Influential Factors Diagram

Influences from:

• Family
• Friends and peers
• Reference groups
• Roles and status
• Cultural values

Social & cultural factors

Influences from:

• Social media and technologies

• Environments
• Economic situations
• Policies and regulations

Social context

Action/ behavior

Socio-psycho-graphic factors

Psycho- logical factors

Situational factors

Influences from:

• Beliefs

• Values & attitudes
• Feeling
• Motivations
• Learning
• Perceptions

Motivations

• Social media and technologies: Technology is a great tool for the au pair to stay in touch with her support network back home. However, this may lead her to avoid socializing with new people in her host country. On the other hand, regarding household rules, host parents may have different preferences regarding the use of technology: some may prefer that the au pair does not share photos of the children on social media, while others may even wish to follow her accounts and learn more about her. As for childcare, some parents may prohibit the use of devices for the children, while others may be more flexible.

• Environments: The physical environment where the au pair resides, such as her space within the host family's home, can impact her comfort, privacy, and overall well-being. Differences in living standards or amenities may affect the au pair's satisfaction and adjustment to her new surroundings. The cultural and social environment in the host country, including community attitudes towards foreigners, diversity, and inclusion, can influence the au pair's sense of belonging and integration into the local community.

• Economic situations: Economic factors, such as the host family's financial stability and ability to provide for the au pair's needs, can impact the quality of the au pair's experience. Financial constraints may limit opportunities for cultural activities or travel, affecting the au pair's overall satisfaction with the placement. Also, the ability of the au pair to manage her finances will influence her experience.

• Policies and regulations: Visa regulations and immigration policies may impose restrictions on the au pair's ability to work, travel, or participate in certain activities during her placement. Adherence to local laws and regulations can become a struggle for the au pair, for she may not be used to certain practices and duties, such as taxes or traffic regulations. Also, legal requirements related to employment contracts, working hours, and insurance coverage for au pairs determine the terms and conditions of their arrangement with the host family, as well as their rights and protections in case of disputes.

Motivations are key when trying to understand the relationship between the host family and the au pair. On one hand, each au pair may have different and specific motivations to participate in the program. These may include wanting to travel the world, practice their English, gain money, make friends and go out often, or actually experiment a cultural exchange. Therefore, the host family may have its own motivations to be part of the program. These might be having extra help to take care of the kids, wanting the kids to learn a foreign language, or actually be part of a cultural exchange. When the au pair doesn’t share their motivations, it may eventually become a problem if these don´t match or even contradict the host family´s motivations. Likewise, when the host family isn’t honest about what motivates them to be part of the program, the au pair will not be clear about their expectations on her.

• Beliefs: If the au pair holds the belief that children should have strict discipline, while the host family believes in a more relaxed approach, conflicts may arise over disciplinary methods. The au pair holds a negative attitude towards the host family's dietary choices, believing that they are unhealthy, leading to tension during meal times.

• Values & attitudes: Attitudes towards childcare, gender roles, and authority can impact how the au pair and the host family perceive each other's actions and decisions. For example, an au pair believes that discipline should involve clear rules and consequences, while the host family prefers a more permissive approach, leading to disagreements over how to handle misbehavior.

• Feeling: The au pair might feel homesick and isolated due to cultural differences and struggles to connect with the host family, leading to feelings of loneliness and depression. The host family feels apprehensive and anxious about entrusting their children's care to a stranger, leading to a cautious and reserved initial interaction with the au pair.

• Motivations: If the au pair's primary motivation is to improve her language skills, she may feel frustrated if she doesn't have enough opportunities to practice with the host family. Likewise, the host family may expect the au pair to get involved in family activities after work while she rarely spends time with them.

• Learning: Each au pair has a different pace of learning and adaptation. While some may quickly learn the customs, language, and idioms of their host family and country, others may take longer to adapt to their new lifestyle. The host family learns about the au pair's cultural background and traditions, such as dietary preferences, religious practices, and social norms, to create a welcoming and inclusive environment.

