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Institute
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.
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.
We tested whether a brief self-affirmation writing intervention protected against identity-threats (i.e., stereotyping and discrimination) for adolescents' school-related adjustment. The longitudinal study followed 639 adolescents in Germany (65% of immigrant descent, 50% female, M-age = 12.35 years, SDage = .69) from 7(th) grade (pre-intervention at T1, five to six months post-intervention at T2) to the end of 8(th) grade (one-year follow-up at T3). We tested for direct and moderated (by heritage group, discrimination, classroom cultural diversity climate) effects using regression and latent change models. The self-affirmation intervention did not promote grades or math competence. However, in the short-term and for adolescents of immigrant descent, the intervention prevented a downward trajectory in mastery reactions to academic challenges for those experiencing greater discrimination. Further, it protected against a decline in behavioral school engagement for those in positive classroom cultural diversity climates. In the long-term and for all adolescents, the intervention lessened an upward trajectory in disruptive behavior. Overall, the self-affirmation intervention benefited some aspects of school-related adjustment for adolescents of immigrant and non-immigrant descent. The intervention context is important, with classroom cultural diversity climate acting as a psychological affordance enhancing affirmation effects. Our study supports the ongoing call for theorizing and empirically testing student and context heterogeneity to better understand for whom and under which conditions this intervention may work.
Background: Societies worldwide have become more diverse yet continue to be inequitable. Understanding how youth growing up in these societies are socialized and consequently develop racial knowledge has important implications not only for their well-being but also for building more just societies. Importantly, there is a lack of research on these topics in Germany and Europe in general.
Aim and Method: The overarching aim of the dissertation is to investigate 1) where and how ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) happens in inequitable societies and 2) how it relates to youth’s development of racial knowledge, which comprises racial beliefs (e.g., prejudice, attitudes), behaviors (e.g., actions preserving or disrupting inequities), and identities (e.g., inclusive, cultural). Guided by developmental, cultural, and ecological theories of socialization and development, I first explored how family, as a crucial socialization context, contributes to the preservation or disruption of racism and xenophobia in inequitable societies through its influence on children’s racial beliefs and behaviors. I conducted a literature review and developed a conceptual model bridging research on ethnic-racial socialization and intergroup relations (Study 1). After documenting the lack of research on socialization and development of racial knowledge within and beyond family contexts outside of the U.S., I conducted a qualitative study to explore ERS in Germany through the lens of racially marginalized youth (Study 2). Then, I conducted two quantitative studies to explore the separate and interacting relations of multiple (i.e., family, school) socialization contexts for the development of racial beliefs and behaviors (Study 3), and identities (Studies 3, 4) in Germany. Participants of Study 2 were 26 young adults (aged between 19 and 32) of Turkish, Kurdish, East, and Southeast Asian heritage living across different cities in Germany. Study 3 was conducted with 503 eighth graders of immigrant and non-immigrant descent (Mage = 13.67) in Berlin, Study 4 included 311 early to mid-adolescents of immigrant descent (Mage= 13.85) in North Rhine-Westphalia with diverse cultural backgrounds.
Results and Conclusion: The findings revealed that privileged or marginalized positions of families in relation to their ethnic-racial and religious background in society entail differential experiences and thus are an important determining factor for the content/process of socialization and development of youth’s racial knowledge. Until recently, ERS research mostly focused on investigating how racially marginalized families have been the sources of support for their children in resisting racism and how racially privileged families contribute to transmission of information upholding racism (Study 1). ERS for racially marginalized youth in Germany centered heritage culture, discrimination, and resistance strategies to racism, yet resistance strategies transmitted to youth mostly help to survive racism (e.g., working hard) by upholding it instead of liberating themselves from racism by disrupting it (e.g., self-advocacy, Study 2). Furthermore, when families and schools foster heritage and intercultural learning, both contexts may separately promote stronger identification with heritage culture and German identities, and more prosocial intentions towards disadvantaged groups (i.e., refugees) among youth (Studies 3, 4). However, equal treatment in the school context led to mixed results: equal treatment was either unrelated to inclusive identity, or positively related to German and negatively related to heritage culture identities (Studies 3, 4). Additionally, youth receiving messages highlighting strained and preferential intergroup relations at home while attending schools promoting assimilation may develop a stronger heritage culture identity (Study 4). In conclusion, ERS happened across various social contexts (i.e., family, community centers, school, neighborhood, peer). ERS promoting heritage and intercultural learning, at least in one social context (family or school), might foster youth’s racial knowledge manifesting in stronger belonging to multiple cultures and in prosocial intentions toward disadvantaged groups. However, there is a need for ERS targeting increasing awareness of discrimination across social contexts of youth and teaching youth resistance strategies for liberation from racism.
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.