‘Am I both or not?’: The role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in negotiating bicultural identities

Caroline Ng Tseung-Wong; Colleen Ward; Ágnes Szabó

doi:10.1002/casp.2827

‘Am I both or not?’: The role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in negotiating bicultural identities

Caroline Ng Tseung-Wong, Colleen Ward, Ágnes Szabó

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The present study explored the role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in the engagement of cultural identity styles (hybridising-HIS and altenating-AIS) and, in turn, their impact on bicultural identity consolidation and cultural identity conflict. We examined 293 Chinese Americans' perceptions about the extent to which culturally diverse groups are in contact with one another (multicultural contact); whether diversity is valued and appreciated (multicultural ideology); and whether there are policies and practices that support and accommodate diversity (multicultural policies and practices) in the United States. Results from a path analysis showed that multicultural ideology was negatively associated with AIS and cultural identity conflict. Multicultural contact was positively associated with HIS and bicultural identity consolidation. Multicultural policies and practices had no significant associations. The findings underscore the important role of perceived societal acceptance of multicultural ideology and perceived norms of multicultural contact in managing cultural identities. Furthermore, the study highlights that perceived multiculturalism norms as societal-level factors combined with individual-level cultural identity styles can influence the identity outcomes of multicultural individuals. Further research into the role of perceived societal norms for both majority and cultural minority individuals in identity integration is warranted.

Original language	English
Article number	e2827
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Number of pages	14
Journal	Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology
Volume	34
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2827
Publication status	Published - 2 Jul 2024

Access to Document

10.1002/casp.2827

Cite this

@article{52287791bb334cbaab637b91a89ffeed,

title = "{\textquoteleft}Am I both or not?{\textquoteright}: The role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in negotiating bicultural identities",

abstract = "The present study explored the role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in the engagement of cultural identity styles (hybridising-HIS and altenating-AIS) and, in turn, their impact on bicultural identity consolidation and cultural identity conflict. We examined 293 Chinese Americans' perceptions about the extent to which culturally diverse groups are in contact with one another (multicultural contact); whether diversity is valued and appreciated (multicultural ideology); and whether there are policies and practices that support and accommodate diversity (multicultural policies and practices) in the United States. Results from a path analysis showed that multicultural ideology was negatively associated with AIS and cultural identity conflict. Multicultural contact was positively associated with HIS and bicultural identity consolidation. Multicultural policies and practices had no significant associations. The findings underscore the important role of perceived societal acceptance of multicultural ideology and perceived norms of multicultural contact in managing cultural identities. Furthermore, the study highlights that perceived multiculturalism norms as societal-level factors combined with individual-level cultural identity styles can influence the identity outcomes of multicultural individuals. Further research into the role of perceived societal norms for both majority and cultural minority individuals in identity integration is warranted.",

keywords = "Normative Multiculturalism Scale, alternating identity style, bicultural identity consolidation, cultural identity conflict, cultural identity styles, hybrid identity style",

