Ethnic-Racial Identity Development Notes

Ethnic-Racial Identity Development (ERI)

• Ethnic-Racial Identity (Quintana, 2007)
  • Race and Ethnicity are socially constructed.
  • Race: biological and genetic dimension.
  • Ethnicity: demographic terms (e.g., common language, national origin).
  • Culture: language, traditions (Christmas Eve vs. Christmas Day), dress-code, music.
  • Racial-ethnic-cultural identities (Cross & Cross, 2008).
  • Phenomenological experience does not support the artificial distinction of race, ethnicity, or culture.
  • The psychological process is similar regardless of the label.
  • Ethnic-racial socialization: process through which individuals develop an understanding of their ethnic or racial background.

Importance of Ethnic-Racial Identity

• More ERI attachment/sense of belonging leads to:
  • Positive self-concept.
  • Positive academic adjustment.
  • Higher meaning in life (Kiang & Fuligni, 2010).
  • Anti-drug norms (Marsiglia, Kulis, Hecht, & Sills, 2004).
• More ERI exploration leads to:
  • More Self-esteem (Umaña-Taylor, Diversi, & Fine, 2002).
• More positive private regard leads to:
  • Higher self-esteem, greater academic self-efficacy and grades (Fuligni et al. 2005, Lee & Yoo, 2004; Wong et al., 2003).
  • Lower perceived stress (Sellers et al., 2006).
• More positive public regard leads to:
  • More academic motivation.
  • Lower depressive symptoms (Rivas-Drake et al., 2008).
  • Fewer somatic symptoms (Rivas-Drake et al., 2009).
• A strong and positive ethnic-racial identity is associated with positive outcomes, and low levels of ethnic-racial identity are associated with negative outcomes.

Erikson's Perspective on Identity Formation

• "Identity formation employs a process of simultaneous reflection and observation, a process taking place on all levels of mental functioning, by which the individual judges himself in the light of what he perceives to be the way in which others judge him in comparison to themselves and to a typology significant to them; while he judges their way of judging him in light of how he perceives himself in comparison to them and to types that have become relevant to him."

Components of Identity

• Identity is made up of multiple domains:
  • Race/ethnicity.
  • Roles.
  • Preferences.
  • Values.
  • Gender & Sexual.
  • Expectations of yourself.

Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner)

• Identity is based on membership in social groups.
• A person has not one but several selves that correspond to group memberships.
• Membership in a marginalized group is particularly salient:
  • Gay/lesbian/bisexual.
  • Religious groups.
  • Racial or ethnic minority groups.
  • Low socioeconomic status.

Importance of Social Group Identities

• The Development of positive in-group affiliation and identification associated with group membership such as racial groups has developmental advantages but developing a positive view for marginalized group can be a challenging task, starting early on *Doll Study:
  • Doll study (Clark & Clark, 1939, 1940).
  • Experiment with Latino children.
  • Larger Study with White and Black.

Ethnic Racial Identity Development Across the Lifespan

• Framework includes:
  • Historical Context
  • Developmental Considerations
  • Individual Factors
  • Identity-Relevant Experiences
  • Local Current Context
• ERI dimensions:
  • Ethnic-Racial Awareness.
  • Ethnic-Racial Affiliation.
  • Ethnic-Racial Attitudes.
  • Ethnic-Racial Behaviors.
  • Ethnic-Racial Knowledge.
  • Ethnic-Racial Priming
  • Meaning Making
• Developmental Periods
  • Infancy
  • Early Childhood
  • Middle Childhood
  • Adolescence
  • Adulthood

ERI Across Developmental Periods

• Early Childhood:
  • Explicit, verbalized understandings of race and ethnicity.
• Infancy:
  • Ethnic-racial priming.
  • Perceptual priming.
• Middle Childhood:
  • Literal understanding of ethnicity and race.
  • Labels.
  • Behaviors.
• Adolescence:
  • Social perspectives of ethnicity and race.
  • Discrimination.
  • More complex meaning-making.
  • New social roles.
  • New social context.
• Adulthood:
  • Historical reflection.

