ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative - The Importance of Faith and Religion in Delivering Marriage Education Services to Hispanic Couples

Summary of Issues to be Considerd in Program Recruitment

Summary of Issues to be Considered in Program Recruitment

BACKGROUND STATEMENT
A primary challenge in the delivery of marriage and relationship education services is couple
recruitment. Engaging couples to participate in a relationship education program is complex and can be
especially challenging when working with Hispanic/Latino1 couples. Linguistic limitations and distinct
cultural characteristics may pose challenges to practitioners and program developers when reaching out
to Hispanic couples. An awareness and understanding of certain cultural nuances may assist programs
in effectively recruiting and retaining Hispanic participants. Four factors contributing to the successful
recruitment of Latino couples are outlined in this memo:

Understanding the Hispanic Audience
Preserving Public Image
Building Trust
Marketing Messages

The discussion of these topics is intended to provide practitioners and program developers with insight
regarding Hispanic culture in order to enhance recruitment of Hispanic couples for participation in
marriage and relationship education programs. This memo is not intended to be a complete discussion
of the issue of couple recruitment, but rather summarizes advice received from researchers and
practitioners in the Hispanic community as part of the Supporting Healthy Marriage and Hispanic
Healthy Marriage Initiative (HHMI) Joint Research Meeting held on September 12-13, 2005 in
Washington, DC; a research meeting held in conjunction with the Hispanic Healthy Marriage National
Conference, May 11, 2006, in San Antonio, Texas; and a research meeting held on September 15-16,
2006 in St. Louis, MO in conjunction with a conference sponsored by the Center for Latino Family
Research.

LESSONS LEARNED

Understanding the Hispanic Audience
A thorough understanding of the Hispanic population, with respect to values in relation to family
structure, gender roles, acculturation levels, language preference, and educational capacity is required
for successful recruitment of couples for marriage and relationship education programs. These factors
may differ from mainstream culture and will likely influence whether or not a Latino couple chooses to
participate in any given program. Practitioners and program developers must be sensitive to these issues
and incorporate them in recruitment efforts to effectively engage Hispanic couples.

Latino relationships are embedded in cultural values of 'familismo", meaning more emphasis is placed
on child rearing, family activity and family obligation than on the couple. Latino families are likely to
live in multi-generational homes with parents, grand-parents, aunts, and other members of the extended
family. In many instances, a couple will turn to family members for guidance before discussing issues
related to marriage elsewhere. Such strong family connections have implications for how a program
will recruit Hispanic participants. Recruitment efforts focused solely on the couple relationship may be
ineffective and actually discourage Hispanic couples from participating. Marriage is often viewed, and
valued, in the context of children and the extended family. Recruitment efforts that neglect to address
this perception may send the message that the family is less important than the couple dyad. In many
Latino families, the couple relationship is not distinct from the family unit. Practitioners should include
children and extended family members in recruitment efforts and program design in the context of both
enhancing the couple relationship and strengthening the family.

Program developers may be more successful in their recruitment strategies by understanding how gender
roles impact the family and the decision to participate in a marriage or relationship education program.
“Marianismo” is a value typically associated with Hispanic females promoting family-centered
behaviors and placing the family’s health and well-being primarily in the hands of women. Marketing
messages that focus on marriage education in the context of family well-being may have more success
engaging Hispanic women.

“Machismo” is the counterpart to “marianismo” and refers to the presence of males as the dominant
figure in the family structure and as the primary decision maker. Machismo is often mistakenly
understood only to refer to the dominance and pride of males relative to females. However, the
stereotypical “macho” trait also contains positive elements that are often overlooked. For example,
strong familial ties and the desire to protect the family are positive aspects of machismo that are
important to consider when reaching out to Latino men. Furthermore, gaining respect in the community
and providing for their families is important to Latino men. Emphasis is placed on having a strong work
ethic, which can translate into willingness to sacrifice in order to support other family members.
Consideration should be given to the importance Hispanic men place on the family and their role as
father and provider when recruiting couples for marriage education programs. Recruitment messages
that acknowledge contributions to the family and encourage continued dedication to their wives,
children and extended family may be appealing to Hispanic men.

