Ethnic Identity in Older Adolescents from Four Ethnic Groups.

Erikson's concept of identity has become a central focus for studying adolescent development. Identity is a psychosocial construct involving the creation of a sense of sameness and continuity, a unity of personality achieved through a process of crisis and commitment. Although culture is a factor in Erikson's theory, research on adolescent identity development has not usually included ethnicity. This study examined ethnicity as one of the issues to be resolved in the development of an achieved identity, comparable to other widely studied issues such as occupation or sex roles. Questionnaires were given to male and female urban college students (N=196) from four groups (Asian-American, Black, Mexican-American, and White). The questionnaire assessed ethnic identity, ethnic identity commitment, achieved ethnic identity, achieved occupational and achieved sex role identity, importance of identity domains, self-esteem, and demographics. Achieved ethnic identity correlated significantly with achieved occupational and sex role identity. Exploration of ethnic identity issues was significantly higher among minority group college students than among white students, but the groups did not differ on commitment to an ethnic identity. Ethnicity was considered to be as important as other traditionally studied areas of identity, and was rated as significantly more important by minorities than by whites. (ABL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** ETHNIC IDENTITY IN OLDER ADOLESCENTS FROM FOUR ETHNIC GROUPS1 Jean S. Phinney and Linda Line Alipuria California State University, Los Angeles Erik Erikson's concept of identity has become a central focus for studying adolescent development. "Identity" is a psychosocial construct involving the creation of a sense of sameness and continuity, "a unity of personality now felt by the individual and recognized by others" (Erikson, 1963b, p. 11). Identity is achieved through a process of crisis (exploration of alternatives) and commitment (a decision reflecting personal investment) (Erikson, 1968). But identity development is not entirely an individual process; an achieved identity is the product of one's personal history but also one's place in history (Erikson, 1975). "True identity depends on the support which the young receive from the collective sense of identity which social groups assign to [them]: [their] class, [their] nationality, [their] culture" (Erikson, 1964, p. 93). According to Erikson, the study of identity is difficult specifically because the process is " 'located' in the core of the individual, and yet also in the core of his communal culture" (Erikson, 1968, p. 22; italics in original). Thus, for Erikson, one's ethnic and cultural background is clearly important to identity formation. However, a careful reading of Erikson's writings on racial and national identity (Erikson, 1963a, 1963b, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1975; Erikson & Newton, 1973) reveals his strong sense of the negative potential of group identity and his awareness of the danger to the individual and the species of "pseudo-speciation. " The term "pseudo-species". denotes the fact that while man is obviously one species, he appears and continues on earth split into groups (from tribes to nations, from castes to classes, from religions to ideologies) which provide their members with a firm sense of Godgiven identity . as well as legends, myths, and rituals that bind [the] group together and give to its existence a super-individual significance. This, to be sure, can inspire loyalty, heroism -and poetry. What renders this process a potential ailment of the species as a whole, however, is the fact that in times of danger and upheaval such imagined precedence by providence is reinforced by a movtal fear and hate of other pseudo-species. (Erikson, 1975, pp. 176-177) This quote is typical of Erikson's acknowledgment of the potential power and importance of ethnic identity along with his distrust and concern for the destructive capacity of pseudo-speciation. Erikson seems to see need for ethnic identity as the unfortunate outcome of the human tendency to form groups. His concerns are central to the differing views on the role of ethnicity in development (Ramirez, 1977) and education (Bullivant, 1981). Should one's ethnic heritage and distinctive ethnic characteristics be emphasized or deemphasized? Should multicultural education stress the differences among people of different backgrounds or their similarities? 1 This paper was presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, April, 1987. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Reseaich and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 0 This Ocumenl has been reproduced as rec ed from the person or organization o mating d. inor changes have been made to improve reproduction qualdy. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. 1 2 "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). " One way of addressing these questions empirically is to determine the relationship of ethnic identity to attitudes towards one's own and other groups and to self-esteem. One goal of the present study was to examine