Attitudes in context: Stereotypes in patterns of ethnic identification in Sydney

1. Introduction The study was brought about by several problems related to ethnic and linguistic identity which have arisen in the integration of non-Estonians into the society. Upon the contact of cultures and languages, ethnic and linguistic identity becomes significant. Since ethnic and linguistic identity have an important role in people's self-concept, it also affects the evaluation given of oneself and of others and one's psychological well-being. In addition to the role of the identity of their group of origin, the relationship between the minority groups and the majority group also bears great significance in the integration of the minority. Social support and good relationships with friends and family not only foster the development of a positive self-concept but also help in getting to know one's ethnic background. Identity is going through constant changes, since in a multicultural society, common concepts, mentality, attitudes and customs tend to be dispersed through a joint language space (Kirch 2002:87). Therefore, linguistic identity constitutes an important basis for the formation of one's identity. The population density of non-Estonians significantly influences their ethnic and linguistic self-perception. There tends to be a problem with the subsistence of the Russian-language population in areas with a large concentration of non-Estonians which, of course, bears a direct effect on both their attitudes and language skills (Rannut 2005:10). The majority of non-Estonians are concentrated into the larger cities and the border area. They constitute 46% of the population in Tallinn and 80% in Ida-Virumaa; these two areas being home to 84% of the non-Estonians of the country (Estonian National Census 2000). Areas with a large concentration of non--Estonians are, however, often the sites for the development of oppositional attitudes which are expressed by opposing oneself in the society (us vs. them) to the group speaking the target language as a mother tongue (Rannut 2005:11). Therefore, the object of interest was the study of the ethnic and linguistic identity of the young non-Estonians of those two areas since the influence of the Estonian language is smaller there than in the areas with dispersed non-Estonian population. Little research has been conducted in Estonia regarding the relationship between the language and identity of non-Estonians. There are research papers and articles about identity and ethnic identity; the significance of language and the effect of language environment in the integration of children and their adaptation to Estonian-language schools has also been researched; however, the language identity problems of young non-Estonians who have already graduated from school are an unexplored area and the topic has hitherto not really been reflected upon. This study is an attempt to fill this gap by analyzing the ethnic and linguistic self-perception of young non-Estonians and the factors influencing this, with a comparison based on young people from monolingual and bilingual families of Tallinn and Ida-Virumaa. 2. Identity Identity is a person's knowledge about who they are; who other people are; what it is that differentiates them and how one should behave in certain situations considering the social group where one belongs. This feeling of identity has developed historically, on the basis of continuity; i.e. it comprises knowledge about who we were in the past, who we will be in the future, who our mothers and fathers, our grandmothers and grandfathers were (Kidd 2002:7). Identity is a conception of oneself and therefore constitutes the basis of an individual's relationship with the world and its interpretation, as well as their evaluation of the behaviour of both themselves and others (McAdams 1997:106). Identity is related to the specific values of an individual which have been shaped within the limits of their development and environment and are partially cultural formations by referring to common values and their outputs (Liebkind 1995). …

This paper seeks to contribute to the understanding of the conditions which underly the functioning of young Greek-Australians in their society, and the relationship between their ethnic background and identity. Questions relating to ethnic background and identity were administered to 1,029 Greek-Australian pupils from 25 secondary schools in the south-east, inner west and central areas of Sydney (439 males and 590 females). Principal components analysis of fifteen items from the survey was used to explore individual variations in responses. The largest correlation was 0.56 between the importance of Greek origin and feelings about being Greek. Six components with eigen values > 1.0 accounted for 59% of the total variance. The six patterns of response were characterised as : I. Cultural involvement-media contact, II. Ethnic Identity, III. Ethnic Background IV. Bipolar Greek cultural factor, V/VI Specific Factors. There was a general tendency for ethnic background and internalisation-of-identity responses to be separated as components.