Acculturation level and language proficiency are also important factors to consider when recruiting
Hispanic couples living in the United States. Younger generations, or those born in the United States,
may not be grounded in Spanish, and may be knowledgeable about gaining access to marriage education
services in the community. These couples may respond more openly to recruitment efforts used with
mainstream culture. For example, more acculturated couples may feel at ease accessing services from
an unfamiliar organization if the initial referral is from a recognizable source, such as a well-known
agency or the media. In contrast, older, first generation immigrants, or Spanish-only speaking couples
may require outreach, in Spanish, that reflects more traditional values of the original culture. These
couples may feel most comfortable when a trusted friend or family member refers them to services at an
organization that is well-known in the Hispanic community. As many Hispanic couples are influenced
by both newly immigrated and more acculturated family members, program developers may need to
explore using a combination of recruitment methods.

In addition to considering a couple’s level of acculturation and language proficiency, program
developers should take into account varying levels of education and literacy. Print materials and
marketing messages should be clearly understood by the target audience. Program developers must be
knowledgeable about the Hispanic population in their community and pursue recruitment methods that
will effectively communicate their program’s message.

Whether program developers are targeting younger, U.S. born couples or newly immigrated couples, a
solid understanding of cultural ideals and concepts is crucial in order to engage Hispanic couples and
families. Regardless of acculturation level or preferred language, a key element to the successful
recruitment of Latino couples is relationship building. Practitioners and program staff must work to
become a visible and consistent presence within the Hispanic community. This presence will help foster
trusting relationships with key community leaders and existing organizations which will, in turn, support
recruitment efforts.

Preserving Public Image
Many Latino adults feel that issues related to marriage are best addressed within the family. Due to the
importance Hispanic couples place on the extended family, participation in a marriage or relationship
education program delivered by a community-based organization may be viewed in a negative way.
Couples may resist involvement in community programs out of fear that their relationship will be
perceived by others as “troubled.” Latino couples may also refrain from participating in programs if
they feel that they will be told what is right for them by program staff. The need of many Hispanics to
preserve public image suggests that practitioners should focus recruitment efforts on family
strengthening and the couple’s capacity to decide what is best for them. Recruiting couples within the
context of the family may help dispel the notion that participation in a marriage education program
denotes an inability to maintain familial unity, but rather serves as a way to enhance it. Furthermore,
recruitment messages empowering couples to explore different and unique approaches to enhance their
own relationship may encourage Latino couples’ participation.

Another method of preserving public image, while recruiting couples for marriage education programs,
is to incorporate elements of fun and family bonding into the program. Music, humor, and food are
important elements of Hispanic culture and may serve multiple purposes in marriage education
programs. First, incorporating these facets of the culture promotes family unity and demonstrates an
understanding of the value of “familismo” by providing an opportunity for families to participate in
intergenerational exchanges including passing down musical, literary, and culinary traditions. Second,
couples may have a more positive perception of a program promoting marriage education while also
encouraging participation in cultural activities and traditions. Hispanic couples may experience less
anxiety related to damaging their public image if the program offers a time for fun and recreation.
Finally, providing opportunities for healthy, safe, enjoyable family activities as a part of the program is
another way to contradict the idea that marriage education programs are only for troubled relationships.

Building Trust
Reaching a level of “confianza” is critical when working with the Latino population. “Confianza” is
related to trust and the expected reciprocity of a relationship built over time. Hispanic couples may be
reluctant to participate in a program if the organization and/or program leader is unknown or distrusted
5 by the community. For this reason, it is imperative to seek out trusted community leaders and
organizations that can assist with recruiting couples for marriage and relationship education programs.
Hispanic couples are significantly more likely to respond and follow-through if a trusted friend, pastor,
television or radio personality, or respected family member extends the invitation to participate in,
shares about, or endorses a program.

