Dimensions of Jewish-American identity

The Acculturation Scale for Vietnamese Adolescents (ASVA): A bidimensional perspective

The purpose of this study was to develop an acculturation scale that: (1) empirically demonstrated the bidimensional model; and (2) that pertained to the concerns of Vietnamese adolescents. Altogether, 191 Vietnamese students (ages 10–23) were recruited from eight middle schools and high schools in Lansing, Michigan (USA). Based on responses from their questionnaires, results indicated that The Acculturation Scale for Vietnamese Adolescents (ASVA) demonstrated good reliability and validity overall. Confirmatory factor analyses also demonstrated support for the ASVA's two dimensions (Involvement in the Vietnamese Culture and Involvement in the US Culture) and four life-domains within each dimension (i.e., Group Interactions, Everyday Lifestyles, Family Orientation, and Global Involvements). The CFAs indicated that the ASVA's two-factor and four-factor structures achieved an excellent fit to the data and furthermore, that a bidimensional, two-factor model was superior to a unidimensional, bipolar one predominantly used in acculturation scales today. As such, this study demonstrated the utility of viewing acculturation from a two-dimensional framework; it also provided researchers a practical, 2D scale to use.

Structure of Ethnic Identity of Arab-Israeli Students

The main problems posed in this study were: What is the structure of the Arab-Israeli identity? What is the relation of ethnic identity to another self-referent scale? The Ethnic Identity and Self-esteem scales were administered in the summer of 1973–74 to 532 Arab-Israeli university students. Factor analysis of the items demonstrated that most of the common factor variance was appropriated by three factors, all of which were clearly recognized as already known constructs. Despite the peculiar situation of the Arab minority in Israel, two relatively orthogonal factors, an Arab identity and an Israeli identity, emerged while the other factor represented a self-esteem construct. These findings supported the conclusions of previous research on Jewish-American identity and raised questions about the notion that ethnic-majority identity forms a bipolar continuum. The ethnic identity is then discussed in relation to the broader concept of self-identity.

Relation of Two Cultural Identities of Armenian-Americans

The gap between the two cultural identities of 37 female and 43 male Armenian-American teen-agers attending Armenian schools was studied. The effects of ethnic involvement and residency status (native-born and recent immigrant) were examined. The absolute difference between the Armenian and American identity scores defined the gap between the two cultural identities. It was hypothesized that more ethnic involvement and recent immigrant status would show greater gap. A 2 × 2 analysis of variance of ethnic involvement and residency status produced significant main effects in the expected directions and no interaction. The ethnically more involved and the recent immigrants showed greater gap in their American and Armenian identities than the ethnically less involved and the native-born, respectively. Some phenomenological explanations for the observed effects were considered.

Individual and Family Environment Patterns among Jews and Non-Jews

56 Jewish and 42 non-Jewish adolescents completed measures of social desirability, fear of negative evaluation, moral anxiety, and self-acceptance. They also completed Moos's Family Environment Scale. Although there were no group differences on individual measures, there were differences in correlational patterns between Jews and Non-Jews. Correlations in opposite directions were found between self-acceptance and social desirability. For the Jewish group, the tendency to give socially desirable answers was related to lower self-acceptance; for the non-Jewish group, social desirability was related to high self-acceptance. Different patterns of correlations were also found between two Family Environment subscales of independence and control. These scores were negatively correlated for the Jewish group. A high level of control in the family was associated with lower independence. For non-Jews, high levels of control were related to higher independence. This finding was discussed in regard to the frequency of “leaving home” issues reported among Jewish families.

Dimensions of Ethnic Identity in Israeli Jewish Families Living in the United States

The study examines several dimensions of ethnic identity in parents and children from Israeli-Jewish families who had resided in the United States for at least five years. Three components of identity (American, Israeli, and Jewish) were assessed using three different instruments which tapped certain aspects of behavioral, cognitive, and affective domains. The pattern of relationship between identity scores varied among the different modalities of measurement. The results indicate that identity components are complex, rather than unidimensional constructs and that they manifest themselves differently in different domains.

