scholarly journals The Missing Side of Acculturation: How Majority-Group Members Relate to Immigrant and Minority-Group Cultures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas R. Kunst

In many countries, individuals who have represented the majority group historically are decreasing in relative size and/or perceiving that they have diminished status and power compared to those identifying as immigrants or members of ethnic minority groups. These developments raise several salient and timely issues including: (a) how majority-group members’ cultural orientations change as a consequence of increasing intercultural contact due to shifting demographics; (b) what individual, group, cultural and socio-structural processes shape these changes; and (c) the implications of majority-group members’ acculturation. Although research across several decades has examined the acculturation of individuals identifying as minority-group members, much less is known about how majority-group members acculturate in increasingly diverse societies. We present an overview of the state of the art in the emerging field of majority-group acculturation, identify what is known and needs to be known, and introduce a conceptual model guiding future research.

2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maykel Verkuyten ◽  
Katarzyna Zaremba

The aim of this study was to examine evaluations of multiple groups by both ethnic majority-group (Dutch) and minority-group (Turkish-Dutch) members during a turbulent political period in the Netherlands, marked by the rapid rise and subsequent decline of a new-rightist, populist movement. The analysis of cross-sectional data from three periods (2001 to 2003) showed clear changes in these evaluations. As expected, both the Dutch and the Turkish participants showed higher ingroup identification and ingroup evaluation in 2002 than in 2001 and 2003. In addition, in 2002 the Dutch participants evaluated the Islamic outgroups (Turks and Moroccans) more negatively, whereas their evaluation of other ethnic minority groups did not differ across the three years. In contrast, Turkish participants evaluated all ethnic outgroups, including the Dutch and the Moroccans, more negatively in 2002. We conclude that it is important to study ethnic relations across time, in relation to political circumstances, from the perspective of both majority- and minority-group members, and in relation to different ethnic outgroups.


Sociology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuval Feinstein ◽  
Maha Shehade Switat

This study examines how emotion management is linked to subjective identity among members of ethnic minority groups in ethnically mixed workplaces. Data were drawn from interviews with Arab/Palestinian citizen residents of Israel. The results reveal three distinct strategies of emotion management: (1) Arab/Palestinians, regardless of their subjective identity, tend to conceal emotions during interactions with majority group members; (2) individuals who identify as ‘Arab’ also tend to regulate social interactions to avoid the emotional risks that accompany interactions with majority group members; (3) those who choose a ‘Palestinian’ label are more likely to actively express their ethnic identities despite the emotional risks associated with this type of identification. The findings suggest that emotion management is influenced not only by a person’s assignment to a social minority category (the emphasis of previous research), but also by a person’s subjectively defined identity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thierry Devos ◽  
Kumar Yogeeswaran ◽  
Chris G Sibley

Using a nationally representative sample, the present research tested whether conceptions of national identity differentially predicted attitudes toward bicultural policies among New Zealanders of European, Māori, Asian, and Pacific descent. A series of multi-group structural equation models revealed that among members of the majority group and all minority groups, endorsement of a civic conception of national identity (i.e., respecting political institutions and laws) was related to opposition to resource policies, but such a relationship was especially strong among the majority group. By contrast, endorsement of an ethnic conception of national identity (i.e., having Māori or European ancestry) was related to support for resource and symbolic policies among minority group members, but to opposition to the same policies among the majority group. The present work documents that belonging to a majority vs. minority group moderates the relations between conceptions of national identity (civic vs. ethnic) and support or opposition to specific bicultural policies. In addition, some elements of civic conceptions of national identity may legitimize inequalities rather than reduce them.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquie D. Vorauer ◽  
Matthew S. Quesnel

The present research examined how messages advocating different intergroup ideologies affect outcomes relevant to minority group members’ ability to exert power in exchanges with dominant group members. We expected that salient multiculturalism would have positive implications for minority group members’ feelings of power by virtue of highlighting essential contributions they make to society, and that no such empowering effect would be evident for them in connection with alternative ideologies such as color-blindness or for dominant group members. Results across four studies involving different participant populations, operationalizations of ideology, ethnic minority groups, and experimental settings were consistent with these hypotheses and further indicated that the effects of salient multiculturalism on feelings of power had downstream implications for expectations of control in an ostensibly upcoming intergroup interaction and general goal-directed cognition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1066-1084
Author(s):  
Loris Vezzali ◽  
Gian Antonio Di Bernardo ◽  
Michèle D. Birtel ◽  
Sofia Stathi ◽  
Marco Brambilla

The secondary transfer effect (STE), defined as contact with a primary outgroup improving attitudes towards a secondary outgroup uninvolved in contact, has mainly been studied with reference to direct contact and considering attitude generalization as the main mediating mechanism. Using a majority (422 Italians) and minority (130 immigrants) adolescent sample from high schools in Italy, we examined outgroup morality perceptions as a new mediating mechanism, and tested for the first time whether the STE emerges for extended contact. Results revealed that the STE emerged for direct contact among the majority group and for extended contact among the minority group, and it was sequentially mediated by perceptions of morality towards the primary outgroup, and by attitudes towards the primary outgroup and perceptions of morality towards the secondary outgroup. The STE also emerged for direct contact among the minority group, with morality perceptions towards the secondary outgroup and attitudes towards the primary outgroup being parallel mediators. We discuss the theoretical implications of the findings, arguing that it is important to identify the conditions and underlying processes of the STE in order to reduce prejudice in the case of both majority and minority groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Göksu Celikkol ◽  
Inga Jasinskaja-Lahti ◽  
Tuuli Anna Renvik ◽  
Raivo Vetik ◽  
David Lackland Sam