This study uses a community sample to compare Anglo and Chinese Australians' thoughts about three dimensions of facing terminal illness and death. The results conform to the anecdotal expectation that Anglo Australians are more likely to favour living wills, euthanasia and truth-telling about having a terminal illness than are Chinese Australians. These findings have relevance for health professionals, particularly those who are concerned with providing culturally sensitive care to severely and terminally ill people and their families and loved ones. More broadly, the implications of this study propose the problematic nature of health care within a multicultural society. While there is a necessity for awareness of ethnic variation, particularly in the sensitive area of dying and death, there is also individual variation within different cultures. This paper, then, makes the important point that there is a danger involved in making the stereotypical fallacy and treating all Anglo Australians one way and all Chinese Australians another. We conclude, therefore, that health and palliative care practitioners need to be aware of cultural differences, but sensitive to individual nuances.

Background/Context Students of Color continue to be underrepresented at the undergraduate level. Recent research has demonstrated the importance of non-academic psychosocial factors for understanding college experiences. One factor, identity, is a broad, multidimensional construct that comprises numerous distinct domains, including political, religious, gender, ethnic, and academic identities. Two identity domains that are particularly relevant for college Students of Color are ethnic and academic identities. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study In the present study we focused on identity development processes in college and how they differ between Students of Color and White students. Specifically, our study examined four hypotheses: Compared with White students, Students of Color would 1) report higher levels of ethnic identity and 2) endorse higher levels of ethnic-academic identity integration, and that the group difference in ratings of ethnic-academic identity integration would be both 3) mediated and 4) moderated by ethnic identity. Research Design This study was a cross-sectional survey of 282 college students in the U.S. (69% women, M age = 19.65, SD =2.78, Range = 18-39; 90% born in the U.S.). Participants were categorized as either White (54%) or as a Student of Color (47%). Participants completed rating-scale measures of ethnic identity exploration and commitment, academic identity, and ethnic-academic identity integration. Findings/Results Findings in the study supported our four hypotheses: 1) Students of Color reported higher levels of ethnic identity than White students, 2) Students of Color reported greater integration between their ethnic and academic identities than White students, 3) this difference was partially explained by Students of Color having stronger ethnic identities than White students, and 4) ethnic identity moderated the relation between ethnicity and ethnic-academic identity integration, such that ethnic identity predicts greater ethnicity-academic identity integration for Students of Color and White students, but the association is stronger for Students of Color. Conclusions/Recommendations Ethnic minority college students endorse higher levels of integration between their ethnic background and academic major. The ability for students to integrate their ethnic and academic identities may provide students with a sense of belonging during their college years. Both ethnicity and the academic environment play a role in the ways in which students feel belonging and pursue their academic careers. Thus, it is important to examine experiences of belonging in an academic context.

This article examined the various ethnic identities of Cambodian students, a group often perceived by the larger society through the lens of the model minority stereotype but often endure low expectations from teachers and counselors in their local high schools. Our findings suggested that a Cambodian identity was often considered a stigmatized label and students identified as Cambodian were essentialized into the discourse of urban low achieving and culturally deficient minority students. Cambodian students' identities in the less selective academic programs were often quite visible to teachers. This characterization was often coupled with a panethnic representation of Asian American students in selective programs who were considered motivated and supported by advantageous home and cultural values. In these contexts, teachers preferred to discuss Cambodian students in panethnic terms, ignoring students' ethnic backgrounds, described their Cambodian students as part of their "bright Asian students" group. Overall, this study extends other works on Asian American ethnicity and panethnicity by focusing on the conflicting identities that affect the schooling of Cambodian students. These analyses complicate further the static notion of Asian American students as model minorities by emphasizing the fluid, problematic, and contextually-based nature of the construct.

This study, from three aspects, language attitudes, ethnic identity, learning burnout, investigated Achang middle school students’ English learning situation, aiming to survey the relationship between the three variables and English achievement. It adopted the Likert questionnaire, and 317 middle school students from Jiubao Achang Township Middle School and Nang Song Achang Township Middle School, Lianghe County were investigated. The collected data were processed by SPSS 20.0 with the programs such as descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. Finally, the following conclusion was reached: (1) In spite of the trilingual environment, Achang middle school students keep contact with and communicate daily with other ethnic groups, especially the Han nationality, and they still attach great importance to their own ethnic language; Achang middle school students are far more fluent in Chinese than their mother tongue. The English scores of the Achang students are not ideal, of which the girls are obviously stronger than the boys in English study; (2) The subjects’ language attitude is average and ethnic identity is relatively strong, and the study burnout is not very serious. Therefore, the overall situation is relatively optimistic; (3) The students’ language attitude and learning English achievement are significantly and positively correlated, but the correlational strength is weak; learning burnout and English achievement are significantly, moderately and negatively correlated; the students’ ethnic identity is not correlated with English learning. Among the three variables, the contribution rate of learning burnout to the predicted learning achievement is 17.9%.