• Perceptions: The au pair perceives the host family as overly critical and judgmental, interpreting their feedback as personal attacks rather than constructive advice, leading to defensiveness and conflict. The au pair views herself as an equal member of the household, expecting to participate in decision-making and contribute her opinions, while the host family sees her primarily as a childcare provider, resulting in misunderstandings about her role and responsibilities.

The bidirectional relationship between au pairs and host families faces diverse challenges in their interaction. At the time of choosing a family, sometimes the au pair and the host family miss some details that could become a problem later in the coexistence. They have different expectations of the whole program, which creates certain friction between these two actors. The interaction may also be affected by internal struggles experienced by the au pairs. When arriving to the host country, the au pair faces social and emotional challenges, which can impact on their daily performance. These could be loneliness, homesickness, lack of belonging, social anxiety, etc. Due to the U.S. migration and visa process, au pairs are allowed to stay in the country for only a certain time. When an au pair requests a rematch, the process may take about 2 or 3 months, time in which their work visa is not lengthening. Another pattern that is observed in this relationship is the discrepancy between the parenting styles of the host family and the au pair, due to different cultural backgrounds. The host parents usually get frustrated when the au pair parenting methods don’t match with theirs, in terms of discipline, schedule, food habits and punishments. There may be various outcomes when this relationship comes to an end. In the best scenario, both the au pair and the host family are satisfied with the experience; they may contact each other from time to time and even visit each other. On the opposite, they both can end up very unsatisfied about the experience, the host family may even consider leaving the program and not wanting to host an au pair again.

The au pair program is likely to be an intense experience, for both the au pair and the host family, due to all the cultural shock and challenges that come with it. Although the ultimate goal of the program is to create a worldwide network of families, this requires and comes with tensions, contrasts, events and behaviors that, if they are overcome, you will have created a very enriching intercultural experience. On one hand, the au pair may behave as a employee but also as a member of the family. It may be tricky to identify the limit between these two roles. In some cases, the au pair behaves just as an employee and doesn´t get involve in the family dynamic. In some others, she may act entirely as a member of the family, sharing more of her personal life and participating on family traditions and activities. Moreover, the host parents may act just as the employers, without getting involved or caring about the au pair´s personal life. On the contrary, they could behave more as parents and authority figures for her, wanting to know more about her free time activities. The activities the au pair should cover are established by the Department of State, so there won´t be any misunderstanding and with the purpose of avoiding any abuse of power from any of both sizes. In the same sense, it is asked for the host family to be clear about the role they expect from the au pair. Sometimes, the host parents exceed these expectations and activities previously stablish, or the au pair starts showing a lower performance of what she is asked to do. This leads to frustration, frictions and struggles in the relationship between them which, in some scenarios, leads to rematch requests.

• Family: The host family's existing family structure, including the number of children, their ages, and the parents' work schedules, can impact the au pair's role and responsibilities within the household. The family background of the au pair will likely influence the way she fulfills her role as a babysitter.

• Friends and peers: The au pair´s social group in her host country is usually conformed by other au pairs, so the points of view she gets come mainly from girls of her own age and circumstances. The presence or absence of a support network for the au pair, such as friends or fellow au pairs in the local community, can affect her well-being and integration.

• Reference groups: The au pair's interactions with other childcare providers, educators, or professionals in similar roles may shape her expectations and attitudes towards her duties and relationship with the host family. If the host family has connections with other childcare providers or educators, they may seek advice or input on how to effectively integrate the au pair into their family dynamics and childcare routines.

• Roles and status: After all, the au pair is a foreign young lady. She may feel like an outsider in various situations and aspects, such as the language, the traditions, and values. Also, differences in social status, education level, or economic background between the au pair and the host family can impact power dynamics and communication patterns within the household.

• Cultural values: depending on where the au pair is from, she struggles with the difference between her cultural values and her host family and host country. If the host family comes from a culture that values individualism and self-reliance, they may prioritize independence and autonomy in their interactions with the au pair. Conversely, if the host family values collectivism and communal harmony, they may emphasize cooperation and mutual support within the household.