Practitioners and program staff can also build trust by connecting with the audience. This means using
culturally relevant examples, personal stories and testimonials, and speaking in the audience’s preferred
language if necessary. Although sharing a common language and cultural experience is important in
developing trust between program staff and participating couples, caution should be taken not to assume
that any Hispanic or Spanish-speaking individual will be able to establish “confianza” with couples. It
is not uncommon within the Hispanic community for there to be tension and disdain among differing
socioeconomic classes, immigration status, and even country of origin. Therefore, program staff,
including the facilitator delivering educational messages, must possess characteristics of humility and
sincerity to create a sense of trust among participating couples. Developing trust with Hispanic couples
will not only function as a mechanism to recruit participation, but it will also assist in how the
educational material is received. The relationship between Hispanic couples and the individual
delivering the message is just as important, if not more important, than the message itself.

Practitioners should also be mindful of the unique stress that some Latino couples may experience
related to issues of immigration. It is not uncommon for Hispanic families residing in the United States
to include both documented and undocumented individuals. Survival for many undocumented
individuals includes living in anonymity, constant fear, and hyper vigilance about immigration laws and
agents. Undocumented Latinos may be hesitant to participate in a program, especially a government sponsored program, for fear of deportation. Building trust or “confianza” becomes even more critical
for program developers when working with couples who may be undocumented.

Marketing Messages
Hispanics are not unlike other groups in that specific marketing messages are required to generate
interest and participation in a given program. Program developers should think about the specific
characteristics of the target Hispanic audience and formulate marketing messages accordingly. There is
no “one size fits all” strategy when marketing to Latino couples. The Hispanic population in the United
States is extremely diverse with respect to country of origin, primary language spoken, immigration
status, local culture, etc. Programs must be knowledgeable about the diversity in the local community
and develop marketing messages accordingly.

For example, messages targeting younger, U.S. born Hispanic couples may be much different than those
for older or newly immigrated couples. Although there will be some differences in how messages are
marketed, they should embrace the cultural values unique to Latinos. For instance, “familismo” can be
incorporated by featuring children and the extended family in marketing messages and focusing on the
couple as part of the larger family unit. Values such as “machismo” can be included by targeting
marketing messages to men’s sense of responsibility and devotion to the family. As many Hispanic men
value being the head of the household, practitioners may want to consider utilizing marketing messages
intended to reach men first as a way to introduce the program to the rest of the family.

Messages should also include phrases that aim to preserve the public image of Hispanic couples by
focusing on the strength of the couple relationship as it relates to the family. For example, couples may
feel less threatened by a program that promotes “Strong Couples and Strong Marriages are the
Foundation of a Strong Family” as opposed to more traditional couple-focused messages that may lead
others to perceive participation as a sign of a distressed relationship.

Hispanic couples must be able to identify with the marketing messages presented. Simple translations of
other “successful” mainstream marketing campaigns may not convey a true representation of the
Hispanic culture, and therefore, may fail to capture the intended audience. Program developers must be
sure that visual images and photos are a reflection of the Latino population and written materials use
language that is common and understood by the target audience. The heterogeneity of the Hispanic
population requires practitioners to be knowledgeable about Hispanics in their community so as to
produce marketing messages that are specific and culturally relevant to that particular group. To ensure
that marketing messages resonate with the Latino population in a specific community, program
developers must consider a variety of issues, some of which include:

Identifying whether traditional or more mainstream messages are appropriate
Developing messages and materials in English, Spanish, or both languages
Utilizing Spanish words and phrasing which are understood by the majority of Hispanics in the
community (Mexican, South American, Central American, etc.)
Identifying the type of media that Hispanics in a given community respond to most frequently
(radio, television, newspaper, etc.)
Incorporating images, photos and colors in printed materials that reflect Hispanic culture
Involving trusted community members in the delivery and dissemination of marketing messages

Summary

Recruiting couples for marriage and relationship education programs is challenging and the process may
be further complicated due to issues of language and culture when recruiting Hispanic couples. To
effectively reach the Hispanic population, program developers must be mindful of certain cultural values
and characteristics that influence how couples view marriage education. This memo outlines several
factors that practitioners should consider for more effective recruitment of Latino couples. Issues
related to strong family connections; placing high regard on parenting and the extended family; language
proficiency; public image; and trust must be understood and addressed by practitioners, program staff,
and in marketing messages in order to engage Hispanic couples in marriage and relationship education
programs.