Common use of Research Objective Clause in Contracts

Research Objective. The aim of the work in this dissertation is to explore what adaptations are needed to improve the fit of a parenting intervention for use in multi-ethnic disadvantaged neighborhoods. This research used a bottom-up and systematic approach to assess parents’ perspectives regarding their parenting experiences, and to identify their needs and stressors. Each chapter in this dissertation is a part of this stepwise approach that led to the selection of an intervention, and its adaptation for and evaluation in a multi-ethnic disadvantaged neighborhood in the Netherlands. Before outlining this work in each chapter, we first brieˌy describe the research context. In the Netherlands, child healthcare services aim to monitor the physical, social, psychological and cognitive development of children (aged 0-23 years), and to identify problems in order to offer timely interventions (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 2008; ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2013). As part of the child healthcare system, children in the Netherlands undergo 18 routine examinations during their preschool and school-age period. These assessments consist of a physical examination and an interview by a child healthcare nurse or physician with the parents and with older children (aged ۝ 13 years) themselves. Access is universal and independent of insurance status (Reijneveld et al., 2008). The child healthcare organizations generally function as front offices for the provision of parenting support, which is the responsibility of the local municipalities (Hilverdink, Daamen, & ▇▇▇▇, 2015). Parenting support can be actively offered during or subsequent to routine assessments, and parents can request support or sign-up for planned workshops and courses by contacting the child healthcare organizations. The availability of parenting support for parents depends on local policies and competencies and varies between the various municipalities. Both evidence-based and practice-based parenting interventions are provided. Parenting support is generally offered for free, although a small fee is sometimes requested for program materials. In this dissertation, ethnicity is an important construct and is defined as a group of people who share a common culture, religion, language, or nationality (▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 2006). There are a variety of ethnic minority groups in the Netherlands, with different migrant histories. In the early 1960s, the Netherlands became an immigration country due to increased prosperity that occurred simultaneously with reduced emigration, which induced new immigration ˌows (Zorlu & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2000). Immigrants can be divided into three main categories: i) those who were recruited for unskilled jobs, ii) immigrants from former colonies, and iii) more recently, refugees (Zorlu & Hartog, 2000). From the mid-1950s until the mid-1970s, the shortage of unskilled laborers was compensated by the inˌow of so-called 1 ‘guest workers’ (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Meershoek, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2017; Zorlu & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2000). These workers were actively recruited (or came spontaneously) from countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Yugoslavia and Tunisia. Whereas the chain-migration from Turkey and Morocco has continued during the last decades, the number of south European immigrants largely stagnated after the end of formal recruitment (Zorlu & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2000). A more recent rise in the number of labor migrants from Central and Eastern European countries took place with the continuing expansion of the European Union (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Eldring, 2013). This period also saw large streams of people arriving from Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles (former Dutch colonies) as a result of the decolonisation process, political events, and economic conditions (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 2017; van Niekerk, 2007). In addition, in the 1950s, migration was also due to ‘repatriation’ from the former Dutch East Indies (the Moluccan islands), and to refugees arriving in the Netherlands from eastern Europe, Vietnam, and Latin America (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇- ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 2017). Immigration streams are now increasingly dominated by political refugees and asylum seekers. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Surinamese, Antilleans, Turks and Moroccans have become the largest ethnic minorities; this population is gradually increasing due to a combination of continuous immigration, family reunification, and a relatively high birth rate (Zorlu & Hartog, 2000). Of the current inhabitants of the Netherlands, around 20% has an ethnic minority background (defined by the country of birth of a person and his/her parents) (Statistics Netherlands, 2017). The majority of ethnic minorities live in urban areas of the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague (Statistics Netherlands, 2001, 2016). Population censuses in The Hague show that around half of the population has an ethnic minority background, with between 90-95% of this group living in disadvantaged districts characterized by low incomes and low housing prices (Gemeente Den ▇▇▇▇, 2017). This is consistent with the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the lower SES groups in many countries (Crul & Doomernik, 2003; Emmen et al., 2013). Therefore, this dissertation focuses on parents living in multi-ethnic disadvantaged neighborhoods, thereby including families of both ethnic minority and lower SES.

