Abstract
In this study, we investigate the relationships among contextual variables of perceived diversity norms- multiculturalism, assimilation and polyculturalism, identity styles and identity consolidation in bicultural Australians. The Multicultural Identity Styles Scale proposes two identity strategies, hybrid identity style (HIS) and alternating identity style (AIS) as processes through which individuals negotiate their bicultural identities. We test a model whereby perceived diversity norms predict bicultural identity consolidation directly and indirectly via HIS in samples of British (n = 195) and non-British (n = 181) Australians. Participants (56.9% females, mean age = 41.52) completed an online survey on perceived diversity norms, the MISS and bicultural identity consolidation. Results showed that for non-British Australians, there was a positive indirect effect of perceived multiculturalism norms on bicultural identity consolidation via HIS. Perceived assimilation was directly (and negatively) linked to bicultural identity consolidation but indirectly via HIS. In British Australians only perceived polyculturalism was directly and indirectly associated to bicultural identity consolidation via HIS, whereas perceived multiculturalism and assimilation norms were negatively associated to bicultural identity consolidation. The results are discussed in terms of the differential roles of perceived diversity norms on bicultural identity processes and consolidation relative to the nature of the cultural group.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 363-371 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | International Journal of Psychology |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 18 Jan 2022 |
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In: International Journal of Psychology, Vol. 57, No. 3, 18.01.2022, p. 363-371.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceived Diversity Norms, Cultural Identity Styles and Bicultural Identity Consolidation in two Bicultural Groups in Australia
AU - Ng Tseung-Wong, Caroline
AU - Dandy, Justine
AU - Lane, Marguerite
N1 - Funding Information: Data collection and preliminary analysis were sponsored by an internal grant from Edith Cowan University to Justine Dandy (Collaboration Enhancement Scheme Grant #G1003705). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 International Union of Psychological Science. Funding Information: All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee (Project #20121). The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as set forth in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Informed Consent was obtained from all individual adult participants included in the study. The overall aim of the present study was to explore contextual antecedents, in the form of perceived diversity norms, of identity styles (HIS and AIS) and bicultural identity consolidation in non-British and British Australian migrants. While most of the hypotheses were supported, two findings stand out: (i) perceived polyculturalism was linked to HIS and bicultural identity consolidation only in British Australians and (ii) both perceived multiculturalism and perceived assimilation were indirectly linked to bicultural identity consolidation via HIS for non-British Australians. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to assess perceived polyculturalism norms. While there was no difference in scores on perceived polyculturalism norms between British Australians (M?=?3.54) and non-British Australians (M?=?3.51), the effect of perceived polyculturalism was different in the two groups. Why is it that there was no relationship between perceived polyculturalism and (i) identity styles or (ii) bicultural identity consolidation in non-British Australians but a direct and an indirect (via HIS) positive effect on bicultural identity consolidation in British Australians? Polyculturalism is the acknowledgement of dynamic mutual connections between cultures historically and contemporarily. It is therefore likely that for British Australians, the mutual historical connections between Britain and mainstream Australia are congruent with blending the two identities in a novel way and having a positive bicultural identity consolidation (e.g., Being proud to be British Australian). Moreover, British Australian migrants are in the privileged position of sharing the same physical appearance as a mainstream Australian person and as such their dual identity does not put into question their loyalty to ?Australianess.? For non-British Australians, the mutual connections between mainstream Australian culture and their native culture(s) might not be readily apparent and therefore perceiving polyculturalism norms were unrelated to individual identity styles or identity consolidation. This differential effect of perceived polyculturalism norms on British and non-British Australians is an important finding because it highlights that perceived polyculturalism might not work the same way for every cultural group within a socio-historical context. Previous research has found positive links between polyculturalism and (i) intergroup attitudes (e.g., Rosenthal & Levy,?2012) and (ii) appreciation of diversity (Rosenthal & Levy,?2010). Our findings demonstrate that at the individual level of constructing and negotiating one's cultural identities?identity styles?and having a bicultural identity consolidation, the effects of polyculturalism do not apply uniformly across cultural groups. It seems that those individuals who can realistically think of connections between their cultural groups are more likely to be influenced by perceived polyculturalism norms in managing their cultural identities. Further research is warranted to elucidate for whom and when polyculturalism norms influence cultural identity processes and consolidation. In contrast, perceiving multiculturalism norms is more conducive to both identity styles and bicultural identity consolidation (via HIS) in non-British Australians. This is in line with Berry's?(2005) argument that the individual level equivalence of multiculturalism is identity integration whereby an individual maintains their cultural identity while interacting with the mainstream society. The present study's results further support this argument by finding that how individuals integrate their cultural and national identities influence their bicultural identity consolidation. Indeed, perceiving a social context of multiculturalism norms affects bicultural identity consolidation only through HIS. Past studies have taken dual identities as a measure of multiculturalism at the individual level (e.g., Fleishmann & Verkuyten,?2016), our study shows that how the identities are managed can influence whether multiculturalism is associated with bicultural identity consolidation (or dual identity). Verkuyten et al.?