TOWARD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURAL IDENTITY NEGOTIATION: THE EXPERIENCES OF MINORITY YOUTH IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES

<p>How do immigrant and minority youth navigate between and within their heritage culture and the majority culture of the wider society? Acculturation theory and research point to a widespread preference for integration (adopting and maintaining bicultural affiliations) and a strong link between integration and psychological wellbeing. Despite compelling empirical evidence about the psychological and social benefits of integration, there is limited research about how immigrant and minority youth go about achieving it. This thesis examines the mechanisms underpinning cultural identity integration, how immigrant and minority youth select desirable aspects of both cultures and blend them together in a novel way (hybridising) or shift between and across cultural identities depending on situational factors (alternating). The research is based on the core model developed by Ward and associates, which demonstrates that a motivation to integrate activates both hybrid and alternating identity styles but that these styles lead to different cultural identity outcomes (consolidation versus conflict) and have divergent effects on wellbeing (Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, Szabo, Qumseya & Bhowon, 2018). The thesis has three main objectives: 1) to test the core mediational model of cultural identity negotiation with other minority groups and in other cultural contexts; 2) to extend the model by exploring how socio-political factors and family dynamics affect cultural identity styles and their outcomes; and 3) to explore gaps and omissions in the model to guide future research. To these ends, mixed methods are used across three studies with Arab youth in New Zealand and Arab-Palestinian youth in the state of Israel. The first study tested the mediational model of cultural identity negotiation quantitatively with Arab minority youth in New Zealand and expanded Ward et al.’s (2018) model by testing contextual variables as antecedents of the hybrid and alternating cultural identity styles and their outcomes. Subsequently, the second study uses the same methodology to investigate the experiences of young Palestinian citizens of Israel. The core mediational model was replicated in both contexts. Findings from both studies revealed that family context exerted similar influences on cultural identity styles while socio-political factors affected cultural identity styles and wellbeing in different ways. In addition, the alternating identity style appeared to be more responsive to contextual factors (family dynamics and socio-political context) than the hybrid identity style. The third study aimed to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the findings from the previous two studies, using qualitative methods to draw on the cross-cultural insights derived from a comparison of the New Zealand and Israel contexts. The qualitative study brought the individual agency into the spotlight as participants discussed selecting different strategies across work, home and university settings. When young people described their lived experiences, the alternating identity style emerged as a beneficial strategy enabling them to bridge cultural contexts without negative outcomes. Youth often had access to more than one cultural identity style and proactively interchanged them resiliently and flexibly to navigate a wide range of social environments. The combination of studies in this thesis provided additional insights into acculturation literature, integration and cultural identity styles. The findings of the research programme have contributed to gaining novel perspectives in understanding youth experiences during acculturation. More specifically, findings of this thesis led to greater understanding of what contextual factors influence the bicultural interplay of ethnic and civic participation and identity among multicultural youth. The mixed method design also has significant contributions that enabled a contextually situated understanding of the experiences of Arab youth within their cultural and socio-ecological environments and their experiences as minorities in two very different country contexts.</p>

TOWARD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURAL IDENTITY NEGOTIATION: THE EXPERIENCES OF MINORITY YOUTH IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES

<p>How do immigrant and minority youth navigate between and within their heritage culture and the majority culture of the wider society? Acculturation theory and research point to a widespread preference for integration (adopting and maintaining bicultural affiliations) and a strong link between integration and psychological wellbeing. Despite compelling empirical evidence about the psychological and social benefits of integration, there is limited research about how immigrant and minority youth go about achieving it. This thesis examines the mechanisms underpinning cultural identity integration, how immigrant and minority youth select desirable aspects of both cultures and blend them together in a novel way (hybridising) or shift between and across cultural identities depending on situational factors (alternating). The research is based on the core model developed by Ward and associates, which demonstrates that a motivation to integrate activates both hybrid and alternating identity styles but that these styles lead to different cultural identity outcomes (consolidation versus conflict) and have divergent effects on wellbeing (Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, Szabo, Qumseya & Bhowon, 2018). The thesis has three main objectives: 1) to test the core mediational model of cultural identity negotiation with other minority groups and in other cultural contexts; 2) to extend the model by exploring how socio-political factors and family dynamics affect cultural identity styles and their outcomes; and 3) to explore gaps and omissions in the model to guide future research. To these ends, mixed methods are used across three studies with Arab youth in New Zealand and Arab-Palestinian youth in the state of Israel. The first study tested the mediational model of cultural identity negotiation quantitatively with Arab minority youth in New Zealand and expanded Ward et al.’s (2018) model by testing contextual variables as antecedents of the hybrid and alternating cultural identity styles and their outcomes. Subsequently, the second study uses the same methodology to investigate the experiences of young Palestinian citizens of Israel. The core mediational model was replicated in both contexts. Findings from both studies revealed that family context exerted similar influences on cultural identity styles while socio-political factors affected cultural identity styles and wellbeing in different ways. In addition, the alternating identity style appeared to be more responsive to contextual factors (family dynamics and socio-political context) than the hybrid identity style. The third study aimed to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the findings from the previous two studies, using qualitative methods to draw on the cross-cultural insights derived from a comparison of the New Zealand and Israel contexts. The qualitative study brought the individual agency into the spotlight as participants discussed selecting different strategies across work, home and university settings. When young people described their lived experiences, the alternating identity style emerged as a beneficial strategy enabling them to bridge cultural contexts without negative outcomes. Youth often had access to more than one cultural identity style and proactively interchanged them resiliently and flexibly to navigate a wide range of social environments. The combination of studies in this thesis provided additional insights into acculturation literature, integration and cultural identity styles. The findings of the research programme have contributed to gaining novel perspectives in understanding youth experiences during acculturation. More specifically, findings of this thesis led to greater understanding of what contextual factors influence the bicultural interplay of ethnic and civic participation and identity among multicultural youth. The mixed method design also has significant contributions that enabled a contextually situated understanding of the experiences of Arab youth within their cultural and socio-ecological environments and their experiences as minorities in two very different country contexts.</p>