Armenian Ethnic Orientation Questionnaire–Revised

The purpose of this study was to report the development of a shorter revised version of the 57-item Armenian Ethnic Orientation Questionnaire. Data from two different independently conducted studies were presented. One of the studies used a convenient sample from Pasadena, California ( n = 155) composed of Armenian adolescents (48% girls, 52% boys; with a mean age of 15.6 yr., SD =1.2) who attended public schools. The second study used a convenient sample from Toronto, Ontario ( n = 108) composed of community members at large (48% women, 52% men; with a mean age of 34.0 yr., SD= 15.3). A revision of 15 items rated on a 6-point scale showed good scale score reliability and construct validity. In both studies, scores on the revised version differentiated native-born from immigrant groups and were correlated with more ethnic behaviors and greater involvement.

Test of a Nonlinear Relationship between Linguistic Acculturation and Ethnic Identification

Following a review of the literature concerning the relationship between acculturation (acquisition of a dominant culture) and ethnic identification (retention of culture of origin), the authors propose that linguistic acculturation is nonlinearly related to ethnic identity. An empirical study was conducted to test this relationship between linguistic acculturation and ethnic identification using data gathered from multiple studies investigating four different ethnic groups in Eastern Canada over a period of 7 years. Regression analysis results indicate that the two underlying dimensions of ethnicity are related and that the postulated function exhibits an excellent fit, thus providing support for the proposition.

How Variations in Social Structure Affect Different Types of Intergroup Bias and Different Dimensions of Social Identity in a Multi-Intergroup Setting

An experimental paradigm was used to examine how manipulations of group status (higher, equal, or lower) and group size (smaller, equal, or larger) affect positive allocation bias, negative allocation bias, and evaluative bias expressed by minority-ingroup members toward majority- and minority-outgroup members. As predicted, in most cases, group status was positively related to bias against a higher status majority outgroup, but negatively related to bias against a lower status minority outgroup. Group size was inversely related to expressions of bias in two of the three studies. Four dimensions of social identity (ingroup attraction, self-ingroup interdependency, intergroup differentiation, and perceptions of the intergroup context) were measured and found to be differentially affected by the manipulations. Status was positively related to most of the dimensions of social identity, but the predicted inverse relationship between group size and social identity received mixed support. Of the four dimensions, self-ingroup interdependency and unfavorable perceptions of the intergroup context were most consistently related to intergroup bias. The implications of these findings for theories of intergroup relations and future research efforts are discussed.

Differences in Ethnic Identity in Native American Adolescents as a Function of School Context

Examined were differences in ethnic identity in 101 Native American male andfemale 9th and 12th graders. Native American adolescents attending a high school with a predominantly Native American student body demonstrated significantly greater ethnic identity exploration and commitment than Native American adolescents from high schools with a predominantly White student body. The 12th grade Native American adolescentsfrom a high school with a predominantly Native American student body had greater ethnic identity commitment than 9th grade Native American adolescents from the same school. Also, 12th grade Native American adolescents from a high school with a predominantly Native American student body had greater ethnic identity commitment than 9th and 12th grade Native American adolescents from a high school with a predominantly White student body. Exploration and commitnent appear to be important aspects of ethnic identity to Native American adolescents. Results highlight the importance of school and community-based contexts on ethnic identity development in Native American adolescents.

Bicultural Social Development

The conditions that result in bicultural social development among Latino children and adolescents represent the central focus of this article. The literature surrounding bicultural development is reviewed from four perspectives: (a) immigrant children and adolescents, (b) second generation Latinos or the offspring of immigrants, (c) later generation ethnic children and adolescents, and (d) mixed ethnic and racial heritage individuals. Each of these situations presents different socialization contexts and challenges for parents and children in the transmission of culture across generations and for the development of bicultural competence. The concepts of acculturation, marginality, and biculturalism are examined for the assumptions inherent in each of these constructs. An important assumption in the analysis is that maintenance of ethnic identity and bicultural orientation may be imposed on Latinos depending on their phenotype, which marks them as ”outsiders” to the dominant social group. Thus, ethnic loyalty and biculturalism may serve as positive coping responses in a racialized society.