(2019) have argued that measuring a dual identity directly (e.g., ?I feel Chinese-Australian?) does not tell much about what a low or high score means. Is it mainly the ethnic identity against a backdrop of the national identity or vice versa? Our study clarifies the form of the identity consolidation/dual identity whereby for non-British Australians, perceived multiculturalism norms are associated with viewing the national and ethnic identities in a blended way (e.g., I am a blend of Chinese and Australian) which is then associated with a higher level of bicultural identity consolidation/dual identity. In this case, the meaning of the dual identity (e.g., Greek Australian) can be taken at face value: the individual is a mix of Greek and Australian. Past research on the identity styles has found HIS to be linked to identity consolidation but not AIS (see Szab? et al.,?2020; Ward et al.,?2018) and our findings are no exceptions. The HIS and bicultural identity consolidation link is a robust one present in both the British Australian and non-British Australian samples. Interestingly, perceived norms of multiculturalism and assimilation were positively related to HIS and AIS in non-British migrants. One possible reason for this similarity is that both assimilation and multiculturalism ideologies emphasise mostly one side of a dual identity, that is, assimilation favouring the national group and multiculturalism promoting the recognition of the ethnic group. Therefore, the two perceived diversity norms can be linked to both identity styles. Importantly although, in the non-British Australians, perceived assimilation norms were directly negatively related to bicultural identity consolidation but HIS mediated a positive relationship between perceived assimilation norms and bicultural identity consolidation. In other words, when participants react to perceived societal norms of assimilation by processing their ethnic and national identities in a blended way, this was associated to positive bicultural identity integration. This could mean that the route to a positive bicultural identity consolidation when the perceived societal norms are ones of assimilation, is to blend with the national identity which has to be reconciled with or incorporated to one's overall social identity. It is interesting that perceived norms of multiculturalism were positively linked to AIS (and not HIS) and negatively linked to bicultural identity consolidation in the British Australian sample. Could it be that British Australians view norms of multiculturalism as ?not meant for them? because their Britishness is already part of the mainstream (see Ang & Stratton,?2001)? Perceiving multiculturalism norms were then associated to lower level of bicultural identity consolidation. Perhaps they do not experience pressure to biculturally consolidate because their Britishness is a privileged identity. British Australians could perceive their cultural identity as highly valued (entitled) but also separate from others given that Australia is a former British colony. It seems that when British Australians perceive that most Australians think that ethnic groups are distinct and should be celebrated (multiculturalism) this relate to them processing their British and Australian identity in an alternating way-they can be ?real? British when it suits and easily be more Aussie when needed. Future studies could use a measure of cultural distance to ascertain the level of proximity to the mainstream group when studying identity processes and outcomes. We acknowledge some limitations to our study. First, the participants were grouped into those with a British background and those without a British background. The latter group is heterogenous in terms of country of origin and cultural backgrounds and the main common denominators is that their heritage language is not English and they share a minority status. The cultural variability within the non-British Australian group is large and could well mask within-group differences. More research is needed looking at specific cultural groups, although the present study has demonstrated the applicability of the MISS across cultural groups. We only measured perceived diversity norms because of our interest in contextual antecedents of identity styles and consolidation. However, individual attitudes towards diversity ideologies could well interact with perceived diversity norms to influence identity styles. Finally, our study can only ascertain associations. Future studies could experimentally manipulate the perceived diversity norms and look at the effects of the perceived diversity norms on the identity styles. Be that as it may, the present study's findings not only further support the association between HIS and bicultural identity consolidation, but also advance research into the antecedents of identity styles in terms of perceived diversity norms in samples of bicultural Australians. We demonstrated that contextual variables such as the perceived societal norms towards diversity influence how individuals negotiate their cultural identities and achieve bicultural identity consolidation. This is important as our study is the first to show that societal diversity norms can influence individual level variables such as identity processes and consolidation. While more research is needed to understand the fine-grained nuances of which diversity norms influence outcomes for whom and under what conditions, our study has made the first step in this promising line of research. All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee (Project #20121). The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as set forth in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Informed Consent was obtained from all individual adult participants included in the study. Funding Information: Data collection and preliminary analysis were sponsored by an internal grant from Edith Cowan University to Justine Dandy (Collaboration Enhancement Scheme Grant #G1003705). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 International Union of Psychological Science.
