Dr. Alexandra Rush is a developmental scientist who approaches her work through the lens of a relational developmental systems perspective which views human development as driven by dynamic and reciprocal person ↔ context relations over the lifespan. Her research explores how intergenerational trauma is navigated and transformed, focusing on the human capacity to find meaning and purpose within suffering and loss. She is also interested in the integral role that communities, cultures, and families play in fostering youth purpose and character virtue development. See Annotated Bibliography below:
Rush, A., Kochis, O., Belanger, B., Urban, J. B., & Linver, M. R. (in press). Navigating The Tides of Change: Girls’ Experiences in Scouts BSA. Journal of Youth Development.
On February 1, 2019, Boy Scouts of America officially accepted girls into its signature program (ages 11-18) and changed its name to Scouts BSA. This historic shift provided a novel opportunity for researchers to investigate the experiences of some of the first 13 girls to enter this traditionally all-boy space and examine how participation influenced sense of self and purpose. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to explore girls’ experiences and perceptions and meanings they constructed, using secondary data consisting of 38 transcribed interviews from all 13 girls. Girls ranged in age from 12-18 years old (M =13.72, SD =1.51), were mostly white (84.6%), and came from predominantly upper middle-income households (69.2%). Our analysis revealed expanded sense of self and empowerment to be the essences of girls’ experiences in Scouts BSA, which contributed to identity and purpose development. Sub-themes included feelings of competence and confidence, embracing “boy activities”, and focus on rank advancement.
Rush, A., Urban, J. B., Davis, W. J., & Linver, M. R. (2022). Exploring pathways to purpose in scouts. Journal of Adolescent Research. 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221091488
Youth purpose was investigated using a two-phase embedded design with youth participating in Scouts BSA (N = 3,943), ages 9–20 (M = 14.0, SD = 1.9). Participating Scouts were mostly White (91%) and male (98%). In Phase 1, we conducted a two-step cluster analysis on Scouts’ survey responses to three purpose dimensions (personal meaning, goal-directedness, beyond-the-self orientation). Four clusters emerged: Purposeful, Explorers, Dreamers, Nonpurposeful. In Phase 2, we explored qualities of purpose within each cluster and programmatic features and relationships within the scouting context fostering youth purpose with a Scout subsample (N = 30) who completed semi-structured interviews. Results demonstrated that adults supporting scouting, inspiration from older peers, and opportunities to help others and explore new activities supported youth purpose.
Rush, Alexandra, "Exploring Trauma, Loss, and Posttraumatic Growth in Poles Who Survived the Second World War and Their Descendants" (2021). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 758.https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/758
Life Course Theory’s (Elder, 1998) paradigmatic themes of historical time and place, linked lives, timing of events, and human agency were applied to explore the experiences of Poles who survived the Second World War in Poland and the impact of intergenerational transmission of traumatic effects and/or features of posttraumatic growth, and meanings constructed. A phenomenological analysis was based on 13 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with one 1st generation survivor, seven 2nd generation and five 3rd generation descendants; four females and nine males, ranging in age from 23 to 90. The conceptual framework of Posttraumatic Growth (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2006); positive changes associated with KZ Syndrome (Kepiński, 1970/2008; Lesniak, 1965); Family Resiliency Framework (Walsh, 2016); and theory of Ambiguous Loss (Boss, 2016) informed this study. Findings revealed a main theme of Loss as the core essence of trauma, across all three generations; other main themes included Betrayal, Lack of Recognition of Poland’s Suffering, and Positive Growth and Legacies Shared. Family milieu, communication patterns, and shared worldviews contributed to transmission of traumatic effects, and/or features of posttraumatic growth and family resilience. Sharing of positive legacies sowed the seeds for positive growth, and in some instances, a sense of purpose in descendants.
Rush, A. (2020). Exploring trauma, loss, and posttraumatic growth in Poles who survived the Nazi Era (1939-1945) and their descendants. The Polish Review, 65, 42-56. https://doi.org/10.5406/polishreview.65.3.0042
Experiences of mass trauma carry powerful intergenerational effects involving both vulnerability and strengths, and often leave indelible imprints and legacies across generations. A qualitative phenomenological pilot study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of second and third-generation descendants of Polish resistance fighters and survivors of the Second World War, which examined the impact of the war on descendants, as well as the potential for posttraumatic growth. The following research questions guided the study: 1) What features of trauma and posttraumatic growth are transmitted from Poles who survived the Nazi Era (1939-1945) to their children and grandchildren?; 2) What legacies and life lessons are passed down to second and third generation descendants?; 3) How is present day outlook influenced by having been a descendant of a fighter and/or survivor?; and, 4) How do descendants experience western society’s awareness and recognition of Poland’s suffering during this time? The findings of the pilot study were based on a phenomenological analysis of the participants’ narratives and the following themes emerged from the lived experiences of both second and third-generation descendants: Communication, Adjusting to a New Country and Culture, and Suffering of Poles Unrecognized. The study also provided a voice and social acknowledgement for the descendants of Polish survivors and resistance fighters, who carry a powerful legacy to share.
Davis, W. J., Rush, A., Tevington, P., Urban, J. B., & Linver, M. R. (2020). Online trainings for non-formal educators: A case study of Boy Scouts of America leaders. The American Journal of Distance Education. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1819745
Non-formal education (NFE) programs – those existing separately from hierarchically and chronologically organized schools – have a long history with distance and online learning, both of which have been essential to NFE programming. NFE programs like Scouts BSA, the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) co-ed program for 11–17 year olds, rely upon online learning to train adult volunteers. The purpose of this case study was to investigate non-formal educators’ online training experiences and the extent to which these educators felt prepared for their roles.