Research Objective. The aim of the work in this dissertation is to explore what adaptations are needed to improve the fit of a parenting intervention for use in multi-ethnic disadvantaged neighborhoods. This research used a bottom-up and systematic approach to assess parents’ perspectives regarding their parenting experiences, and to identify their needs and stressors. Each chapter in this dissertation is a part of this stepwise approach that led to the selection of an intervention, and its adaptation for and evaluation in a multi-ethnic disadvantaged neighborhood in the Netherlands. Before outlining this work in each chapter, we first brieˌy describe the research context. In the Netherlands, child healthcare services aim to monitor the physical, social, psychological and cognitive development of children (aged 0-23 years), and to identify problems in order to offer timely interventions (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 2008; ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2013). As part of the child healthcare system, children in the Netherlands undergo 18 routine examinations during their preschool and school-age period. These assessments consist of a physical examination and an interview by a child healthcare nurse or physician with the parents and with older children (aged ۝ 13 years) themselves. Access is universal and independent of insurance status (Reijneveld et al., 2008). The child healthcare organizations generally function as front offices for the provision of parenting support, which is the responsibility of the local municipalities (Hilverdink, Daamen, & ▇▇▇▇, 2015). Parenting support can be actively offered during or subsequent to routine assessments, and parents can request support or sign-up for planned workshops and courses by contacting the child healthcare organizations. The availability of parenting support for parents depends on local policies and competencies and varies between the various municipalities. Both evidence-based and practice-based parenting interventions are provided. Parenting support is generally offered for free, although a small fee is sometimes requested for program materials. In this dissertation, ethnicity is an important construct and is defined as a group of people who share a common culture, religion, language, or nationality (▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 2006). There are a variety of ethnic minority groups in the Netherlands, with different migrant histories. In the early 1960s, the Netherlands became an immigration country due to increased prosperity that occurred simultaneously with reduced emigration, which induced new immigration ˌows (Zorlu ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2000). Immigrants can be divided into three main categories: i) those who were recruited for unskilled jobs, ii) immigrants from former colonies, and iii) more recently, refugees (Zorlu & Hartog, 2000). From the mid-1950s until the mid-1970s, the shortage of unskilled laborers was compensated by the inˌow of so-called 1 ‘guest workers’ (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Meershoek, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2017; Zorlu ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2000). These workers were actively recruited (or came spontaneously) from countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Yugoslavia and Tunisia. Whereas the chain-migration from Turkey and Morocco has continued during the last decades, the number of south European immigrants largely stagnated after the end of formal recruitment (Zorlu & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, 2000). A more recent rise in the number of labor migrants from Central and Eastern European countries took place with the continuing expansion of the European Union (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Eldring, 2013). This period also saw large streams of people arriving from Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles (former Dutch colonies) as a result of the decolonisation process, political events, and economic conditions (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 2017; van Niekerk, 2007). In addition, in the 1950s, migration was also due to ‘repatriation’ from the former Dutch East Indies (the Moluccan islands), and to refugees arriving in the Netherlands from eastern Europe, Vietnam, and Latin America (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇- ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al., 2017). Immigration streams are now increasingly dominated by political refugees and asylum seekers. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Surinamese, Antilleans, Turks and Moroccans have become the largest ethnic minorities; this population is gradually increasing due to a combination of continuous immigration, family reunification, and a relatively high birth rate (Zorlu & Hartog, 2000). Of the current inhabitants of the Netherlands, around 20% has an ethnic minority background (defined by the country of birth of a person and his/her parents) (Statistics Netherlands, 2017). The majority of ethnic minorities live in urban areas of the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague (Statistics Netherlands, 2001, 2016). Population censuses in The Hague show that around half of the population has an ethnic minority background, with between 90-95% of this group living in disadvantaged districts characterized by low incomes and low housing prices (Gemeente Den ▇▇▇▇, 2017). This is consistent with the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the lower SES groups in many countries (Crul & Doomernik, 2003; Emmen et al., 2013). Therefore, this dissertation focuses on parents living in multi-ethnic disadvantaged neighborhoods, thereby including families of both ethnic minority and lower SES.