Yana A Kuchirko
Biographic Data
| ID | 1463990 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Yana A Kuchirko |
| GIVEN NAMES | Yana A |
| FAMILY NAME | Kuchirko |
| SIGNATURE | KUCHIRKO Y A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Brooklyn College |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8138-7224 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 25 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Beyond nodding and smiling
Pelo Bueno, Pelo Malo
Hair occupies a unique role in women’s lives. While a rich landscape of sociocultural knowledge about hair exists, few empirical studies have explored how women feel about their hair, such as their hair-esteem, particularly among Latinas. In our study, we examined hair-esteem among Latinas, who span a full range in terms of hair textures and navigate ideologies at the intersections of race and gender. Specifically, we examined hair-esteem and its…
Selective Kinship
Families are among the first sites where children learn how to think and feel about nonhuman animals. Yet, the everyday moral distinctions that parents make for children—such as which nonhuman animals are food, pets, wildlife, or entertainment—remain largely underexamined in family life. In this study, we approach the family as a key institution where species hierarchies are translated into parenting practices through everyday routines, explanati…
How the F*** Am I Supposed to Explain That
A Critical Developmental Approach to Studying Youth in Multispecies Contexts
Non‐human animals are ubiquitous in the lives of youth. Yet most theory and research on adolescent development are anthropocentric, focusing almost exclusively on youth's relationships with human others. Given that many adolescents worldwide grow up alongside non‐human animals, this omission is not simply a theoretical gap but a misrepresentation of the multispecies conditions in which development unfolds. In this paper, I invite developmental ps…
A people's academy
“Felix is My Brother”
An increasing number of children in the United States are growing up in multispecies families, a contemporary family structure where humans and companion animals form close bonds and share daily life, further fulfilling children’s attachment needs, providing social support, and contributing to psychosocial wellbeing. A burgeoning body of work highlights the important role of companion animals in shaping developmental outcomes across diverse domai…
STEM lives
Data on the experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) STEM teachers are sparse. We conducted a phenomenological qualitative research study and interviewed ten STEM teachers working in primary and secondary schools in the United States. They were interviewed about their interest in STEM, as well as about advocating for themselves and others in STEM. Findings offer insights into how sexual orientation and gender identity impact the lives of t…
Object play in Tajikistan
Object play is a ubiquitous context for learning. Existing knowledge on infant object interaction has relied on Euro‐American samples and observations confined to laboratory playrooms or families' homes, where object play is typically observed indoors and in rooms brimming with toys. Here we examined infants' everyday object play in Tajikistan, where spaces are uniquely laid out and homes are not child‐centered and toy‐abundant. The restrictive g…
Bursting bubbles
Associations between hegemonic masculine norms and academic outcomes among youth in China and the United States
Children Understand More at that Age
Children are highly attuned to race early in life, yet parents often underestimate their capacity to process race‐related information, delaying discussions about race. Research suggests that parents’ perceptions of their children's readiness to learn about race influence the timing of these conversations; however, few studies have explored how such perceptions shape ethnic‐racial socialization across different ethnic/racial groups. In this mixed‐…
Socialization Past and Present
Animals are an integral part of the multispecies family, a new way of 'doing family.' Understanding the intergenerational transmission of human-animal relationship practices is essential as animals become embedded in family life. Despite growing research on companion animals' roles in child development, less is known about how parents' approaches to integrating animals into the family are shaped and transmitted. Through semi-structured interviews…
A 6‐year longitudinal exploration of diversity in ethnically/racially minoritized children's early peer circles
Exposure to diverse peers can expand children's experiences and skillsets, and these positive effects linger beyond childhood. Yet, little is known about the ethnic/racial, gender, and age diversity in children's peer groups and how it may shift over time. Even less is known about these patterns among US nonwhite children. In the present study, we thus explored how diversity (with regard to ethnicity/race, gender, and age) in ethnically minoritiz…
Parental investment and the economization of parenting
We argue that economists, as well as other social scientists, have increasingly focused on parenting as a means of building children’s human capital and reducing poverty. This is reflected, in part, in the use of the concept of ‘parental investment’ to study parenting, which has gained prominence over the past thirty years. This intellectual program is also evident in interventions targeting low-income parents to change parenting behavior to refl…
The Maternal Sensitivity Program
Talk the talk and walk the walk
