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Being perceived as a foreigner regardless of one's generational status, citizenship, or self-identification is called foreigner objectification. This is a form of identity denial and is linked to psychological distress. To test how foreigner objectification could be measured in Europe, we assessed whether the Foreigner Objectification Scale demonstrated reliability and validity with German adolescents. The sample included 806 9th graders from 17 high schools. The results showed that the scale demonstrates good reliability, scalar measurement invariance across gender and citizenship status, and partial scalar measurement invariance across family heritage, generational status, and cultural self-identification. Adolescents who scored higher on the scale also reported greater school behavioral disengagement, lower life satisfaction, and stronger ethnic identity. Our findings suggest that the scale is psychometrically sound and is linked in theoretically consistent ways to adjustment and ethnic identity. We conclude that this scale offers another way to capture subtle discrimination experiences that add to a more comprehensive understanding of discrimination and the related implications in Europe.
Despite evidence that acculturation hassles (such as discrimination and language hassles) relate to poorer adjustment for adolescents of immigrant descent, we know less about the psychological processes underlying these associations. In this study, we test whether reduced psychological needs satisfaction in terms of a lower sense of belonging, autonomy, and competence, mediates the associations of acculturation hassles with psychological distress and academic adjustment. Our sample included 439 seventh graders from 15 schools in Germany (51% female, M-age = 12.4 years, SD = .73). Results revealed that adolescents who experienced greater discrimination and language hassles showed a lower sense of belonging with classmates and subsequently, greater psychological distress. Those who experienced greater language hassles also exhibited a lower sense of perceived competence, and ultimately poorer academic adjustment. We conclude that self-determination theory (SDT) provides an important framework to explain key processes underlying the links between acculturation hassles with psychological distress and academic (mal-)adjustment. Strengthening belonging and competence among adolescents of immigrant descent may enhance their well-being in the face of acculturation hassles.
Ethnic discrimination has a negative impact on the socioemotional, behavioral, relational, and academic adjustment ofadolescents, while belonging with classmates, teachers, heritage, and national group may promote positive socioemotional and academicadjustment. We investigate (1) whether greater discrimination by peers and a lower sense of belonging with classmates, teachers, heritagegroup, and national group are associated with lower socioemotional and academic adjustment of adolescents of immigrant descent inGermany; and (2) whether a sense of belonging with these different sources acts as a protective factor lowering the negative effects ofdiscrimination on adjustment. Our sample included 439 7th-grade adolescents (51% female,Mage= 12.4 years) of immigrant descent from15 Berlin secondary schools. Results showed that higher discrimination was related to greater physiological stress, depressive symptoms,and disruptive school behavior. Higher heritage (but not national) identity, a higher sense of belonging with classmates and with teacherswere associated with better socioemotional and academic adjustment. An examination of interaction effects between discrimination andforms of belonging on adjustment revealed that, while the association between discrimination and poorer adjustment weakened for thosewith higher heritage identity, the association between discrimination and physiological stress increased for those with higher teacherrelatedness. We conclude that heritage identity (but not national identity or sense of belonging with classmates) can indeed be a protectivefactor against the negative effects of discrimination for adolescents of immigrant descent in Germany. Even though belonging with teachersmay exacerbate discrimination effects, further investigation with longitudinal data is needed. The findings underline the important role ofheritage ties among adolescents of immigrant descent as a source of adjustment, especially in light of discrimination experiences.
Cultural diversity approaches in schools and adolescents’ willingness to support refugee youth
(2022)
Background Culturally diverse schools contribute to adolescents' intergroup relations. Complex and inclusive social identities are mechanisms that can explain the link between structural school cultural diversity (i.e., proportion of students of immigrant descent and the number of different ethnic groups) and positive intergroup relations. We expected that similar mechanisms might be at play linking cultural diversity approaches in schools with adolescents' intergroup relations. Aim We examined the link between two sub-dimensions of cultural diversity approaches (i.e., equal treatment; heritage and intercultural learning) and adolescents' prosocial intentions and behaviour towards refugee youth. Then, we explored the mediating role of identity inclusiveness (i.e., perceived similarity of the self with others). Sample and methods We sampled culturally diverse eighth grade adolescents from 54 classrooms in Berlin (N = 503, M-age = 13.76 years, 50.6% female). Surveys measured perceived cultural diversity norms, adolescents' perceived identity inclusiveness with refugee youth, prosocial intentions to support refugee youth, and willingness to donate to a project for refugee youth. Results Multilevel models revealed that adolescents' perception of heritage and intercultural learning predicted adolescents' prosocial intentions towards refugee youth, but not their willingness to donate. Equal treatment was not a significant predictor of adolescents' prosocial intentions towards refugee youth, or their willingness to donate. Identity inclusiveness did not mediate the relation between cultural diversity approaches and prosocial intentions. However, identity inclusiveness did positively relate adolescents' prosocial intentions and willingness to donate. Conclusions We conclude that culturally diverse schools that engage in heritage and intercultural learning might help to promote positive relations between local and refugee youth in schools and society. Fostering inclusive identities may enhance local adolescent's prosocial intention and behaviour.
In 1988 the youth-led movement "Schools without racism, schools with courage" was established in Belgium and quickly spread throughout Europe. German schools adopted this movement in 1995. Decades later, racism is not yet a strong developmental science research topic for studies of youth in Germany and Europe. In this commentary we argue that it should be. With increasing hate crimes and harassment, there is also a need to understand how families are socializing young people to be prepared for, cope with, resist, and disrupt racism. This type of ethnic-racial socialization affects important developmental processes-adolescent ethnic-racial identity development and intergroup and institutional understanding and relations-and requires a more prominent place of study in a migration-diverse Germany. Studying these issues in this particular sociohistorical context will also contribute to a more context-specific understanding of youth experiences of racism.
Across continental Europe, educational research samples are often divided by 'migrant background', a binary variable criticized for masking participant heterogeneity and reinforcing exclusionary norms of belonging.
This study endorses more meaningful, representative, and precise research by offering four guiding questions for selecting relevant, social justice oriented, and feasible social categories for collecting and analysing data in psychological and educational research. Using a preregistered empirical example, we first compare selected social categories ('migrant background', family heritage, religion, citizenship, cultural identification, and generation status) in their potential to reveal participant heterogeneity.
Second, we investigate differences in means and relations between variables (discrimination experiences, perceived societal Islamophobia, and national identity) and academic motivation among 1335 adolescents in Germany (48% female, M-age = 14.69). Regression analyses and multigroup SEM revealed differential experiences with and implications of discrimination for academic motivation.
Results highlight the need for a deliberate, transparent use of social categories to make discrimination visible and centre participants' subjective experiences.