Black Students on White Campuses: Toward a Two-Dimensional Model of Black Acculturation

This article conceptualizes Black students' adaptation to a predominantly White institution in terms of a model of acculturation that includes one orientation toward maintaining the cultural heritage and identity of one's own group and a second one tapping relations with the majority group. This approach acknowledges that acculturation need not entail exchanging one's cultural heritage for a new one. The present research developed an instrument to measure these orientations. In Study 1, factor analysis of responses from Black students (N = 216) revealed two factors: Culture, Heritage, and Identity (CHI) and Out-Group Comfort (OC). Study 2 (n = 83), found that CHI was positively associated with measures of Black identity and collective self-esteem and that OC was associated with intergroup anxiety. In Study 3 (n = 143), CHI was independently associated with viewing education as affording opportunities for success and recognizing that discrimination might temper those opportunities. Both aspects of acculturation were related in predicted ways with the Racelessness Scale. Implications of the results for Black college students' adjustment are discussed.

The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure

Ethnic identity is an important component of the self-concept and, like other aspects of identity, can be particularly salient during adolescence. Most research on ethnic identity has focused on the unique elements that distinguish particular ethnic groups. However, it is important as well to study and compare ethnic identity and its correlates across groups. This article presents a questionnaire measure of ethnic identity based on the elements of ethnic identity that are common across groups, so that it can be used with all ethnic groups. The questionnaire was administered to 417 high school students and 136 college students from ethnically diverse schools. Reliability, assessed by Cronbach 's alpha, was .81 for the high school sample and .9Ofor the college sample. The relationship of ethnic identity to various demographic variables and to self-esteem was examined. The measure can be used to examine similarities and differences in ethnlic identity and its correlates among youths from different ethnic groups.

Conceptualizing Social Identity: A New Framework and Evidence for the Impact of Different Dimensions

The authors introduce a framework for organizing conceptualizations of social identity along four dimensions: perception of the intergroup context, in-group attraction, interdependency beliefs, and depersonalization. The authors suggest that the extent to which each dimension is evoked or assessed will have an impact on the consequences attributed to social identity. Two studies test hypotheses derived from the framework and investigate the psychometric properties of several scales. In Study 1, participants completed four social identity scales, two group cohesion scales, and a measure of allocentrism. Interscale commonalities were tested through a secondary factor analysis, and the scales and secondary factors were used to predict in-group pride and intergroup bias. Study 2 included additional predictors (interdependency, conflict, competition) and outcome measures (in-group and out-group evaluations, perceived group homogeneity, and the twenty statements test). Consistent with predictions, two types of social identity were empirically extracted and were differentially related to the outcome measures. Theoretical and empirical implications are discussed.

The Dynamic Nature of Being Jewish

To investigate acculturation as it is influenced by Jewish identity, Russian Jewish immigrants born in the Former Soviet Union and American Jews of Eastern European ancestry were surveyed regarding their three identities: American, Jewish, and Eastern European ethnic/Russian. Study 1 examined perceived differences between the three cultures on a series of characteristics. Study 2 explored perceptions of bicultural identity distance between the American and Eastern European ethnic/Russian identities as a function of Jewish identity centrality. Findings revealed that for Russian Jews, Jewish identity centrality is related to less perceived distance between the American and Russian identities, suggesting that Jewish identity may bridge participants’ American and Russian identities. In contrast, for American Jews, Jewish identity centrality is not related to less perceived distance between the American and Eastern European ethnic identities. The authors discuss implications for the long-term acculturation of Russian Jews in the United States and the function of religion in acculturation.