Ethnic-Racial Identity Dimensions

• Ethnic-racial awareness: individual perceptions of ethnic-racial groups; perceptions of how others view ethnic-racial groups.
• Ethnic-racial affiliation: sense of belongingness (attachment) to one’s ethnic-racial group(s).
• Ethnic-racial attitudes: individuals’ evaluations of and membership in their ethnic-racial groups.
• Ethnic-racial behaviors: cultural and developmental behaviors associated with ethnicity and race.
• Ethnic-racial knowledge: understanding of cultural traditions, values, and other aspects of one’s ethnic-racial group(s).

Process of Identity Development (Umaña-Taylor, Bhanot, and Shin, 2006)

• Ethnic identity refers to the degree to which individuals have:

  • Explored their ethnicity (Exploration).
  • Are clear about what their ethnic group membership means to them (Resolution).
  • The feelings they have about being part of their ethnic group (Affirmation).
  • Exploration:
    • I have spent time trying to find out more about my ethnic group, such as its history, traditions, and customs.
    • I am active in organizations or social groups that include mostly members of my own ethnic group.
  • Resolution:
    • I have a clear sense of my ethnic background and what it means for me.
    • I understand pretty well what my ethnic group membership means to me.
  • Affirmation:
    • I am happy that I am a member of the group I belong to.
    • I feel good about my cultural or ethnic background.
    • I wish I were of a different cultural or ethnic background (reversed).

Dimensions of Ethnic Identity - Multidimensional Inventory of Racial Identity (Sellers et al., 2006)

• Racial Identity is the significance and qualitative meaning individuals place on being a member of their racial group.
  • Proximity of race to defining one’s self
  • The extent to which one feels positively or negatively about being their racial group
  • The extent to which one feels their group is viewed positively or negatively by others.
• Private Regard:
  • I feel that members of my group have made major accomplishments and advancements.
  • I am proud to be a member of my racial group.
• Public Regard:
  • Others respect members of my racial group.
  • People of my racial background are not respected by the broader society.
• Centrality:
  • Being a member of my racial group is an important part of my self-image.
  • My racial group is an important reflection of who I am

Influences on Ethnic-Racial-Cultural Identity Development

• Identity-relevant experiences
  • Discrimination
  • Ethnic-racial socialization
• Human Development
  • Cognitive
  • Social Context
  • Historical
  • Geographic location
  • Social
• Individual factors
  • Social class
  • Gender
  • Physical appearance

Gonzales-Backen & Umana-Taylor, 2011

• Familial ethnic socialization
• Ethnic Identity (exploration, resolution, and affirmation)
• Physical Appearance

Familial Ethnic Socialization and Physical Appearance Details

• Familial Ethnic Socialization:
  • ‘‘My family teaches me about my ethnic/cultural background’’ and ‘‘Our home is decorated with” “things that reflect my ethnic/cultural background,’’ respectively).
  • Participants
• Physical Appearance:
  • a table of nine shades of skin colors was used by coders to rate participants from 1 (very light) and 9 (very dark)
• Ethnic appearance: Coders responded to the statement: ‘‘This person looks.’’
  • 1 (not at all Latino/a) to 9 (very Latino/a)
  • 1 (not at all European) to 9 (very European)

Findings

• Adolescents with more family members born in the U.S. --> less exploration and resolution
• Males less exploration than females
• More FES, more exploration and resolution

Affirmation Results

• Familial Ethnic Socialization
  • Low Affirmation: 3
  • High Affirmation: a 4.5
• Light Skin Color
  • 3.5*
• Dark Skin Color
  • 4*

Additional Affirmation Results

• Familial Ethnic Socialization
  • Low Affirmation: 3
  • High Affirmation: C 4.5
• Low European Appearance
  • 4*
• High European Appearance
  • 3.5

Physical Appearance: European Looking and Latino Looking

• Familial Ethnic Socialization
  • Low Affirmation: 3
  • High Affirmation: b 4.5
• Low Latino Appearance
  • 3.5+
• High Latino Appearance
  • 4

Best friends’ cultural orientation as a mediator between familial ethnic socialization and ethnic identity among Mexican-origin adolescent girls.

*Kim, P. S., Bámaca-Colbert, M. Y., *Jian, N., & Gonzales-Backen, M. (2017). Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 23, 291-299. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000123

Poetry and Identity

• Light-skin & Latinas
• Latino-White
• Afro Latina

Adolescence and Ethnic - Racial, Multiracial Identities

• Poetry as a channel to grapple with your identity and perceptions of others