Identity & Acculturation Fall 20101. Culture & Identity: Three Views Fall 20102 Each...

Identity & Acculturation

Fall 2010 1

Culture & Identity: Three Views

Fall 2010 2

Each focuses on different aspect of who we are & how we are defined by ourselves & others

1. Ethnic Identity

2. Racial Identity

3. Situational Identity

Ethnic ≠ Minority

Fall 2010 3

Ethnic:

Minority:

Thus, there are… Non-ethnic minorities

Ethnocultural groups who are not minority

Example: Castro & Rice (2003) 59 Asian American, 65 African American, 65

White American students

Measures: Perfectionism (MPS) Depression (CES-D) GPA

Castro & Rice (2003): Results Asian Americans significantly more

perfectionist than White American students

Asian Americans significantly higher GPA than other groups

Depression: no significant differences

Conclusion: Asian Americans should regulate problematic perfectionist tendencies

Culture & Identity: Three Views

Fall 2010 6

Each focuses on different aspect of who we are & how we are defined by ourselves & others

1. Ethnic Identity

2. Racial Identity

3. Situational Identity

Ethnic Identity: A Cultural Perspective

Fall 2010 7

At group level, reflects cultural heritage & for some ethnic groups, oppression, or reaction to discrimination

Ethnic Identity Development: 3 Phases

Fall 2010 8

1. Unexamined ethnic identity

2. An encounter

3. Resolution

Fluidity Between Stages

Ethnic Identity vs Racial Identity

Fall 2010 9

Ethnic identity

Racial identity

Racial Identity (Janet Helms)

Fall 2010 10

Premise: we live in a racially discriminatory society

Salient because people of color are socialized in a racially oppressive environment

Racial Models for People of Color

Fall 2010 11

1. Pre-encounter2. Encounter3. Emersion/Immersion4. Integration: Developing capacity to question

societal racial beliefs about one’s own self5. Commitment: Internalizing a personality that

affirms racial identity as positive

Microaggressions

Verbal, non-verbal, and/or visual racially based actions, behaviors, & environmental indignities (e.g., contextual and/or institutional racial slights)

Often perpetuated by well-meaning individuals that ultimately invalidate the experiences of people of color (Russel, 1998; Solorzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000; Sue, et al., 2007; Sue, et al., 2008)

Fall 2010 12

Fall 2010 13

Effects of Microaggressions

Perceptions of Racial

Microaggression

Psychology Well-Being

Linked w/ more feelings of isolation & alienation (Wing, 2007)

Drug Use

Fall 2010 14

Situational Identity (Joseph Trimble)

Fall 2010 15

Identity is situational

Different situations bring out different aspects of who we see ourselves as being

Traveling

Acculturation

Fall 2010 16

Acculturation

Fall 2010 17

“phenomena which result when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first-hand contact with subsequent changes in the original pattern of either or both groups” (Redfield, Linton, & Herskovits, 1936)

Waves of U.S. Immigration

Fall 2010 18

Potato Famine Years (1840’s – 1860’s)

Ellis Island Years (Early 1900’s)

1975 – present (Fall of Saigon) Today’s anti-immigrant sentiments also found in

prior waves

Types of Immigrants

Fall 2010 19

Immigrants Legal Immigrants Undocumented

Refugees justified fear of persecution/risk of life in home

country

*Family reunification for immigrants & refugees

Reasons for Migration

Fall 2010 20

Economic

Refugees

Ideological

“Tied Movers”

Theories of Acculturation Process

Fall 2010 21

From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl What does this mean?

Early Theories:

2 Alternative Models

Native Host

John Berry’s Biculturalism Model

Fall 2010 22

Answering 2 questions:

1. Do I want to maintain my own culture?

2. Do I want to maintain relations with the other group? (mainstream or dominant culture)

John Berry’s Biculturalism Model

LowLow HighHigh

HighHigh Separatist Bicultural

LowLow Marginal Assimilated

Fall 2010 23

Cu

lture

of

Ori

gin

Host Culture

Practice Question Upon coming to the U.S., Mikhail changed his

name to Michael, ceased speaking his native Russian and spoke only English, and adopted what he believed to be the values and attitudes of his new country. What acculturative strategy is this?

a. assimilationb. separationc. biculturalismd. marginalization

Fall 2010 24

Language, Identity & Behavior Scale (LIB; Birman & Trickett, 2001)

Fall 2010 25

Language Identity

Behavior

• Occurs differently depending on life domains, developmental stage, context

5 Key Concepts

Fall 2010 26

1. Bicultural Competence

2. Segmented Assimilation

3. Acculturative Stress

4. Acculturation Gap

5. Culture Broker Role

(1) Bicultural Competence

Fall 2010 27

Strong cultural identity

Strong individual identity

Code Switching

(2) Segmented Assimilation(Portes & Rumbaut)

Fall 2010 28

People assimilate to specific local context not broader host culture

Ex: Somali Bantu children speaking Spanish

(3) Acculturative Stress

Fall 2010 29

Stress resulting from acculturation process

Example of acculturative domains where stress occurs for adolescents:

Language Discrimination in school/community Own culture peers American peers Family

4) Acculturation Gap

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Generational differences in acculturation process & speed

Generational Differences Behavior Language Identity Values

Acculturation of Children & Parents

Fall 2010 31

Time in U.S.

U.S

. A

ccult

ura

tion parents

children

Consequences of Acculturation Gap: Family Processes

Fall 2010 32

Children less likely to see parents as authority

Parents cannot offer advice or supervise child’s development at school & with peers

Consequences of Acculturation Gap: Outcomes for Children

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Positive Sense of Contribution to Family

Negative Family Disagreements/Conflict Interrupted Adolescence

(5) Culture Broker Role

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Children fulfilling family functions because of acculturation gap

Translating/Interpreting Answering Phone Making/attending doctor appointments Translating at school in conferences Tax Returns Signing excuses to miss school

“Best” way to acculturate?

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Assimilation?

Biculturalism?

Strong sense of ethnic identity?

No best way to acculturate

Fall 2010 36

Depends on Group & Context

Latino/Vietnamese youth— American acculturation related to bad outcomes Retention of culture of origin to better outcomes

Former Soviet Refugee youth— American Acculturation related to good outcomes Retention of culture of origin—depends on

domain