Cultural identity styles, well-being, and context of reception: A daily diary study

<p>In our increasingly multicultural world, people manage their multiple cultural identities in a number of different ways. This study examines two mechanisms that individuals use in negotiating cultural identities: hybridising, which is characterised by picking and choosing the desirable elements from two or more cultures and blending them together in a novel way, and alternating, which involves shifting identities depending on the circumstances. The study also investigates how these styles are affected by contextual factors and how they are related to mental health outcomes. The data were collected through a 12-day diary study with 870 Hispanic university students. Multilevel modelling was used to examine longitudinal relationships between the hybrid and alternating cultural identity styles, perceived negative context of reception, and psychological well-being. The main findings are that within individuals, negative perceptions of the context of reception predict greater alternating style, and the alternating style, in turn, predicts greater depression, while the hybrid style leads to increased well-being. Reciprocal relationships between these variables were also found. Although preliminary, findings also show that the alternating and hybrid identity styles operate in a reciprocal relationship. The within-individual approach, which allows us to report idiosyncratic changes in the cultural identity styles in response to the context of everyday life, makes a unique contribution to understanding how bicultural individuals negotiate multiple cultural identities.</p>

Cultural identity styles, well-being, and context of reception: A daily diary study

<p>In our increasingly multicultural world, people manage their multiple cultural identities in a number of different ways. This study examines two mechanisms that individuals use in negotiating cultural identities: hybridising, which is characterised by picking and choosing the desirable elements from two or more cultures and blending them together in a novel way, and alternating, which involves shifting identities depending on the circumstances. The study also investigates how these styles are affected by contextual factors and how they are related to mental health outcomes. The data were collected through a 12-day diary study with 870 Hispanic university students. Multilevel modelling was used to examine longitudinal relationships between the hybrid and alternating cultural identity styles, perceived negative context of reception, and psychological well-being. The main findings are that within individuals, negative perceptions of the context of reception predict greater alternating style, and the alternating style, in turn, predicts greater depression, while the hybrid style leads to increased well-being. Reciprocal relationships between these variables were also found. Although preliminary, findings also show that the alternating and hybrid identity styles operate in a reciprocal relationship. The within-individual approach, which allows us to report idiosyncratic changes in the cultural identity styles in response to the context of everyday life, makes a unique contribution to understanding how bicultural individuals negotiate multiple cultural identities.</p>

Towards and understanding of the immigrant experience: Social-cognitive processes of identity development during cultural transition

<p>In a highly globalized world, where more than 200 million people are living as international migrants (OECD, 2013), continuously confronting and negotiating the demands of at least two different cultures, there is a growing need to understand how cultural transition affects the identity of immigrants and explore the factors that can potentially contribute to the development of a positive, coherent, and consolidated immigrant identity. The current research programme integrates aspects of developmental and cross-cultural theory to gain a deeper insight in to the dynamics of identity formation and the processes involved in identity reconstruction during cultural transition from the very early stages of acculturation. Drawing from previous work on identity styles by Berzonsky (1989, 2011), chapter two introduces a new version of the Identity Style Inventory assessing social-cognitive information processing strategies during cultural transition (ISI-CT). The ISI-CT incorporates five distinct identity styles (analytical informational, exploratory informational, normative to the country of origin, normative to the host society, and diffuse-avoidant) and a measure of identity commitment. Three studies are presented reporting the construction of the ISI-CT and the examination of its factorial structure (study 1 and study 2), the convergent and discriminant validity of the assessment tool (study 1), and longitudinal relationships among subscales (study 3). Chapter three extends Berzonsky’s theorizing to acculturation research and tests a model of identity development with a diverse sample of newly arrived immigrants (N = 218). Results indicate that social-cognitive identity processing styles facilitate both positive and negative pathways to immigrant identity outcomes and highlight the central role of identity commitment during acculturation identity crises. In chapter four is presented a six-month longitudinal study that investigates the appraisal (threat or challenge) of identity stress in immigrants, the capacity of identity processing styles in reducing the negative effects of acculturative identity stress, and the prediction of psychological adjustment over time. Longitudinal interaction effects revealed that the analytical and exploratory informational styles enhanced the positive effects of challenge appraisal on psychological adjustment over time. In contrast, styles involving avoidance and normative orientation to one’s country of origin dampened the positive effects of challenge appraisal on psychological adjustment six months later. In sum, the series of studies reported in the present thesis draw attention to the central role of social-cognitive identity styles in terms of identity development, acculturative stress management, and long-term psychological adaptation of recent immigrants. The findings of the research programme have important implications for acculturation theory and research by highlighting the benefits of the developmental approach in the understanding of the immigrant experience. In addition, potential avenues for applications and future research are discussed.</p>

