article offered a deeper understanding of family processes behind child labor decisions, which in turn had important policy and practice implications.
Regular family meal times have been associated with enhanced family cohesion and positive develop... more Regular family meal times have been associated with enhanced family cohesion and positive developmental outcomes for children–youth, especially in White and/or middle-class families. Less is known about the meal time experiences of low-income African American families. Guided by a family resilience perspective, this study examines meal times among a sample of low-income African American caregivers of preschoolers in an inner-city neighborhood. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews and a photo elicitation interview with 11 low-income African American caregivers about their family meal time experiences. We found that caregivers valued family meal times and acknowledged their benefits for family life. However, competing demands such as family schedules, household configurations, chores, time pressures, fast food restaurants, and low-wage work affected the schedule and structure of meal times. This study adds to discussions of family meal times among low-income African American families and provides suggestions for enhancing mealtimes through culturally and developmentally appropriate interventions.
International Handbook of Race, Class, and Gender, Jul 2014
Global Social Welfare: Research, Policy, and Practice, Mar 2014
Purpose: As part of a larger ethnographic study, this article explored Kurdish mothers' beliefs a... more Purpose: As part of a larger ethnographic study, this article explored Kurdish mothers' beliefs and attitudes about child labor. Methods: Twenty-seven low-income Kurdish migrant mothers in an inner-city neighborhood of Istanbul in Turkey were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected through demographic surveys, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and participant observations. Demographic surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Through repeated readings of transcribed interviews and field notes, themes and patterns were identified using analytic induction techniques. Findings: The findings suggested that mothers' views on child labor in the community were not homogenous. While the majority of the mothers considered child labor as a viable option, there were also mothers who opposed child labor. Mothers' main reasons for being in support of child labor included financial constraints, protection of children from inner-city dangers, and teaching children about work and life. Those mothers who were against child labor asserted that it was the parents' responsibility to take care of children and that children should not be adultified by sending them to work. Other concerns included interference with education and loss of children's control. Conclusion and Implications: These findings provide insights into the dynamics of urban child labor in low-income Kurdish migrant families in Turkey. The study concludes by discussing policy and practice implications for preventive measures against child labor.
Journal of Poverty, Apr 2014
This article examines the experiences of food shortages among a sample of low-income, African Ame... more This article examines the experiences of food shortages among a sample of low-income, African American caregivers of preschoolers and how they coped with the risk of inadequate food supplies. Data derived from qualitative interviews identified multiple food-based, social network-based, and institution-based strategies that caregivers used to alleviate or prevent food shortages. The configuration of strategies varied among households and reflected different approaches for coping with inadequate food supplies. Highlighting the resilience of low-income families, these findings expand on current research that misses the complex and diverse ways households coped with food shortages. The research also suggests strength-based interventions grounded in the firsthand experiences of households.
International Journal of Constructed Environment, 2012
Little research examines how families respond to the neighborhood food environment and family ... more Little research examines how families respond to the neighborhood food environment and family poverty barriers to children’s nutritional health. Informed by a family strengths perspective that emphasizes agency, this exploratory study used qualitative data from twelve low-income African American caregivers to explore strategies that caregivers used to promote the nutritional health of their preschool-age children. We identified multiple restrictive and promotional strategies that caregivers utilized in the face of limited family resources and the poor quality of the neighborhood food environment. Monitoring was used as the key restrictive strategy to counter children’s unhealthy eating practices. Six promotional strategies, which included selective food availability, cooking techniques, creative meal preparation and presentation, positive role-modeling, teaching and instruction, and media reinforcement were used to enhance healthy nutritional patterns. These findings fill a substantive gap in our understanding of health promoting practices in low-income African American households, and provide direction for family, neighborhood, and institutional efforts to promote healthy child nutrition.
Journal of Leisure Research, 2013
In this study, 13 low-income African American caregivers of preschoolers were interviewed to expl... more In this study, 13 low-income African American caregivers of preschoolers were interviewed to explore neighborhood obstacles to children’s physical activity and the strategies caregivers used against these challenges. Built environment barriers included social and physical disorder, crime and violence, speeding traffic, and stray dogs. Recreational settings were few, inaccessible, and poorly equipped and maintained. In addition to high facility fees and few organized activities, recreational settings had high levels of disorder and violence. Despite barriers, caregivers used strategies to promote physical activity, including environmental appraisal, boundary enforcement, chaperonage, collective supervision, and local and extra-local resource-brokering. These findings document how caregivers’ strategies represent intervening processes in response to the built environment. The findings further provide place- and asset-based recommendations.
International Social Work, Oct 1, 2012
Child labor is a serious issue in Turkey. This article provides a review of the current literatur... more Child labor is a serious issue in Turkey. This article provides a review of the current literature on risk factors associated with child labor in Turkey. Emphasizing their multilayered nature, the article examines risk factors contributing to child labor in Turkey by clustering them under individual, family, and structural factors. Recommendations for future research, policy, and practice are also discussed.