Foreigners in a strange land: self-construal and ethnic identity in male Arabic immigrants

Many authors have emphasized the importance of cultural sensitivity in delivering mental health services to immigrants. Self-construal and ethnic identity are important components of the acculturative process, which may be useful in the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of immigrant clients. This study investigated the self-construal and ethnic identity of male Arabic immigrants in the United States. Based on pilot interview data and existing measures, a Male Arabic Ethnic Identity Measure (MAEIM) was developed using a sample of 115 male Arabic immigrants. Satisfactory reliability is reported for the overall MAEIM as well as its four factor analytically derived scales, including Religious-Family Values, Sense of Belonging/Ethnic Pride, Friendship, and Ethnic Arabic Practices. Arabs reporting a strong Arabic ethnic identity had a more salient interdependent sense of self than those reporting a weaker ethnic identity. Independent self-construal was not significantly correlated with any of the individual MAEIM scales or the total MAEIM scale. The implications of these findings for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Relations of Perceived Ethnic Disparity to Involvement in Ethnic and Host Cultures

Among 124 single foreign students residing in the USA, this study examined the relations between perceived ethnic disparity, consisting of physical, cultural, and linguistic dimensions, and ethnic and host culture involvement. The Ethnic Disparity Perception Inventory, a 44-item Likert scale devised to measure perceived ethnic disparity, showed perceived physical disparity ( r = .60) and cultural disparity ( r = .51) were positively related to ethnic involvement. Perceived cultural disparity ( r = -.22) and linguistic disparity ( r = -.27) were negatively associated with involvement in the host culture. Multiple regression analysis indicated that, although the findings held for non-White respondents, for White respondents ( n = 39) perceived physical disparity (β = .54), not cultural disparity, was a significant predictor of ethnic involvement (Adjusted R2 = .268) and perceived cultural disparity (β = -.37), not linguistic disparity, was a significant (negative) indicator of host culture involvement (Adjusted R2 = .110).

Critical History of the Acculturation Psychology of Assimilation, Separation, Integration, and Marginalization

The psychology of intercultural adaptation was first discussed by Plato. Many modern enculturation theories claim that ethnic minorities (including aboriginal natives, immigrants, refugees, and sojourners) can favor either the dominant culture, or their own minority culture, or both, or neither. Between 1918 and 1984, 68 such theories showed varied and inconsistent terminology, poor citation of earlier research, conflicting and poorly tested predictions of acculturative stress, and lack of logic, for example, 2 cultures in contact logically allow 16 types of acculturation, not just 4. Logic explains why assimilation = negative chauvinism = marginality, why measures of incompatible acculturative attitudes can be positively correlated, and why bicultural integration and marginalisation are confounded constructs. There is no robust evidence that biculturalism is most adaptive.

Cultural identity and psychological adjustment of adolescent Chinese immigrants in New Zealand

Based on an integration of acculturation and developmental models, this study examined the relationship between psychological adjustment and cultural identity determined by the relative strength of identification with own ethnic group, and the mainstream society. Over 400 immigrant Chinese students completed questionnaires and 24 participated in interviews. Results indicated that adolescents who were integrated had higher self-esteem than their peers who were separated or marginalized p<0.001). This finding is consistent with research on ethnic minority adolescents in other countries, and suggests that integration has important implications on the psychological well-being of these adolescent immigrants.

Affective Bicultural and Global-Human Identity Scales for Mexican-American adolescents

Scales were developed to measure affective aspects of Latino, American, and global-human identities among first- and second-generation Mexican-American adolescents. Participants were 84 boys and 93 girls from the Los Angeles high schools. 60 were born in Mexico, and 117 were born in the United States and had at least one parent born in Mexico. The affective Latino and American measures were independent and predictably related to a behaviorally oriented measure of acculturation. They were also used to identify Berry's four modes of acculturation: Separated, Assimilated, Marginalized, and Bicultural. The four acculturation groups rated similarly on self-esteem and academic aspiration. The first and second generations each scored higher on Latino identity than on American identity.