Research on early language abilities, much like psychology more broadly, has focused almost exclusively on infants from English and Indo-European languages, thereby limiting understanding of the role of varying linguistic experience that supports language abilities. We underscore Kidd and Garcia’s call to expand, diversify, and globalize language research. Using examples from motor development in which universality has long been assumed, we argue…
Like Two Musketeers”
Parental ethnotheories shape socialization beliefs around childrearing more broadly, and children's friendships more specifically. While prior work has examined aspects of parental socialization of friendships among school‐aged children and adolescents, no studies have examined beliefs held around the function of friendships among ethnically diverse mothers of toddlers from low‐socioeconomic contexts. Toddlerhood marks a point in development when…
Light-touch design enhancements can boost parent engagement in math activities
Ethnic‐racial socialization in the context of the achievement gap discourse
Messages about race and ethnicity are embedded in everyday settings and interactions. Research on ethnic‐racial socialization (ERS) commonly centers on relationships between youth and their teachers, parents, and peers as contexts of socialization. We propose another context for ERS: Discourse. We suggest that messages about race and ethnicity are part of larger, uncontested and unacknowledged Discourses—with an uppercase D—which refer to semioti…
The influence of siblings on ethnically diverse children’s gender typing across early development
Most U.S. children grow up with siblings. Theory and prior work suggest that older siblings are important sources of gender-related information and socialization. However, few studies have investigated the patterns of these associations longitudinally across early childhood. The present study examines the influence of sibling presence and gender composition on the trajectory of early gender-typed behavior and appearance in children from age 2 thr…
Do, say, learn
We examined the functions of mothers’ speech to infants during two tasks – book-sharing and bead-stringing – in low-income, ethnically diverse families. Mexican, Dominican, and African American mothers and their infants were video-recorded sharing wordless books and toy beads in the home when infants were aged 1;2 and 2;0. Mothers’ utterances were classified into seven categories (labels/descriptions, emotion/state language, attention directives,…
Becoming a Communicative Partner
Infant contingent responsiveness to maternal language and gestures was examined in 190 Mexican American, Dominican American, and African American infant–mother dyads when infants were 14 and 24 months. Dyads were video‐recorded during book‐sharing and play. Videos were coded for the timing of infants’ vocalizations and gestures and mothers’ referential language (i.e., statements that inform infants about objects and events in the world; e.g., “Th…
Power in methods
Methods can powerfully affect conclusions about infant experiences and learning. Data from naturalistic observations may paint a very different picture of learning and development from those based on structured tasks, as illustrated in studies of infant walking, object permanence, intention understanding, and so forth. Using language as a model system, we compared the speech of 40 mothers to their 13‐month‐old infants during structured play and n…
Why Is Infant Language Learning Facilitated by Parental Responsiveness?
Parents’ responsiveness to infants’ exploratory and communicative behaviors predicts infant word learning during early periods of language development. We examine the processes that might explain why this association exists. We suggest that responsiveness supports infants’ growing pragmatic understanding that language is a tool that enables intentions to be socially shared. Additionally, several features of responsiveness—namely, its temporal con…
Bursting bubbles
Ethnic‐racial socialization in the context of the achievement gap discourse
Messages about race and ethnicity are embedded in everyday settings and interactions. Research on ethnic‐racial socialization (ERS) commonly centers on relationships between youth and their teachers, parents, and peers as contexts of socialization. We propose another context for ERS: Discourse. We suggest that messages about race and ethnicity are part of larger, uncontested and unacknowledged Discourses—with an uppercase D—which refer to semioti…
The influence of siblings on ethnically diverse children’s gender typing across early development
Most U.S. children grow up with siblings. Theory and prior work suggest that older siblings are important sources of gender-related information and socialization. However, few studies have investigated the patterns of these associations longitudinally across early childhood. The present study examines the influence of sibling presence and gender composition on the trajectory of early gender-typed behavior and appearance in children from age 2 thr…
Parental investment and the economization of parenting
We argue that economists, as well as other social scientists, have increasingly focused on parenting as a means of building children’s human capital and reducing poverty. This is reflected, in part, in the use of the concept of ‘parental investment’ to study parenting, which has gained prominence over the past thirty years. This intellectual program is also evident in interventions targeting low-income parents to change parenting behavior to refl…
Why Is Infant Language Learning Facilitated by Parental Responsiveness?