author = "{Ng Tseung-Wong}, Caroline and Colleen Ward and {\'A}gnes Szab{\'o}",

note = "Funding Information: The research was funded by grant URF 223696 from Victoria University of Wellington. The research was approved by the Victoria University of Wellington's Human Ethics Committee. Prime Research Solutions (Cloud Research) recruited a community sample of Chinese Americans. Invited participants were screened on two questions: \u2018To what extent do you feel Chinese?\u2019 and \u2018To what extent do you feel American?\u2019 (1 = not at all; 5 = very much). A \u2018not at all\u2019 response to either question excluded participants from taking part in the survey. A total of 293 respondents met the inclusion criteria, responded correctly to the attention check items, and, if they were not born in the United States, had been living there for more than 5 years. The data collection took place in September 2021. The sample consisted of 63.1% female, 34.5% male, and 2.4% non-binary individuals; 19.1% were born overseas. The mean age of the participants was 37.40 (SD = 15.18), ranging from 18 to 78 years. The average years lived in the United States for those born overseas was 27.93 (SD = 14.74). Overall, the participants reported high level of education with 52.2% having tertiary education (bachelor's degree or postgraduate degree). Their English language proficiency was high (M = 4.28, SD = 0.83) on a 5-point (1 = poor; 5 = native speaker) scale. The research was approved by the Victoria University of Wellington's Human Ethics Committee. Prime Research Solutions (Cloud Research) recruited a community sample of Chinese Americans. Invited participants were screened on two questions: \u2018To what extent do you feel Chinese?\u2019 and \u2018To what extent do you feel American?\u2019 (1 = not at all; 5 = very much). A \u2018not at all\u2019 response to either question excluded participants from taking part in the survey. A total of 293 respondents met the inclusion criteria, responded correctly to the attention check items, and, if they were not born in the United States, had been living there for more than 5 years. The data collection took place in September 2021. The sample consisted of 63.1% female, 34.5% male, and 2.4% non-binary individuals; 19.1% were born overseas. The mean age of the participants was 37.40 (SD = 15.18), ranging from 18 to 78 years. The average years lived in the United States for those born overseas was 27.93 (SD = 14.74). Overall, the participants reported high level of education with 52.2% having tertiary education (bachelor's degree or postgraduate degree). Their English language proficiency was high (M = 4.28, SD = 0.83) on a 5-point (1 = poor; 5 = native speaker) scale. In addition to demographic information, the questionnaire used for this study was composed of measures for normative multiculturalism, cultural identity styles, bicultural identity consolidation, and cultural identity conflict. The measures were drawn from a larger survey that included assessments of context (e.g., perceived negative context of reception), intergroup relations (e.g., feelings thermometer), and well-being (e.g., life satisfaction). The 17-item Normative Multiculturalism Scale (NMS, Stuart & Ward,\u00A02019) was used to assess perceived normative multicultural ideology (MI) [e.g., Most people think that it is a bad thing that there are so many people of different ethnic backgrounds living in the country (reversed)], multicultural policies and practices (MPP) (e.g., Ethnic minorities are helped to preserve their cultural heritages), and multicultural contact (MC) (e.g., It is likely that you will interact with people from many different cultures on any given day). The measure is prefaced by \u2018In the United States of America\u2019, and participants act as informants about the national norms on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree) with higher scores reflecting stronger perception of multiculturalism norms. We conducted, using AMOS (v28), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the 17-item NMS, which yielded a poor fit to the data (\u03C72 (114) = p <.001; RMSEA = 1.05, 90% CI [0.096, 0.115]; CFI = 0.79, TLI = 0.75). The analysis indicated the removal of one MPP (There are few ethnic minorities in leadership positions) and three MI items (We are better able to tackle new problems as they occur because we have a variety of cultural groups); Most people think it is important for people from different ethnic backgrounds to get along with each other; Most people think that it is good to have different groups with distinct cultural backgrounds living in the country because of non-significant loadings. The revised model yielded good fit (\u03C72 (60) = 116.55, p <.001; RMSEA = 0.057, 90% CI [0.041, 0.072]; CFI = 0.959, TLI = 0.947). Cronbach's alphas were.85 for MI,.83 for MPP, and.76 for MC. The final scale therefore had 13 items. The Multicultural Identity Styles Scale (MISS, Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, et al.,\u00A02018) which is a robust tool used across cultures (Ng Tseung-Wong et al.,\u00A02022; Szab\u00F3 & Ward,\u00A02020; Szab\u00F3, Ward, Meca, & Schwartz,\u00A02020; Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, et al.,\u00A02018; Ye & Butchel,\u00A02021) assessed hybrid and alternating identity styles on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Each subscale has seven items, such as \u2018I am Chinese in an American way\u2019 (HIS) and \u2018I alternate between being Chinese and American depending on the circumstances\u2019 (AIS). Higher score indicated greater hybridising and alternating. Cronbach's alpha was.83 for HIS and.85 for AIS. Cameron's (2004) 15-item multidimensional measure of social identity was adapted to measure bicultural identity consolidation, whereby the bicultural label (Chinese American) was inserted for each item. This scale has been used in previous research across cultures (e.g., Ng Tseung-Wong et al.,\u00A02022; Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, et al.,\u00A02018). The instrument has measures of centrality (e.g., In general, being a Chinese American is an important part of my self-image); ingroup affect (e.g., Generally, I feel good when I think about myself as a Chinese American); and ingroup ties (e.g., I feel strong ties to other Chinese Americans). Participants rated the extent to which they agree with an item on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Cronbach's alpha for the total score as an indicator of consolidated bicultural identity was.82. The Short Form version of the Ethno-Cultural Identity Conflict Scale (EICS-SF, Szab\u00F3 & Ward, 2022), consisting of six items measured on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree), was used to assess cultural identity conflict both in the cognitive and affective domains. An example of an item is \u2018I find it hard to maintain my cultural values in everyday life\u2019. Higher scores mean greater cultural identity conflict. Cronbach's alpha was.90 in the present study. Inspection of the data showed little missing data (1%) in the total sample, and we therefore used mean replacement for missing values. The proposed model (Figure\u00A01) was tested in a path analysis using AMOS (v28) with maximum likelihood function. Based on Hu and Bentler's (1999) recommendations, acceptable model fit is indicated by a CFI value greater than 0.90, TLI value close to 0.95, and RMSEA value of 0.06 or less. Modification indices were consulted for a best fitting model, and significant improvements in fit were tested. Based on previous studies (e.g., Ward et al.,\u00A02024; Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, et al.,\u00A02018), we checked whether generation and age needed to be controlled for. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.",

year = "2024",

month = jul,

day = "2",

doi = "10.1002/casp.2827",

language = "English",

volume = "34",

pages = "1--14",

journal = "Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology",

issn = "1052-9284",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - ‘Am I both or not?’: The role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in negotiating bicultural identities

