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Ethnic and subcultural identity: Examining comparisons between social connectedness and collective self-esteem in European-Americans

Posted on:2010-03-05Degree:Psy.DType:Dissertation
University:Alliant International University, San Francisco BayCandidate:Krimstock, Elizabeth GadomskiFull Text:PDF
GTID:1447390002971289Subject:Psychology
Abstract/Summary:
On measures investigating the importance of ethnic identity to one's self-concept, European-Americans have routinely scored lower than ethnic minorities. The present study assessed how European-Americans between ages 18 and 22 define their self-concept through group membership to two collective identities, ethnic identity and subcultural identity. Subcultural identity, or elective identity, is defined. Three variables were used to investigate the relationship and importance of these collective identities to each participant: social connectedness, collective self-esteem, and identity centrality. Over 200 participants who self-identified as members of the jamband community, an example of subcultural identity, completed a demographic questionnaire, six quantitative measures, and two qualitative narrative questions. The quantitative measures included modified versions of The Social Connectedness Scale (SCS), The Collective-Self-Esteem Scale, Revised (CSES-R), and the centrality subscale of the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity. Each modified scale was revised to investigate participants' ethnic identity and subcultural identity. Mean scores for the European-American identity SCS were greater than the mean scores for the jamband community identity SCS. Total mean scores of the CSES-R were not statistically significant, but the results of the four subscales (private esteem, public esteem, membership esteem and importance to identity) were. Mean scores for the private esteem, membership esteem, and importance to identity subscales were higher for jamband community identity than European-American identity. Participants reported higher means scores on the jamband community identity centrality measure than the European-American identity centrality measure. Positive correlations were found for the European-American identity SCS, CSES-R, and centrality measures; positive correlations were also determined for the jamband community identity SCS, CSES-R, and centrality measures. A correlation matrix revealed a positive correlation between female participants and the importance of subcultural identity. Thematic analyses were conducted on the qualitative measures, which inquired about the role of ethnic identity and subcultural identity to participant's sense of self and the benefits of subcultural membership. The findings suggest that the importance of subcultural identity for young European-Americans may be more pertinent to their sense of self than ethnic identity. Implications for the significance of researching subcultural identity and for the effect of subcultural identity in therapy are discussed.
Keywords/Search Tags:Identity, Ethnic, European-american, Social connectedness, Esteem, SCS CSES-R and centrality measures, Importance, Mean scores
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