Parents’ responsiveness to infants’ exploratory and communicative behaviors predicts infant word learning during early periods of language development. We examine the processes that might explain why this association exists. We suggest that responsiveness supports infants’ growing pragmatic understanding that language is a tool that enables intentions to be socially shared. Additionally, several features of responsiveness—namely, its temporal con…
Power in methods
Methods can powerfully affect conclusions about infant experiences and learning. Data from naturalistic observations may paint a very different picture of learning and development from those based on structured tasks, as illustrated in studies of infant walking, object permanence, intention understanding, and so forth. Using language as a model system, we compared the speech of 40 mothers to their 13‐month‐old infants during structured play and n…
Becoming a Communicative Partner
Infant contingent responsiveness to maternal language and gestures was examined in 190 Mexican American, Dominican American, and African American infant–mother dyads when infants were 14 and 24 months. Dyads were video‐recorded during book‐sharing and play. Videos were coded for the timing of infants’ vocalizations and gestures and mothers’ referential language (i.e., statements that inform infants about objects and events in the world; e.g., “Th…
Do, say, learn
We examined the functions of mothers’ speech to infants during two tasks – book-sharing and bead-stringing – in low-income, ethnically diverse families. Mexican, Dominican, and African American mothers and their infants were video-recorded sharing wordless books and toy beads in the home when infants were aged 1;2 and 2;0. Mothers’ utterances were classified into seven categories (labels/descriptions, emotion/state language, attention directives,…
Light-touch design enhancements can boost parent engagement in math activities
Ethnic‐racial socialization in the context of the achievement gap discourse
Messages about race and ethnicity are embedded in everyday settings and interactions. Research on ethnic‐racial socialization (ERS) commonly centers on relationships between youth and their teachers, parents, and peers as contexts of socialization. We propose another context for ERS: Discourse. We suggest that messages about race and ethnicity are part of larger, uncontested and unacknowledged Discourses—with an uppercase D—which refer to semioti…
The influence of siblings on ethnically diverse children’s gender typing across early development
Most U.S. children grow up with siblings. Theory and prior work suggest that older siblings are important sources of gender-related information and socialization. However, few studies have investigated the patterns of these associations longitudinally across early childhood. The present study examines the influence of sibling presence and gender composition on the trajectory of early gender-typed behavior and appearance in children from age 2 thr…
The Maternal Sensitivity Program
Talk the talk and walk the walk
Research on early language abilities, much like psychology more broadly, has focused almost exclusively on infants from English and Indo-European languages, thereby limiting understanding of the role of varying linguistic experience that supports language abilities. We underscore Kidd and Garcia’s call to expand, diversify, and globalize language research. Using examples from motor development in which universality has long been assumed, we argue…
Like Two Musketeers”
Parental ethnotheories shape socialization beliefs around childrearing more broadly, and children's friendships more specifically. While prior work has examined aspects of parental socialization of friendships among school‐aged children and adolescents, no studies have examined beliefs held around the function of friendships among ethnically diverse mothers of toddlers from low‐socioeconomic contexts. Toddlerhood marks a point in development when…
A 6‐year longitudinal exploration of diversity in ethnically/racially minoritized children's early peer circles
Exposure to diverse peers can expand children's experiences and skillsets, and these positive effects linger beyond childhood. Yet, little is known about the ethnic/racial, gender, and age diversity in children's peer groups and how it may shift over time. Even less is known about these patterns among US nonwhite children. In the present study, we thus explored how diversity (with regard to ethnicity/race, gender, and age) in ethnically minoritiz…
Parental investment and the economization of parenting