AU - Ng Tseung-Wong, Caroline

AU - Ward, Colleen

AU - Szabó, Ágnes

N1 - Funding Information: The research was funded by grant URF 223696 from Victoria University of Wellington. The research was approved by the Victoria University of Wellington's Human Ethics Committee. Prime Research Solutions (Cloud Research) recruited a community sample of Chinese Americans. Invited participants were screened on two questions: \u2018To what extent do you feel Chinese?\u2019 and \u2018To what extent do you feel American?\u2019 (1 = not at all; 5 = very much). A \u2018not at all\u2019 response to either question excluded participants from taking part in the survey. A total of 293 respondents met the inclusion criteria, responded correctly to the attention check items, and, if they were not born in the United States, had been living there for more than 5 years. The data collection took place in September 2021. The sample consisted of 63.1% female, 34.5% male, and 2.4% non-binary individuals; 19.1% were born overseas. The mean age of the participants was 37.40 (SD = 15.18), ranging from 18 to 78 years. The average years lived in the United States for those born overseas was 27.93 (SD = 14.74). Overall, the participants reported high level of education with 52.2% having tertiary education (bachelor's degree or postgraduate degree). Their English language proficiency was high (M = 4.28, SD = 0.83) on a 5-point (1 = poor; 5 = native speaker) scale. The research was approved by the Victoria University of Wellington's Human Ethics Committee. Prime Research Solutions (Cloud Research) recruited a community sample of Chinese Americans. Invited participants were screened on two questions: \u2018To what extent do you feel Chinese?\u2019 and \u2018To what extent do you feel American?\u2019 (1 = not at all; 5 = very much). A \u2018not at all\u2019 response to either question excluded participants from taking part in the survey. A total of 293 respondents met the inclusion criteria, responded correctly to the attention check items, and, if they were not born in the United States, had been living there for more than 5 years. The data collection took place in September 2021. The sample consisted of 63.1% female, 34.5% male, and 2.4% non-binary individuals; 19.1% were born overseas. The mean age of the participants was 37.40 (SD = 15.18), ranging from 18 to 78 years. The average years lived in the United States for those born overseas was 27.93 (SD = 14.74). Overall, the participants reported high level of education with 52.2% having tertiary education (bachelor's degree or postgraduate degree). Their English language proficiency was high (M = 4.28, SD = 0.83) on a 5-point (1 = poor; 5 = native speaker) scale. In addition to demographic information, the questionnaire used for this study was composed of measures for normative multiculturalism, cultural identity styles, bicultural identity consolidation, and cultural identity conflict. The measures were drawn from a larger survey that included assessments of context (e.g., perceived negative context of reception), intergroup relations (e.g., feelings thermometer), and well-being (e.g., life satisfaction). The 17-item Normative Multiculturalism Scale (NMS, Stuart & Ward,\u00A02019) was used to assess perceived normative multicultural ideology (MI) [e.g., Most people think that it is a bad thing that there are so many people of different ethnic backgrounds living in the country (reversed)], multicultural policies and practices (MPP) (e.g., Ethnic minorities are helped to preserve their cultural heritages), and multicultural contact (MC) (e.g., It is likely that you will interact with people from many different cultures on any given day). The measure is prefaced by \u2018In the United States of America\u2019, and participants act as informants about the national norms on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree) with higher scores reflecting stronger perception of multiculturalism norms. We conducted, using AMOS (v28), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the 17-item NMS, which yielded a poor fit to the data (\u03C72 (114) = p <.001; RMSEA = 1.05, 90% CI [0.096, 0.115]; CFI = 0.79, TLI = 0.75). The analysis indicated the removal of one MPP (There are few ethnic minorities in leadership positions) and three MI items (We are better able to tackle new problems as they occur because we have a variety of cultural groups); Most people think it is important for people from different ethnic backgrounds to get along with each other; Most people think that it is good to have different groups with distinct cultural backgrounds living in the country because of non-significant loadings. The revised model yielded good fit (\u03C72 (60) = 116.55, p <.001; RMSEA = 0.057, 90% CI [0.041, 0.072]; CFI = 0.959, TLI = 0.947). Cronbach's alphas were.85 for MI,.83 for MPP, and.76 for MC. The final scale therefore had 13 items. The Multicultural Identity Styles Scale (MISS, Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, et al.,\u00A02018) which is a robust tool used across cultures (Ng Tseung-Wong et al.,\u00A02022; Szab\u00F3 & Ward,\u00A02020; Szab\u00F3, Ward, Meca, & Schwartz,\u00A02020; Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, et al.,\u00A02018; Ye & Butchel,\u00A02021) assessed hybrid and alternating identity styles on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Each subscale has seven items, such as \u2018I am Chinese in an American way\u2019 (HIS) and \u2018I alternate between being Chinese and American depending on the circumstances\u2019 (AIS). Higher score indicated greater hybridising and alternating. Cronbach's alpha was.83 for HIS and.85 for AIS. Cameron's (2004) 15-item multidimensional measure of social identity was adapted to measure bicultural identity consolidation, whereby the bicultural label (Chinese American) was inserted for each item. This scale has been used in previous research across cultures (e.g., Ng Tseung-Wong et al.,\u00A02022; Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, et al.,\u00A02018). The instrument has measures of centrality (e.g., In general, being a Chinese American is an important part of my self-image); ingroup affect (e.g., Generally, I feel good when I think about myself as a Chinese American); and ingroup ties (e.g., I feel strong ties to other Chinese Americans). Participants rated the extent to which they agree with an item on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Cronbach's alpha for the total score as an indicator of consolidated bicultural identity was.82. The Short Form version of the Ethno-Cultural Identity Conflict Scale (EICS-SF, Szab\u00F3 & Ward, 2022), consisting of six items measured on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree), was used to assess cultural identity conflict both in the cognitive and affective domains. An example of an item is \u2018I find it hard to maintain my cultural values in everyday life\u2019. Higher scores mean greater cultural identity conflict. Cronbach's alpha was.90 in the present study. Inspection of the data showed little missing data (1%) in the total sample, and we therefore used mean replacement for missing values. The proposed model (Figure\u00A01) was tested in a path analysis using AMOS (v28) with maximum likelihood function. Based on Hu and Bentler's (1999) recommendations, acceptable model fit is indicated by a CFI value greater than 0.90, TLI value close to 0.95, and RMSEA value of 0.06 or less. Modification indices were consulted for a best fitting model, and significant improvements in fit were tested. Based on previous studies (e.g., Ward et al.,\u00A02024; Ward, Ng Tseung-Wong, et al.,\u00A02018), we checked whether generation and age needed to be controlled for. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PY - 2024/7/2