Journal of Family Psychology, Jan 1, 2011
This article identifies and describes child management practices among a sample of African Americ... more This article identifies and describes child management practices among a sample of African American caregivers in a low-income, inner-city neighborhood. Caregivers responded to low levels of neighborhood collective socialization, collective efficacy, social control, and institutional resources by using strategies that protected children and promoted physical activity. Using diverse qualitative methods (interviews, observations) and demographic data on neighborhood disadvantage and family and household characteristics, the research revealed seven caregiver management strategies that promoted child physical activity, despite multiple neighborhood barriers. These included ecological appraisal, boundary enforcement, chaperonage, kin-based play groups, collective supervision, local resource brokering, and extralocal resource brokering. These findings provide important substantive and theoretical insights on the relationship between caregiver practices, neighborhood social context, and child physical activity
Attachment & Human Development, Jan 1, 2010
Conference Presentations by ozge sensoy bahar
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Papers by ozge sensoy bahar
The process to seek for care by patients who experience episodes of mental disorders may determine how and where they receive the needed treatment. This study aimed to understand the pathways that people with mental disorders traversed for psychiatric services, particularly where these individuals will first seek treatment and the factors that influence such pathways to mental health care.
Methods
A cross-sectional study conducted at Pantang psychiatric hospital in Accra, Ghana involving 107 patients of ages 18 and older and their family members. The study adapted the World Health Organization’s (WHO) pathway encounter form to collect information about patients’ pathway contacts for psychiatric care. Chi Square test was done to determine patients’ first point of contact and any association between the independent variables (clinical diagnosis and socio-demographic factors) and first pathway contact. Multiple regression analyses were also done to estimate the odds of patients’ first pathway contact.
Results
Overall, nearly 48 % of patients initially contacted non-psychiatric treatment centers (faith-based, traditional healers and general medical practitioners) as their first point of contact for treatment of mental disorders. A little more than half of the patients went directly to the formal public psychiatric facility as their first point of contact for care of their mental disorders. Patients’ occupation was significantly associated with their first point of contact for psychiatric care (χ 2 = 6.91; p < 0.033). Those with secondary education were less likely to initially seek care from the formal public psychiatric hospital compared to those with no formal education (uOR = 0.86; 95 % CI 0.18–4.08).
Conclusion
Patients used different pathways to seek psychiatric care, namely direct pathway to a psychiatric hospital or through transition from informal non-psychiatric service providers. Since nearly half of patients do not initially seek mental health care directly at the formal psychiatric facility, it is important for the government of Ghana to increase funding to the mental health authorities in Ghana as a matter of priority so that more individuals can be identified and integrated into mainstream psychiatric treatment and general health facilities where there are trained Community Mental Health Officers (CMHO) and Clinical Psychiatric Officers (CPO) to provide early intervention and treatment.
Conference Presentations by ozge sensoy bahar
The process to seek for care by patients who experience episodes of mental disorders may determine how and where they receive the needed treatment. This study aimed to understand the pathways that people with mental disorders traversed for psychiatric services, particularly where these individuals will first seek treatment and the factors that influence such pathways to mental health care.
Methods
A cross-sectional study conducted at Pantang psychiatric hospital in Accra, Ghana involving 107 patients of ages 18 and older and their family members. The study adapted the World Health Organization’s (WHO) pathway encounter form to collect information about patients’ pathway contacts for psychiatric care. Chi Square test was done to determine patients’ first point of contact and any association between the independent variables (clinical diagnosis and socio-demographic factors) and first pathway contact. Multiple regression analyses were also done to estimate the odds of patients’ first pathway contact.
Results
Overall, nearly 48 % of patients initially contacted non-psychiatric treatment centers (faith-based, traditional healers and general medical practitioners) as their first point of contact for treatment of mental disorders. A little more than half of the patients went directly to the formal public psychiatric facility as their first point of contact for care of their mental disorders. Patients’ occupation was significantly associated with their first point of contact for psychiatric care (χ 2 = 6.91; p < 0.033). Those with secondary education were less likely to initially seek care from the formal public psychiatric hospital compared to those with no formal education (uOR = 0.86; 95 % CI 0.18–4.08).
Conclusion
Patients used different pathways to seek psychiatric care, namely direct pathway to a psychiatric hospital or through transition from informal non-psychiatric service providers. Since nearly half of patients do not initially seek mental health care directly at the formal psychiatric facility, it is important for the government of Ghana to increase funding to the mental health authorities in Ghana as a matter of priority so that more individuals can be identified and integrated into mainstream psychiatric treatment and general health facilities where there are trained Community Mental Health Officers (CMHO) and Clinical Psychiatric Officers (CPO) to provide early intervention and treatment.