Ethnic Identity in Diverse Schools: Preadolescents’ Private Regard and Introjection in relation to Classroom Norms and Composition

Journal of Youth and Adolescence - Ethnic identity plays a key role in the normative development of children and adolescents, and efforts to provide a positive and safe environment for ethnic...     

Self-esteem,self-concept stability,and aspects of ethnic identity among minority and majority youth in the Netherlands

This study investigates the relationship between ethnic identity and self-feelings among minority and majority youth living in the Netherlands. Contrary to existing studies, not only global self-esteem is assessed but also self-concept stability, and in addition, not only ethnic group membership was studied but also different aspects of ethnic identity: ethnic group identification and ingroup evaluation. There were no significant differences between minority and majority youth for global self-esteem and for self-concept stability. In addition, among the various ethnic groups there was only a small group who reported fluctuating self-feelings. However, as predicted, minority youth identified more strongly with their ethnic group and evaluated their group more positively than Dutch contemporaries. It is concluded that research should pay attention to the different aspects involved in order to understand more fully the possible consequences of ethnic minority identity for psychological well-being.Received Ph.D. in social psychology from Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Major research interests are in self-concept and identity among minority youth, and in interethnic relations.     

Positive and Negative Self-Esteem Among Ethnic Minority Early Adolescents: Social and Cultural Sources and Threats

This paper uses data from a large-scale study (N = 1070) of Turkish and Moroccan early adolescents in the Netherlands. In it, it was found that a distinction between positive and negative self-esteem as 2 relatively independent dimensions of global self-esteem could be made. Other results were that ethnic identification and family integrity as an individual tendency toward collectivism turned out to be positively related to positive self-esteem. On the other hand, peer discrimination and intergenerational discrepancies in attitude toward Dutch cultural practices appeared to be related to lowered positive self-esteem and enhanced negative self-esteem. These relationships were similar for both groups of participants. However, the Moroccans had higher positive self-esteem and lower negative self-esteem. Furthermore, the Moroccans identified more strongly with their ethnic group and reported more intergenerational cultural discrepancies, whereas the Turks experienced more discrimination and valued family integrity more. It is concluded that, in addition to the differential resources and threats, the examination of these 2 dimensions of self-esteem can improve our understanding of the development of self-evaluation by ethnic minority youth.     

Emotional Reactions to and Support for Immigrant Policies: Attributed Responsibilities to Categories of Asylum Seekers

Dutch participants were asked about their support for immigrant policies aimed at public assistance, opportunities, and rights for asylum seekers. In two studies, the degree of support was examined as a consequence of feelings of anger and sympathy toward asylum seekers. In the first study, both emotions were independently related to support for immigrant policies. Anger had a strong negative effect and sympathy a positive one. In the second experimental study, the effects of these emotional responses on support for immigrant policies were examined for two categories of asylum seekers: political refugees who have little choice but to migrate and so called economic refugees who themselves chose to migrate. These two categories feature in public debates and differ in the perceived responsibility of asylum seekers for leaving their home country. It was found that for political refugees only feelings of sympathy affected policy support, whereas for economic refugees only feelings of anger predicted policy support. In both studies, national identification was negatively related to support for immigrant policies and it did not moderate the effects of anger and sympathy. There was some evidence that anger mediated the relationship between national identification and policy support.     

Autochthony Belief and Making Amends to Indigenous Peoples: The Role of Collective Moral Emotions

Social Justice Research - Intergroup relations in settler societies have been defined by historical conflict over territorial ownership between indigenous peoples and settler majorities. However,...     

Support for Multiculturalism and Minority Rights: The Role of National Identification and Out-group Threat

Support for multiculturalism and minority rights is examined in three studies among ethnic Dutch participants. Three models are tested for how national identification is related to perceived realistic and symbolic threats and to levels of support. Findings in all three studies are most in agreement with a ‘group identity lens’ model in which the relationship between national identification and support for multiculturalism is mediated by perceived threat. In addition, in Study 3, authoritarianism was independently related to threat and support for immigrant and minority rights and not indirectly through national identification. Findings across the three studies confirm the stability of the results and the usefulness of the group identity lens model for understanding reactions toward multiculturalism and minority rights.