Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the ecological perspectives and subjective experiences of adult Latina only children. Adults were defined as persons between the ages of 30 and 45. Latina referred to females of Latin-American origin living in the United States. Latin America refers to Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, South or Central America, or other Spanish cultures or origins. An only child was defined as an individual who grew up without siblings. A convenience sample of 20 adult Latina only children, ranging from age 30–45 (M=34.70), were interviewed using a qualitative questionnaire that included questions pertaining to their interactions with their ecological system, subjective inquiries regarding growing up without siblings, thoughts about rearing an only child, and concerns about caring for their aging parents. By employing Hill et al.'s (2005) Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method, the following eight domains were obtained: 1) assets of being an only child, 2) challenges of being an only child, 3) influence on personality, 4) influence on family size, 5) microsystem level influences during childhood, 6) microsystem level influences during adulthood, 7) macrosystem level influences, and 8) concerns for aging parents. Latinas reported their only child status had more influence over their microsystem level than macrosystem level interactions. In addition, a larger number of participants viewed their status as an only child as an asset rather than a challenge. Finally, the majority of participants indicated that their views on family size were influenced by their only child experiences and all participants were concerned about caring for their aging parents.