The population of South Asian immigrants is growing in the United States (U.S.), and with it, their involvement in U.S. racial issues are becoming increasingly important to recognize and understand. Additionally, subpopulations of these immigrants will have unique experiences from their home countries that likely influence their views on U.S. race relations. In this study, we examined how Sri Lankan Americans (SLAs) view racial issues in the U.S. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was an area of interest because of its similarities to racial and ethnic struggles in Sri Lanka. Our main hypothesis is that SLAs, as a minority in the U.S., are supportive of the BLM movement and its political goal, challenging the common notion that SLAs are anti-Black. In this research, we surveyed 310 SLA participants living in the U.S. on four focal areas: racial issues in the U.S. and Sri Lanka, SLAs’ civic engagement in the U.S., ethnic identity, and how SLAs perceive themselves as model minorities. Our study found that a majority of SLAs believe the U.S. has systemic racism, favor BLM, and favor affirmative action. We also found that Tamil SLAs have more favorable views of BLM and affirmative action than Sinhalese SLAs. SLAs have very low civic engagement and a strong sense of ethnic identity, seeing themselves as a model minority. Furthermore, Tamil and Sinhalese SLAs’ views on racial issues in the U.S. are significantly influenced by past experiences in ethnic conflict.

Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan fenomena rapuhnya konsep identitas etnis dalam masyarakat multikultural. Identitas bukan sebatas menunjuk pada sesuatu yang melekat secara permanen pada individu, tetapi juga pada sesuatu yang terus mengalami perkembangan dan transformasi melalui dasar keyakinan (reiligi). Identitas etnis memang seringkali dikaitkan dengan perbedaan ras, agama, tanah kelahiran, dan latar belakang historis. Perbedaan ini, meskipun demikian, tidak menjadi sesuatu yang dipermasalahkan ketika individu berpindah agama ke Islam. Konversi agama lain ke Islam sebagai konsekuensinya mempengaruhi sejauhmana seseorang diakui sebagai bagian dari etnis tertentu. Studi ini dilakukan pada etnis Dayak, Melayu dan Tionghoa di Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat dengan pengumpulan informasi melalui wawancara, observasi dan dokumentasi. Hasil studi menunjukkan bahwa latar belakang etnis cenderung tidak berperan dalam praktik interaksi sosial yang bersifat multilateral. Dalam konteks ini, kelompok-kelompok etnis beserta anggotanya, justru lebih mudah dipersatukan oleh kesamaan etnis-keagamaan (etno-religius) dibandingkan faktor-faktor lainnya. Disinilah siklus etnisitas telah kembali pada fase klasik dimana pembentukan etnis tidak hanya ditentukan oleh latar belakang historis, wilayah, dan pertalian darah melainkan juga agama.

While language influences the formation of ethnic identity, ethnic identity also influences speakers’ language attitudes and language behavior. In this chapter, the present day Yis’ language attitudes, their language choices in different domains and the relations of those choices to their self-identified ethnic identity are explored. Data for the study was gathered from field trips carried out during 2010–2015 in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Present day Yi people’s language attitudes towards Chinese, the Yi language and Tuanjiehua are analyzed and discussed in details. Further the relationship between their language attitude and their language choices in different contexts, and their self-identified ethnic identities are also explored in this chapter.