We argue that economists, as well as other social scientists, have increasingly focused on parenting as a means of building children’s human capital and reducing poverty. This is reflected, in part, in the use of the concept of ‘parental investment’ to study parenting, which has gained prominence over the past thirty years. This intellectual program is also evident in interventions targeting low-income parents to change parenting behavior to refl…
STEM lives
Data on the experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) STEM teachers are sparse. We conducted a phenomenological qualitative research study and interviewed ten STEM teachers working in primary and secondary schools in the United States. They were interviewed about their interest in STEM, as well as about advocating for themselves and others in STEM. Findings offer insights into how sexual orientation and gender identity impact the lives of t…
Object play in Tajikistan
Object play is a ubiquitous context for learning. Existing knowledge on infant object interaction has relied on Euro‐American samples and observations confined to laboratory playrooms or families' homes, where object play is typically observed indoors and in rooms brimming with toys. Here we examined infants' everyday object play in Tajikistan, where spaces are uniquely laid out and homes are not child‐centered and toy‐abundant. The restrictive g…
Bursting bubbles
Associations between hegemonic masculine norms and academic outcomes among youth in China and the United States
Children Understand More at that Age
Children are highly attuned to race early in life, yet parents often underestimate their capacity to process race‐related information, delaying discussions about race. Research suggests that parents’ perceptions of their children's readiness to learn about race influence the timing of these conversations; however, few studies have explored how such perceptions shape ethnic‐racial socialization across different ethnic/racial groups. In this mixed‐…
Socialization Past and Present
Animals are an integral part of the multispecies family, a new way of 'doing family.' Understanding the intergenerational transmission of human-animal relationship practices is essential as animals become embedded in family life. Despite growing research on companion animals' roles in child development, less is known about how parents' approaches to integrating animals into the family are shaped and transmitted. Through semi-structured interviews…
Beyond nodding and smiling
Pelo Bueno, Pelo Malo
Hair occupies a unique role in women’s lives. While a rich landscape of sociocultural knowledge about hair exists, few empirical studies have explored how women feel about their hair, such as their hair-esteem, particularly among Latinas. In our study, we examined hair-esteem among Latinas, who span a full range in terms of hair textures and navigate ideologies at the intersections of race and gender. Specifically, we examined hair-esteem and its…
Selective Kinship
Families are among the first sites where children learn how to think and feel about nonhuman animals. Yet, the everyday moral distinctions that parents make for children—such as which nonhuman animals are food, pets, wildlife, or entertainment—remain largely underexamined in family life. In this study, we approach the family as a key institution where species hierarchies are translated into parenting practices through everyday routines, explanati…
How the F*** Am I Supposed to Explain That
A Critical Developmental Approach to Studying Youth in Multispecies Contexts
Non‐human animals are ubiquitous in the lives of youth. Yet most theory and research on adolescent development are anthropocentric, focusing almost exclusively on youth's relationships with human others. Given that many adolescents worldwide grow up alongside non‐human animals, this omission is not simply a theoretical gap but a misrepresentation of the multispecies conditions in which development unfolds. In this paper, I invite developmental ps…
A people's academy
“Felix is My Brother”
An increasing number of children in the United States are growing up in multispecies families, a contemporary family structure where humans and companion animals form close bonds and share daily life, further fulfilling children’s attachment needs, providing social support, and contributing to psychosocial wellbeing. A burgeoning body of work highlights the important role of companion animals in shaping developmental outcomes across diverse domai…
Psychology (17 works) · Developmental psychology (12 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (8 works) · Child and Animal Learning Development (7 works) · Ethnic group (6 works) · Linguistics (6 works) · Human-Animal Interaction Studies (5 works) · Language Development and Disorders (5 works) · Political science (5 works)