PY - 2022/1/18
Y1 - 2022/1/18
N2 - In this study, we investigate the relationships among contextual variables of perceived diversity norms- multiculturalism, assimilation and polyculturalism, identity styles and identity consolidation in bicultural Australians. The Multicultural Identity Styles Scale proposes two identity strategies, hybrid identity style (HIS) and alternating identity style (AIS) as processes through which individuals negotiate their bicultural identities. We test a model whereby perceived diversity norms predict bicultural identity consolidation directly and indirectly via HIS in samples of British (n = 195) and non-British (n = 181) Australians. Participants (56.9% females, mean age = 41.52) completed an online survey on perceived diversity norms, the MISS and bicultural identity consolidation. Results showed that for non-British Australians, there was a positive indirect effect of perceived multiculturalism norms on bicultural identity consolidation via HIS. Perceived assimilation was directly (and negatively) linked to bicultural identity consolidation but indirectly via HIS. In British Australians only perceived polyculturalism was directly and indirectly associated to bicultural identity consolidation via HIS, whereas perceived multiculturalism and assimilation norms were negatively associated to bicultural identity consolidation. The results are discussed in terms of the differential roles of perceived diversity norms on bicultural identity processes and consolidation relative to the nature of the cultural group.
AB - In this study, we investigate the relationships among contextual variables of perceived diversity norms- multiculturalism, assimilation and polyculturalism, identity styles and identity consolidation in bicultural Australians. The Multicultural Identity Styles Scale proposes two identity strategies, hybrid identity style (HIS) and alternating identity style (AIS) as processes through which individuals negotiate their bicultural identities. We test a model whereby perceived diversity norms predict bicultural identity consolidation directly and indirectly via HIS in samples of British (n = 195) and non-British (n = 181) Australians. Participants (56.9% females, mean age = 41.52) completed an online survey on perceived diversity norms, the MISS and bicultural identity consolidation. Results showed that for non-British Australians, there was a positive indirect effect of perceived multiculturalism norms on bicultural identity consolidation via HIS. Perceived assimilation was directly (and negatively) linked to bicultural identity consolidation but indirectly via HIS. In British Australians only perceived polyculturalism was directly and indirectly associated to bicultural identity consolidation via HIS, whereas perceived multiculturalism and assimilation norms were negatively associated to bicultural identity consolidation. The results are discussed in terms of the differential roles of perceived diversity norms on bicultural identity processes and consolidation relative to the nature of the cultural group.
KW - perceived diversity norms, identity styles, bicultural identity consolidation
KW - Bicultural identity consolidation
KW - Perceived diversity norms
KW - Identity styles
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122956172&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ijop.12829
DO - 10.1002/ijop.12829
M3 - Article
SN - 1464-066X
VL - 57
SP - 363
EP - 371
JO - International Journal of Psychology
JF - International Journal of Psychology
IS - 3
ER -