This research examines how Lao and Filipino consumers’ ethnicity and ethnic identity may influence consumer behavior and how individual acculturation may affect ethnic identity and ethnic consumer behavior in a multicultural environment. Multi-culturalism is a global phenomenon that has impacted how firms and consumers interact in Australia and Asian countries. Using self-ascribed samples from two ethnic groups (Lao and Filipino) residing in Australia, an exploratory mixed-method approach was used to examine how an individual’s ethnicity and ethnic identity influence individuals’ consumer behavior who ascribe to their respective ethnicities. To observe acculturation tendencies and any effects on consumer behavior, each ethnic group was divided into three generational sub-groups. The study revealed varying degrees of individual acculturation between three generations of consumers from the same ethnic background and between consumers from two different ethnic backgrounds. Inter-generational and inter-group differences affected the consumption of ethnic products such as food, clothes, movies, music, and choice of service providers. Implications for doing business in Asia are explored, drawing on the insights and connections that emerge from understanding the Lao and Filipino consumer behavior considering the increased intra-regional movement and multicultural clusters in Asia.

While bodily practice has become a major area of investigation in cultural anthropology, its connection to ethnicity remains to be explored. Among Yucatec Maya, however, one cultural value, tranquility, is enacted through bodily practices and also serves as an axis for ethnic distinction. Moreover, a specific logic associating tranquility with morality serves as an incisive critique of wealthier Others, all more important as Maya are incorporated into global economy at bottom of class hierarchy. An understanding of ethnicity is incomplete without an ethnography of bodily practice and an investigation into how ethnic identity emerges daily in relation to embodied experiences. (Mexico, Maya, ethnicity, social class, embodiment) ********** Visitors to Mayan village of Dzitnup, in Yucatan, Mexico, are told by virtually they meet that Dzitnup is a wonderful place because it is tranquil, and that everyone gets along here. These repeated assertions are puzzling in view of fact that village has two political factions, people argue over national political parties, and Catholics and Protestants accuse each other that their ways are contrary to will of God. This article explores ways these Yucatecans talk about tranquility, which involves its demonstration in bodily practice, and its importance for ethnic and class identities. It concludes with a call for a wider investigation into relationships between bodily practice and ethnicity, particularly behavioral correlates of ethnic identities. After three centuries of Spanish colonial rule, and arguably two centuries of neocolonialism, how Maya-speaking people configure social identity and difference has aroused scholarly interest. Concern in these matters intensified in 1980s and 1990s during civil war that pitted a Guatemalan army against Maya villagers, and again with Zapatista rebellion of 1994 in Mexico and military occupation of Chiapas that continues to this day. Some ethnographers suggest that romanticism about Maya--involving tourists, archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, and National Geographic magazine illustrations--has placed constraints on how Mayan people assert their ethnic identity (Castaneda 1996; Hervik 1999). Others have stressed creative articulation of ethnicity in context of struggles for indigenous rights under state military power (Alonso Caamal 1993; Fischer 1999, 2001; Fischer and McKenna 1996; Hale 1994; Nash 1995, 1997, 2001; Warren 1992, 1998; Watanabe 1995; Wilson 1995). Still others focus on correspondence between ethnic identities and class realities (Gabbert 2004), or examine how identities emerged in relationship to colonial and state administrative procedures (Castaneda 2004:42; Eiss 2004; Fallaw 2004; Restall 2004; Watanabe 2000). Berkley (1998) points to relationship between language ideology and ethnic identity, as does Castaneda (2004:41), who cautions against eliding realities of cultural and ethnic diversity because the terms 'Indian,' 'ladino,' 'mestizo,' 'indigenous' are not equivalent across Maya world [and] do not have any stable meaning (emphasis in original). Attention in this essay is given to a relatively neglected area: relationship between identity and bodily experience. In Santiago Chimaltenango, Guatemala, Watanabe (1992) found that a sense of community emerged through experience of collective action, and argued for a study of relationship between identity and experience (Watanabe 1995; see also Fischer 1999). How bodily practice (as distinguished from body adornment [cf. Turner 1995]) relates to perception and identity has become an area of anthropological concern (Bourdieu 1984; Csordas 1990; Farnell 1999; Lock 1993; Martin Alcoff 1999; Merleau-Ponty 1962; Van Wolputte 2004). It is useful to understand how perceptions and feelings that emerge with bodily experience relate to how Maya think about themselves and others. …