Y1 - 2024/7/2

N2 - The present study explored the role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in the engagement of cultural identity styles (hybridising-HIS and altenating-AIS) and, in turn, their impact on bicultural identity consolidation and cultural identity conflict. We examined 293 Chinese Americans' perceptions about the extent to which culturally diverse groups are in contact with one another (multicultural contact); whether diversity is valued and appreciated (multicultural ideology); and whether there are policies and practices that support and accommodate diversity (multicultural policies and practices) in the United States. Results from a path analysis showed that multicultural ideology was negatively associated with AIS and cultural identity conflict. Multicultural contact was positively associated with HIS and bicultural identity consolidation. Multicultural policies and practices had no significant associations. The findings underscore the important role of perceived societal acceptance of multicultural ideology and perceived norms of multicultural contact in managing cultural identities. Furthermore, the study highlights that perceived multiculturalism norms as societal-level factors combined with individual-level cultural identity styles can influence the identity outcomes of multicultural individuals. Further research into the role of perceived societal norms for both majority and cultural minority individuals in identity integration is warranted.

AB - The present study explored the role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in the engagement of cultural identity styles (hybridising-HIS and altenating-AIS) and, in turn, their impact on bicultural identity consolidation and cultural identity conflict. We examined 293 Chinese Americans' perceptions about the extent to which culturally diverse groups are in contact with one another (multicultural contact); whether diversity is valued and appreciated (multicultural ideology); and whether there are policies and practices that support and accommodate diversity (multicultural policies and practices) in the United States. Results from a path analysis showed that multicultural ideology was negatively associated with AIS and cultural identity conflict. Multicultural contact was positively associated with HIS and bicultural identity consolidation. Multicultural policies and practices had no significant associations. The findings underscore the important role of perceived societal acceptance of multicultural ideology and perceived norms of multicultural contact in managing cultural identities. Furthermore, the study highlights that perceived multiculturalism norms as societal-level factors combined with individual-level cultural identity styles can influence the identity outcomes of multicultural individuals. Further research into the role of perceived societal norms for both majority and cultural minority individuals in identity integration is warranted.

KW - Normative Multiculturalism Scale

KW - alternating identity style

KW - bicultural identity consolidation

KW - cultural identity conflict

KW - cultural identity styles

KW - hybrid identity style

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85197431025&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/casp.2827

DO - 10.1002/casp.2827

M3 - Article

SN - 1052-9284

VL - 34

SP - 1

EP - 14

JO - Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology

JF - Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology

IS - 4

M1 - e2827

ER -

‘Am I both or not?’: The role of perceived societal norms of multiculturalism in negotiating bicultural identities

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this