Purpose: By utilizing data from Estonia, Finland, and Norway, this study explores how the perceptions of personal and group realistic threats, namely perceived ethnic discrimination and economic insecurity among national majorities, predict their unwillingness to confront injustice on behalf of Russian-speaking minority groups.Background: Previous research on collective action to promote minorities’ rights and social standing has focused either on minorities’ own actions or factors promoting the willingness of majority group members to engage in collective action on behalf of minorities. In contrast, factors explaining the reluctance of majority group members to engage in collective action on behalf of minority groups have remained less explored. For example, studies have then ignored that the majority members may also feel threatened and may be economically insecure. Furthermore, the possible discrepancy between perceived personal vs. in-group’s situation may influence majority group members’ (un)willingness to confront injustice on behalf of a minority group.Method: We employed polynomial regression with response surface analysis to analyze data gathered among national majority members in three countries (N = 1,341).Results: Perceived personal and group realistic threats were associated with heightened unwillingness to confront injustice on behalf of the Russian-speaking minority. Furthermore, participants were more unwilling to confront injustice when they perceived more group than personal threat.Conclusion: We found that majority group members’ (un)willingness to confront injustice on behalf of the minority is related to how secure they perceive their own and their group status. Our results contribute to previous research by pointing out the important drawbacks of majorities’ support for minorities’ wish for social change.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110183
Author(s):  
Azza Sarfraz ◽  
Zouina Sarfraz ◽  
Alanna Barrios ◽  
Kuchalambal Agadi ◽  
Sindhu Thevuthasan ◽  
...  

Background: Health disparities have become apparent since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. When observing racial discrimination in healthcare, self-reported incidences, and perceptions among minority groups in the United States suggest that, the most socioeconomically underrepresented groups will suffer disproportionately in COVID-19 due to synergistic mechanisms. This study reports racially-stratified data regarding the experiences and impacts of different groups availing the healthcare system to identify disparities in outcomes of minority and majority groups in the United States. Methods: Studies were identified utilizing PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO search engines without date and language restrictions. The following keywords were used: Healthcare, raci*, ethnic*, discriminant, hosti*, harass*, insur*, education, income, psychiat*, COVID-19, incidence, mortality, mechanical ventilation. Statistical analysis was conducted in Review Manager (RevMan V.5.4). Unadjusted Odds Ratios, P-values, and 95% confidence intervals were presented. Results: Discrimination in the United States is evident among racial groups regarding medical care portraying mental risk behaviors as having serious outcomes in the health of minority groups. The perceived health inequity had a low association to the majority group as compared to the minority group (OR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.78; P = .007), and the association of mental health problems to the Caucasian-American majority group was low (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.45 to 0.58; P < .001). Conclusion: As the pandemic continues into its next stage, efforts should be taken to address the gaps in clinical training and education, and medical practice to avoid the recurring patterns of racial health disparities that become especially prominent in community health emergencies. A standardized tool to assess racial discrimination and inequity will potentially improve pandemic healthcare delivery.


1997 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 93-103
Author(s):  
Jetske Klatter-Folmer ◽  
Piet Van Avermaet

In this research project, the model of social determination of language shift will be expanded. An attempt is made to fill the gap that still exists regarding the effects on language shift of an ethnic minority group member's confidence in his ability to comply with the linguistic demands of the dominant majority culture. To that end, we investigate the confidence of members of ethnic minority groups and how it is built up, its place in the hierarchy of relevant factors, and their interaction. We detail how this confidence relates to language choice behaviour and language shift. This paper focuses mainly on the theoretical outline and design of the project.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S412-S412
Author(s):  
Kristina Shiroma ◽  
Nathan Davis ◽  
Bo Xie

Abstract Older adults of Asian ethnic minority groups are often underrepresented in the literature on cultural aspects of end-of-life (EOL) decision making. This literature review aimed to systematically investigate the cultural aspects of EOL decision making for aging adults of Asian ethnic minority groups. In February 2019, systematic searches were conducted in PubMed using MeSH terms “end-of-life”, “decision-making”, and “culture OR cultural”. Articles with human subjects, full text in English, published in the past 10 years, with original, empirical findings were included. After multiple rounds of screening, the final sample included 22 results, with sample sizes ranging from 11 to over 9 millions representing South Asian, Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Asian and Asian/Pacific adults. The findings suggest the literature on older Asian adults is present, but limited. Future research is needed to explore cultural aspects of Asian ethnic minority groups in respect to older adult’s information preferences in EOL decision-making.


Author(s):  
Shaun Pichler ◽  
Enrica N. Ruggs

Despite the large and growing representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers, this minority group has received relatively less attention in the management and organization literature compared with other minority groups. This is a critical time in history for LGBT workers in that public opinion has become much more favorable regarding homosexuality. The US Supreme Court has made important decisions concerning gay marriage; and although there is still no comprehensive antidiscrimination legislation at the federal level, a recent executive order provides employment protections for federal LGBT workers. This chapter reviews the literature on the workplace experiences of LGBT workers with a focus on synthesizing findings across studies, addressing research trends at different levels of analysis, and providing recommendations for areas for future research.


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