In contemporary Russia, in the conditions of polyethnicity and multiculturalism, it becomes necessary to form civil and ethnic identities of its citizens. This problem is becoming one of the main directions of the state social policy of the Russian Federation, as there is an active migration within the country, which causes the relocation of Russian citizens from their native region. This circumstance prompted the authors of the article to turn to this topic. In the article, the authors reveal the importance of preserving the identity of the indigenous peoples of Altai (Altaians, Telengites, Tubalars, Kumandins and Chelkans) in the conditions of a large metropolis. They also present the historical facts of preserving their ethnic identity, emphasizing the importance for these peoples of obtaining a new status for their ancestral territory of residence in the 90s and being allocated to the national republic as part of the Russian Federation. They reveal the role of ethnic public organizations in the preservation and development of the culture, traditions and language of the Altai peoples, using the example of the activities of the NROO "TSKN "Tuulu Altai", as well as the formation of ethnic and civil identity in a multicultural society. The purpose of the article is a historical description (way of life, places of traditional residence, etc.) of the indigenous peoples of the Republic of Altai and a description of the role and activities of the non-profit public organization "Tuulu Altai Cultural Heritage Center "for the formation of ethnic and civil identity among the representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Republic of Armenia. The scientific novelty of the provisions proposed in the article is to identify the features of the formation of ethnic and civil identity of representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Altai Republic living in Novosibirsk. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using the materials of the article in organizing the activities of non-profit public organizations for the formation of ethnic and civic identity among young people.

This paper examines identity issues in multicultural Australia. In its extreme, negative form, assumptions that certain characteristics apply to all members of an ethnic group can be attributed to racism. However, the belief that individuals who share the same ethnic background have similar needs, interests and perceptions is also reflected in business, government policy and academic research. Often, ethnic groupings used for research and policy formulation are very broad and fail to take into account within-group differences. The criteria used to assess an individuals membership of an ethnic group can be problematic. Criteria based purely on objective measures such as country of birth or ethnic ancestry do not take into account acculturation processes or the degree to which individuals consider themselves to be 'ethnic '. These objective measures are complicated further as individuals may have ethnic roots from multiple countries depending on their family composition over several generations. This theory-focused paper proposes that ethnic identity should be viewed as a subjective phenomenon where individuals are likely to align themselves with the ethnic background to which they most identify. This has implications for research and policy making in multicultural societies.

This study is the first to explore language attitudes of the endangered Faifi language in SA. Understanding these attitudes is crucial for future language revitalization efforts. Employing a conceptual framework from LA research, data were collected via an online Arabic questionnaire with a sample of 258 participants. This paper aims to explore the indigenous people’s language attitudes, frequency of language use, and the influence of social backgrounds. Data were analyzed using factor analysis and multiple regression. Three key findings emerged: Firstly, a two-dimensional model encompassing status and dynamism dimensions was identified, offering new insights into LAs. Notably, the trait “educated” was associated with dynamism rather than the typical association with the status dimension, which can be attributed to educational factors related to the Faifi language’s lack of formal instruction in schools. Secondly, the reported use of the Faifi language by its speakers indicated a positive trend. Lastly, age was found to be the only significant sociodemographic variable, with older participants exhibiting more positive attitudes compared to younger participants. In summary, this research contributes fresh perspectives on the dimensions of language attitudes, particularly by highlighting the deviation of the trait “educated” from its customary position within the status dimension. Additionally, the study emphasizes the salience of age as a factor. The paper recommends macro and micro language policies; macro language policy should consider integrating the language into the educational system, while micro language policy should originate from the indigenous community itself, initiating initiatives to further support language use among young speakers.

Koreans have been successful in nesting their educational achievement into places like China and the United States, where they have earned the title of ‘model minority’. This research is a comparison of the manner in which the model minority stereotype is handled by Korean Chinese and Korean Americans. The gathered data leads us to argue that ethnic Koreans in China and the US construct a multi‐faceted meaning in reaction to the ‘model minority’ stereotype. The meaning complicates the model minority stereotype through capitalising upon a shared East Asian sense of cultural superiority to other ethnic groups while strongly emphasising its economic marginalisation and limitations. This results in valuing education as a practical means for achieving economic upward mobility or sustaining ethnic culture and identity that is perceived as being unique to Koreans in the two different sociopolitical contexts.