| Among visible minorities, connection to both heritage and host cultures is associated with greater social adjustment and positive psychological and physiological outcomes (Berry, 1997; Curran, 2003). Given the benefits of each, one might expect that a strong heritage culture connection would provide the necessary psychosocial resources important for taking collective action against gender discrimination. However, connection to one's heritage culture may not motivate collective action among those who experience gender discrimination due to heritage culture norms; instead, action is likely inconsistent with heritage culture norms that restrict women's behaviours. As such, women connected to a heritage culture that condones gender discrimination may not take action despite recognizing such discrimination exists. Three studies therefore investigated how heritage culture connection may moderate the relation between perceived gender discrimination and collective action. It was hypothesized that among women with stronger heritage culture connection, greater perceived heritage culture gender discrimination would be related to lower collective action and greater inaction. Study 1 (N = 92) exposed women to a hypothetical scenario of workplace sexual harassment and Study 2 ( N = 70) clarified the perpetrator of discrimination as a White, North American male employer. Both studies supported the hypothesis. Study 3 ( N = 133) manipulated different types of sexism, but found heritage culture connection did not moderate the effect of sexism type on collective action.;Keywords: gender discrimination, acculturation, collective action. |