Towards and understanding of the immigrant experience: Social-cognitive processes of identity development during cultural transition

<p>In a highly globalized world, where more than 200 million people are living as international migrants (OECD, 2013), continuously confronting and negotiating the demands of at least two different cultures, there is a growing need to understand how cultural transition affects the identity of immigrants and explore the factors that can potentially contribute to the development of a positive, coherent, and consolidated immigrant identity. The current research programme integrates aspects of developmental and cross-cultural theory to gain a deeper insight in to the dynamics of identity formation and the processes involved in identity reconstruction during cultural transition from the very early stages of acculturation. Drawing from previous work on identity styles by Berzonsky (1989, 2011), chapter two introduces a new version of the Identity Style Inventory assessing social-cognitive information processing strategies during cultural transition (ISI-CT). The ISI-CT incorporates five distinct identity styles (analytical informational, exploratory informational, normative to the country of origin, normative to the host society, and diffuse-avoidant) and a measure of identity commitment. Three studies are presented reporting the construction of the ISI-CT and the examination of its factorial structure (study 1 and study 2), the convergent and discriminant validity of the assessment tool (study 1), and longitudinal relationships among subscales (study 3). Chapter three extends Berzonsky’s theorizing to acculturation research and tests a model of identity development with a diverse sample of newly arrived immigrants (N = 218). Results indicate that social-cognitive identity processing styles facilitate both positive and negative pathways to immigrant identity outcomes and highlight the central role of identity commitment during acculturation identity crises. In chapter four is presented a six-month longitudinal study that investigates the appraisal (threat or challenge) of identity stress in immigrants, the capacity of identity processing styles in reducing the negative effects of acculturative identity stress, and the prediction of psychological adjustment over time. Longitudinal interaction effects revealed that the analytical and exploratory informational styles enhanced the positive effects of challenge appraisal on psychological adjustment over time. In contrast, styles involving avoidance and normative orientation to one’s country of origin dampened the positive effects of challenge appraisal on psychological adjustment six months later. In sum, the series of studies reported in the present thesis draw attention to the central role of social-cognitive identity styles in terms of identity development, acculturative stress management, and long-term psychological adaptation of recent immigrants. The findings of the research programme have important implications for acculturation theory and research by highlighting the benefits of the developmental approach in the understanding of the immigrant experience. In addition, potential avenues for applications and future research are discussed.</p>

The Relationship Between Parenting and Identity Styles Among Adolescents in South Africa

This chapter provides insight into the mother–adolescent relationship in a South African context, focusing on the relationship between identity styles and the mother’s parenting. The findings revealed that maternal involvement predicted adolescent identity style in a sample of non-White South African adolescents. Identity development is an important process in the lives of adolescents, and many changes and much decision-making occur during this phase. Maternal influence, it would seem, is vital in identity development of adolescents. As an understudied area of research in South Africa, this study offers tentative insights into the potential of harnessing the mother–adolescent relationship to enhance positive development of identity style and commitment.

Effectiveness of Identity-based Psychodrama Educational-therapeutic Program on Identity Styles and Neuroticism

Background: Neuroticism is one of the serious mental health problems of people. No study has been conducted on the impact of identity issues in the treatment of neurotic people. Objectives: This study aims to formulate, design, and investigate the effect of identity-based psychodrama educational program on identity styles and neuroticism. Materials & Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test design using a control group. The study participants were 40 people aged 15-30 years referred to Pendare Nik Counseling Center in Najafabad City, Isfahan Province, Iran, in 2020. They were selected using a convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into the intervention (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. The data collection instruments were Berzonsky Identity Style Inventory (1992) and McCrae and Costa 5-factor inventory (1992). A Researcher-made Identity-Based Psychodrama Program (2020) was used for the intervention. The collected data were analyzed using ANCOVA in SPSS v. 23. Results: The educational-therapeutic program significantly affected identity styles and neuroticism (P<0.001). It significantly reduced the neuroticism level of people in the intervention group (F=200.71, η2=0.84). Conclusion: The identity-based psychodrama program reduced diffuse-avoidant, normative, and informational identity styles and neuroticism and promoted the achieved identity style.