Content-Based, Procedural and Discursive Features of Ethnic Identity Transformation under Conditions of Cross-National Relations

Abstract

The paper demonstrates the role of psychological security in the process of cross-national interaction. The condition of psychological security can reduce barriers, giving people an opportunity of interacting freely with the world around them. Criteria and indicators of ethnic identity formation were developed, depending on the degree of intensity of individual’s psychological security; these were classified into cognitive, affective and behavioral components and considered at two levels: in relation to oneself and to others. A series of expert interviews was conducted based on the developed system of criteria and indicators of ethnic identity transformation. During this interview series, experts were offered to identify the most significant criteria of individual’s ethnic identity transformation, in their view, depending on the degree of his/her psychological security. To identify the most relevant criteria in experts’ opinion, a variation coefficient was calculated for each of the criteria, and its weight was identified based on experts’ estimates. Contentbased, procedural and discursive features of ethnic identity transformation under condition of cross-national relations were identified, along with their dependency on psychological security.